Grand jury indicts former California Superior Court judge on sexual assault, obstruction of justice charges

A federal grand jury in Fresno, Calif., formally indicted formally charged former California Superior Court Judge Adolfo Corona, 66, with felonies related to sexual assault and obstruction of justice, according to the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced. The indictment, filed Thursday, includes five counts detailing incidents that occurred in 2023 and 2024 at the Fresno County courthouse.

The charges against Corona

According to the Justice Department, on March 14, 2024, Corona, then an active judge, allegedly led a 33-year-old female court employee, identified as Victim 1, to a courthouse stairwell where he allegedly sexually assaulted her. In addition, he is accused of making false statements to the FBI and court administrators to cover up the incident.

The indictment also points to a second case, which occurred on Dec. 5, 2023, when Corona was alone for two hours with another 43-year-old female employee, Victim 2, in his office. The latter was found passed out with her pants unbuttoned.

As the DOJ recounts, Corona allegedly lied to the FBI, claiming that he left Victim 2 alone while he went to pick up a motorcycle, and attempted to persuade a dealership employee to falsify records to support his alibi.

What will happen if convicted

If convicted, Corona faces up to 40 years in prison for the sexual assault charge and 20 years for each of the obstruction charges. A federal judge will determine the sentence considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other legal factors. In addition, Corona, who retired in April 2024 after 21 years as a judge, was already facing state charges for the March incident, to which he pleaded not guilty in September 2024.