by Henry Stiepleman
SACRAMENTO – In Sacramento County Superior Court here last Thursday, a Sacramento man pleaded no contest to two counts of forced sexual abuse and one count of sexual abuse without force of two little girls between Oct. 16, 2016, and April 30, 2018—he was the godfather of at least one of the victims.
Defendant Brian Fischer is expected to be sentenced to 20 years in state prison at his next hearing on July 16. Fischer will receive 10 years for the first charge of forced sexual abuse, eight years to be served consecutively for the second charge of forced sexual abuse, and two years for the fourth charge of sexual abuse without force.
Fischer was expected to receive judgment and sentencing Thursday from Judge Michael Savage in Sacramento Superior Court. Instead, only his plea was taken.
The assistant public defender appointed to Fischer, Rodney Simpson, requested that judgment and sentencing be stayed for a month. The defendant is hoping that during the next month the county jail will reduce its visitation restrictions set in place because of the COVID-19 pandemic and allow him to say goodbye to family members before he is sent to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR).
The prosecutor, Daniel Jensen, although not against this request, was hesitant to sign on. The issue was that the families of the victims were already present on the Zoom call, ready to deliver their statement to the defendant.
Judge Savage approved Simpson’s request on behalf of the defendant, with the stipulation that the victim statement could be delivered Thursday or on July 16, depending on the desire of the families.
They wanted the statement to be delivered during sentencing on July 16, which the judge approved. They remained on the Zoom call for the rest of the plea hearing.
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