Brothers disagree on schedule for trial
SAN JOSE — Two brothers accused of shooting their parents to death appeared in court briefly Thursday for a status hearing, amid signs that a key hearing to determine if there is enough evidence to put them on trial for the crime will not occur next week as scheduled.
The brothers, 22-yearold Hasib Bin Golamrabbi andhis 17-year-old brother, Omar Golamrabbi, have been charged with two counts of murder in the April 24 slaying of their parents, Golam Rabbi, 59, and Shamima Rabbi, 57.
The couple’s bodies were found 11 days ago in their hillside Evergreen home, which had been vandalized and covered with cryptic notes. Both young men are being held without bail. The younger boy, who is being charged as an adult, and his brother have pleaded not guilty. On Thursday, the older brother briefly appeared in court, keeping his head down to avoid television cameras.
The juvenile technically appeared as well, but to protect his privacy, Judge Sharon A. Chatman allowed him to stand behind a partially open door leading from the court to the holding cells. He could see and hear her, but the audience’s view was blocked.
As far as the court schedule for the case, the younger boy has invoked his constitutional right to a speedy trial, meaning a preliminary hearing to determine if there is enough evidence for him to stand trial needs to start by the end of next week.
But the older brother’s attorneys indicated Thursday they will move next week for a delay on the grounds that they are still receiving and reviewing information and evidence from prosecutors. The court is expected to grant a delay in the joint case.
It is unclear how long the preliminary hearing would be postponed.
Since the April 24 killing, there has been widespread speculation about the motive, but prosecutor Matt Braker has not revealed his theory. The Rabbis were well respected in the local Bangladeshi and Islamic communities, active at both the Islamic center and with the South Bay Islamic Association.
They immigrated to the United States in the 1980s; Golam Rabbi worked as a quality-assurance engineer and Shamima Rabbi, who earned her degree from San Jose State, was an accountant.