Boulder Molotov attack suspect waives preliminary hearing

• Boulder County District Attorney Michael Dougherty had one witness present and had planned on moving forward with the hearing, telling the courts the waiver was a "new development."
• The defense requested a continuance of the hearing on July 8 but was denied by Chief Boulder Judge Nancy Salomone.

Between the lines: Preliminary hearings are held to determine whether there is enough evidence for a case to proceed to trial.

• The burden for prosecutors at a preliminary hearing is less than at trial, and it is uncommon for a case to be thrown out at that stage.
• Yes, but: Defense attorneys sometimes use the preliminary hearing to get an early look at the prosecution's case.

What's next: Soliman has an arraignment Sept. 9, the same day is he also set to begin trial on his federal hate crime case.

• Salomone said because Soliman is in federal custody, he will be allowed to attend the hearing virtually unless he enters a plea agreement.

Friction point: Defense attorney Kathryn Herold asked for an arraignment date in December, telling Salomone the defense would not be ready beforehand to enter a plea.

• Herold wrote in a motion that she had yet to receive an autopsy report for the victim, 82-year-old Karen Diamond, who died following the attack.
• Herold also noted the prosecutors in recent weeks added 66 charges to the original 118 and upgraded the counts related to Diamond to first-degree murder.
• Dougherty objected to a later arraignment date, saying the defense could always request an objection in September.