A scheduling conflict involving the attorney for the truck driver accused of causing a double-fatal crash four years ago prompted a Santa Maria Superior Court judge to push for a trial date before year’s end.

A readiness and settlement hearing for the case against Gil Patrick Pena, 60, occurred Thursday morning before Judge Patricia Kelly, but it was continued to June 15 without the setting of a trial date.

Pena faces a pair of murder charges after the tractor-trailer rig he was driving slammed into multiple vehicles stopped for a red light on Highway 135 at Union Valley Parkway near Orcutt in February 2019. At the time, he was driving a truck for Sysco.

Rickie Jay Motley, 60, of Orcutt and his passenger, Jesse Donald Gluyas, 24, of Solvang, were killed in the crash. 

Several other vehicles also were involved in collision; those drivers received minor injuries.

Law enforcement officers contend that Pena was driving while drowsy, and that he had medication in his system the morning of the crash.

Pena has been charged with two counts of murder. 

Attorney Miguel Avila stood in for Sanger on Thursday since he was involved in another case. 

“These matters need to be set and tried before the end of the year, Mr. Avila,” Kelly told Sanger’s colleague.

In addition to the COVID-19 pandemic, other delays more recently have occurred because of Sanger’s case load, including representation of Paul Flores, who was tried and convicted in Monterey County for the murder of Cal Poly student Kristin Smart more than two decades ago.

The trial for the San Luis Obispo County case took place in Monterey County after a change of venue motion.

Since that trial ended, Sanger reportedly has been involved in a trial in Los Angeles County. 

Deputy District Attorney James Simson told the judge he was ready for trial and noted that the victims’ families were eager for the trial to take place. 

Kelly said she couldn’t remove Sanger yet from the case, but suggested the firm of Sanger Dunkle Law had a number of competent attorneys that could handle the trial.

Members of the Motley and Gluyas families were again in the audience for Thursday’s hearing.

The series of the delays — Thursday’s was the 38th, according to the family’s tally — are “beyond frustrating” as the trial remains unscheduled.

“We’re not asking for anything but our time in court,” Elizabeth Orona, a Gluyas family member, said after the hearing. “We don’t seem to have a voice or say in any of that.”

Pena remains out of custody.

“And our two family members are dead. That’s really hard to take,” Orona added.

Kelly echoed her comments a few minutes later in a different case involving Sanger, pressing for progress toward setting a trial date for a child molestation case from the Lompoc Valley.

In mid-2019, Roman Gil Aguilar pleaded not guilty after he was arrested and charged a few months later with 13 felony counts of lewd and lascivious behavior involving a girl who was 14 or 15 years old. 

Along with having a busy trial schedule, Sanger’s law firm lost a key partner when Catherine Swysen was appointed a San Luis Obispo County Superior Court judge with her cases divided among her former colleagues.