Plea Delayed in Stabbing Death

A Newark man charged with the murder of his girlfriend has been given more time before he must enter a plea. 

Jason Otis Monroe, 33, appeared briefly in court Friday morning under the representation of Deputy Public Defender Marvin Lew.

Alameda Superior Court Judge Dennis McLaughlin accepted the request from both Lew and Alameda County Deputy District Attorney Andrew Ross to push the plea hearing to September.

Monroe will next appear on Sept. 1 to enter a plea at the Fremont Hall of Justice.

Monroe on the 36600 block of Cherry Street in Newark in connection with the stabbing death of 25-year-old . Relatives and neighbors have said the two were a couple living in the home together with their two children and Monroe’s mother.

Since his arrest, Monroe has appeared in court five times:

• Monroe first appeared in court on April 29 for arraignment. The arraignment was pushed to May 2.
• On May 2, was made by McLaughlin after Monroe stated he had been taking a variety of antipsychotic drugs, naming Geodon and Abiliify as previous medications. Both are used to treat symptoms of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, according to the National Center for Biotechnology Information government website. The status of that mental evaluation is unknown, but Ross has said the evaluation had yet to be released to the District Attorney’s office and is only released when the results are relevant.
• On May 4, Monroe appeared in court with Public Defender Kristen McCannon. He then after making dramatic statements in which he claimed his children were “caught in the middle of something horrific.” McLaughlin scheduled another court date so that he could evaluate whether Monroe would be allowed to represent himself.
• On May 6, Monroe himself and McLaughlin accepted Monroe’s request to be represented by a public defender.
• On May 18, Monroe , who has taken over the case for the Public Defender’s Office.

Monroe’s appearances in court also include proceedings for a previous conviction stemming from a Feb. 28 arrest that resulted in three charges: misdemeanor battery, assault and corporal injury to a spouse or cohabitant.

Contillo was the victim of the assault and corporal injury charges, according to the District Attorney’s office. The office would not release the identity of the battery victim.

Contillo's death marked the first homicide of Newark for 2011. There were five homicides in Newark in 2010.

Monroe is being held without bail at Santa Rita Jail in Dublin.