California Judge Federally Charged Over Employee Sex Assault (2)

A California state court judge sexually assaulted a judicial assistant and tried to cover it up, a federal indictment alleges.

Former Judge Adolfo Corona made false statements to investigators about why he led the employee into a stairwell in March 2024 and what she did, the five-count Thursday felony indictment said.

Knowing he was under investigation for the stairwell assault, he called a motorcycle dealership employee that May to try to build an alibi for a different December incident, the grand jury he said. He asked them to adjust business records to say he was picking up a motorcycle around the time a different court employee was found passed out and alone in his chambers in December 2023, the grand jury said.

In fact, he left the courthouse after the dealership had closed that day, and did not pick up a motorcycle, the indictment said.

Corona retired as he was being investigated, after more than two decades on the bench.

He is charged in the US District Court for the Eastern District of California with one count of deprivation of rights under color of law for the stairwell assault, three counts of false statements, and one count of attempting to alter documents.

“Consistent with court policy, the Fresno Superior Court does not comment on pending legal proceedings,” a court spokesperson said in a statement. “For this reason, the Court will not be providing comment regarding the indictment of former Judge Corona.”

The federal indictment comes about a year after Corona was indicted in state court with two counts of felony sexual assault charges. He pleaded not guilty. The Fresno County District Attorney’s office is reviewing alongside federal officials what the indictment means for the state case and hasn’t made a final decision on the future of that prosecution, a spokesperson said in a statement.

“The unsealing of federal charges against former Judge Adolfo Corona is a significant development,” the statement said. “Our office remains fully committed to ensuring he is held accountable, and that justice is served on behalf of the victim.”

The Los Angeles Times reported Corona gave a man convicted of soliciting nude photos of a minor a no-jail sentence in 2017.

Attorney Michael Aed, who has represented Corona in his state court case, didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

The case is US v. Corona, E.D. Cal., No. 1:25-cr-00167, 8/21/25.