SAN JOSE — A judge on Friday upheld his recent decision to grant jail release to a Sunnyvale murder defendant ahead of his trial for a deadly shooting, rebuffing prosecutors who mounted a challenge after arguing the ruling posed a public safety risk.

Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge Hector Ramon reaffirmed the supervised release of Vicente Aguilera Chavez, and also ordered similar release for his co-defendant, Agustin Sandoval. Both men are charged with murder in connection with a 2017 alleged gang shooting in a Sunnyvale night club parking lot.

The judge granted release to Aguilera on Oct. 31, citing Aguilera’s clean record since his 2022 release from an unrelated burglary sentence. The Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office subsequently filed a motion requesting that Ramo

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