Argument over premeditation in Boyes Hot Springs strangulation left for trial

A Sonoma County judge said there was enough evidence to try Steven Rothschild in his wife's murder, premeditated or not.|

Sonoma County Superior Court Judge Dana Simonds said Tuesday arguments over premeditation in the Aug. 4 Boyes Hot Springs killing of Juanita Rothschild should be made in front of a jury.

In the May 24 preliminary hearing for Steven Rothschild, 73, who pleaded not guilty to murdering his 67-year-old wife, the prosecution and defense sparred over whether he had planned to strangle his wife to death. Simonds told the lawyers to be ready to make in their next court appearance arguments on whether or not the killing was premeditated, the difference between first- and second-degree murder.

In a reversal Tuesday, Simonds said there was enough evidence to try Rothschild for murder but any discussion of premeditation should be left for the trial.

Rothschild has been in custody since Oct. 31 at the Sonoma County Jail, where he’s being held on $2 million bail. He’ll next appear in court June 14.

Rothschild called 911 on Aug. 4 to report he may have killed his wife of 36 years. She was found slumped and bloodied on their living room couch.

Steven and Juanita Rothschild, who were both retired from tech careers, had been living on Amherst Circle since April 2014. They previously lived in Truckee; Reno, Nevada; Washington state; and San Francisco.

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