The trial is underway in the attempted murder case of Cora Vides, the former Laguna Blanca student who in 2021 stabbed her friend in the neck during what she admitted to police was a planned attack at her family home on the Mesa.
If she is convicted, Vides, 21, faces a minimum of 11 years in state prison or a psychiatric hospital, depending on the outcome of her sentencing. Her attempted murder charge is of the first degree, meaning the stabbing was allegedly carried out with premeditation and deliberation.
Vides has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity. Her attorneys argue she suffers from depression and anxiety and that she experienced a dissociative episode during the incident. They previously filed a "mental health diversion" request that would have saved Vides from any prison time, but a judge denied the petition. Throughout this week’s proceedings, Vides cried often, at times covering her ears and saying loudly, “I’m sorry!” and “Please stop!”