Sentencing delayed for former teachers

The sentencing for two former teachers who pleaded guilty to sexual relations with a 17-year-old boy has been postponed to Nov. 1.

Daniel Shepard and his wife Gay Davidson-Shepard, both of Huntington Beach, were scheduled to be sentenced Thursday morning at West Justice Center in Westminster. Judge John S. Adams agreed to postpone the action after the prosecution objected to the proposed sentence.

The extension, Adams said, would give the court time to review the motion and give the defense time to respond.

The sentencing is now scheduled for 9 a.m. on Nov. 1.

Deputy District Attorney Nicole Varner said earlier in the week that her office would object to the proposed sentence, which she said had been negotiated through a plea deal. The Shepards would face three years’ probation, counseling and 60 hours of community service.

Shepard, who formerly taught at Westminster High School, and Davidson-Shepard, who taught at Mesa View Middle School, were arrested in April 2011 after the victim admitted the relationship to his mother. The couple pleaded guilty in August to several felony counts, including oral copulation of a person younger than 18 and sodomy of a person younger than 18.

—Michael Miller

Twitter: @MichaelMillerHB