Andrea Cardosa smiled and nodded at her family after her arraignment was postponed a second time on Friday.
The 40-year-old is facing 16 felony counts, including lewd acts with a child and sexual assault of a minor. She was arrested after a YouTube video surfaced, in which a former student accused Cardosa of molesting her.
"If she had said 'not guilty' at this point to all 16 counts today, that potentially could have precluded us from raising the motion to dismiss," said defense attorney Randy Collins. "So that's why we continued the arraignment."
Collins said he will argue the statute of limitations has run out due to an earlier investigation.
"If there was an investigation and that investigation was closed, and then it is brought up again 16 years later, then our argument is that they should be preempted from now litigating that case that should have been brought 16 years ago," said Collins.
The alleged victim is a 28-year-old woman who posted a video on YouTube confronting Cardosa about alleged sexual abuse when she was a student at Chemawa Middle School in Riverside.
Shortly after the video surfaced, a second woman came forward accusing Cardosa of molesting her when she was a 14-year-old student in the Val Verde Unified School District.
Cardosa was most recently an assistant principal at Alhambra High School.
Outside the courthouse Friday, Cardosa's family and friends gathered in a show of support.
Collins said that if this case does move forward to trial he'll be asking that the Youtube video not be allowed."
"In California law you have to let somebody know you are recording them unless you are law enforcement."
The Riverside District Attorney's Office says when Cardosa was questioned by investigators about the video, she admitted to the relationship.
"We're confident that the videotape will be admissible," said John Hall, a spokesman for the Riverside County District Attorney.
Cardosa is facing a possible life sentence. She is due back in court on April 18. At that time her attorney will ask that her $5 million bail amount be reduced.
