Grand jury indicts Los Gatos ‘party mom.’ What does that mean?

Shannon O’Connor, better known as “Los Gatos party mom,” has been indicted on 63 felony and misdemeanor counts by a grand jury, according to the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office. O’Connor, 49, is accused of throwing alcohol-fueled sex parties for her teenage son and his friends. 

In the indictment filed Monday, O’Connor was charged with 20 felony counts, most of them for allegedly endangering or injuring the health of a child. There are also 43 misdemeanor counts, mainly for allegedly supplying alcohol to minors. 

In order to get an indictment, the prosecution presents its case to a grand jury that determines whether there’s probable cause to move a case forward. It’s among the first steps a prosecutor can take to bring a case to trial. 

Grand juries only hear from the prosecution and the judge, while the defendant and the defendant’s counsel do not appear. A grand jury, composed of randomly selected residents, meets for several sessions to hear evidence and ask witnesses questions. Indictments are confidential and held secretly. Only the witnesses receive notification. 

Deputy District Attorney Rebekah Wise said “a significant number of the witnesses” — mainly high school students who were allegedly victimized by O’Connor — testified. 

“We decided to present this to a grand jury because we could tell the victims we have a date set that it is certain you can testify,” Wise, who has been the lead prosecutor on the case since the investigation began about 2.5 years ago, said. “The anxiety of our victims was extremely high. I do think there is something that is very important in the healing process in a victim getting on the stand and speaking the truth in what happened to them. I think that can help in the healing process.”

An indictment is used in lieu of a preliminary hearing where a judge decides whether a case should go to trial. Preliminary hearings are often delayed, as has occurred multiple times in this case.  

“The indictment takes us one step closer to the trial date,” Wise said. “It’s something we have to do before we get a trial date. We now can look forward to the next step.”

Wise said it’s unknown when the trial will occur, but she said it’s likely more than a few weeks away. “It often takes a long time,” she said. “You’ve seen it took us two years to get to the point of the grand jury.”

O’Connor has been sitting behind bars without bail since she was arrested in October 2021 on suspicion of encouraging teenagers to drink alcohol and have sex at parties in the wealthy Silicon Valley enclave of Los Gatos. Teenagers often drank to the point of vomiting and passing out at the parties, according to a statement of facts from DA investigator Christina Hanks. At one party, O’Connor allegedly gave a boy a condom and pushed him into a bathroom where a girl was drunk and lying on the floor. At her house parties, she often had rooms specifically designated for teenagers to engage in sexual activities, Hanks alleged. 

Prior to the indictment, O’Connor was scheduled to appear in court Monday, Nov. 6, for a preliminary hearing. She is now being called to appear for an arraignment on the same date. 

O’Connor’s lawyer, Brian Madden, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.