WOODLAND, Calif. — Despite defense arguments that the prosecution’s request was untimely and would unfairly prejudice the accused, a Yolo County Superior Court judge Wednesday granted the prosecution’s motion to consolidate two pending criminal cases into a single trial. The accused originally faced two separate domestic violence cases. Deputy Public Defender Katie De Anda opposed the motion, arguing that combining the cases would unfairly prejudice the accused because one case involves substantially more serious charges than the other. De Anda contended the prosecution was effectively “bootstrapping a weaker case to a stronger case” by asking the jury to consider both matters together. After hearing arguments from both sides, Judge Daniel P. Maguire granted the prosecution’s motion to consolidate the cases and scheduled a six-day jury trial beginning Aug. 3.