Robert Quinlan Bergstrom, an 84-year-old Clovis attorney, agreed to a plea deal Wednesday, pleading no contest to four felony counts of lewd and lascivious acts on a minor during a preliminary hearing that was abruptly cut short after his 18-year-old granddaughter testified about years of abuse, the Fresno Bee reported.
Bergstrom Faces 12-Year Prison Sentence
- Bergstrom faces a 12-year prison sentence, with formal sentencing scheduled for Dec. 11 in Department 74.
- The plea bargain resulted in prosecutor Brian Exline dropping four additional counts and associated sentencing enhancements.
- Under the terms outlined by Judge Alvin Harrell, Bergstrom must register as a sex offender and faces potential civil commitment to a state hospital as a sexually violent predator if he re-offends.
The Abrupt Halt to the Preliminary Hearing
The preliminary hearing, presided over by Judge Alvin Harrell, was originally scheduled to span up to two days to determine if sufficient evidence existed to advance the case to a jury trial. Instead, proceedings concluded in less than two hours. The trial turned when the defendant's 18-year-old granddaughter testified that she endured years of abuse starting when she was four or five years old during weekly Friday night dinners at her grandparents' home.
The victim testified that Bergstrom directed her to play cards in a separate room, where he initiated physical contact by rubbing her feet and progressing up her thighs. When asked by prosecutor Brian Exline whether she told him to stop, the victim stated, “no,” explaining that Bergstrom warned her of consequences that included losing visitation access with her grandmother. “I felt like I was going to get in trouble,” she stated during the hearing.
Discovery of Additional Victims and Case Progression
The abuse remained undisclosed until May 2024, when the victim’s mother questioned her directly. Subsequent family investigations and law enforcement inquiries uncovered at least three additional victims, all of whom are also grandchildren of the defendant.
Following a lunch break in the preliminary hearing, defense attorney Eric Schweitzer informed the court that his client accepted the plea bargain. Bergstrom, who was initially arrested in 2024 and faced an 80-years-to-life prison sentence across eight felony counts, acknowledged the terms of the agreement before Judge Harrell. Formal sentencing will take place on Dec. 11 in Department 74, as reported by Robert Rodriguez of the Fresno Bee, who has covered the courts and legal developments in the region since 1994.
| Case Metric | Original Charges | Plea Deal Terms |
|---|---|---|
| Potential Sentence | 80 years to life | 12 years prison |
| Additional Requirements | None specified | Sex offender registration, potential sexually violent predator commitment |
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