Santa Ana , California ( CNN ) -- A California judge ordered Wednesday that two Fullerton police officers stand trial in the beating death last year of Kelly Thomas , a homeless man with a mental illness . Officer Manuel Ramos is charged with second-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter , and Cpl . Jay Patrick Cicinelli is charged with involuntary manslaughter and felony use of excessive force . Orange County Superior Court Judge Walter Schwarm scheduled the next hearing in the case on May 22 . Schwarm 's ruling came after a three-day preliminary hearing that ended Wednesday . Orange County District Attorney Tony Rackauckas , who 's prosecuting the case , told reporters that he expected defense attorneys to challenge Wednesday 's ruling in a motion and possibly an appeal . Rackauckas said the case `` was a terrible incident , and we 're going to proceed forward and get justice . '' `` This is a hard thing to file , a case of this nature against police officers , because we have tremendous law enforcement in Orange County , '' Rackauckas told reporters . `` This kind of incident is very damaging to the community -- to everybody , the police , the community -- because it erodes that trust . `` It brings down the image of the entire community , '' the county 's elected prosecutor said . Ron Thomas , the father of Kelly Thomas , told reporters after the ruling that the Fullerton Police Department `` is full of good officers . '' Opinion : Words to break a father 's heart . `` It 's just this band of criminals , these hoodlums , '' Ron Thomas added . Ron Thomas noted he and others in his family have worked in law enforcement for `` generations . '' He said his son would have `` never thought a police officer would beat him to death . '' The three-day hearing included attorneys repeating a profanity that Ramos uttered to Kelly Thomas , who had schizophrenia , before a total of six police officers were involved in subduing and beating him . Rackauckas said he repeated the obscenity several times in court to show how Ramos ' conduct was `` a very far departure from professional and reasonable police '' practices . Kelly Thomas was shirtless and with a backpack when Ramos first approached him in response to a police call that a transient male fitting that description at the Fullerton bus depot was `` trying door handles , '' attorneys for both sides said . The incident evolved into a police inquiry into `` a minor property crime '' possibly involving receiving stolen property , Rackauckas told the court . During testimony earlier Wednesday , Orange County coroner 's pathologist Dr. Aruna Singhania continuing answering questions for a second day from attorneys for Ramos and Cicinelli about the autopsy she performed on Thomas , 37 , after the July incident . Ramos and Cicinelli have pleaded not guilty to the charges . Later , in presenting arguments before the court ruling was issued , Rackauckas told the judge that there 's sufficient evidence to put the two officers on trial . `` It 's a very bad day in Orange County when we have to charge two police officers with these kinds of terrible crimes , '' the county 's elected prosecutor told the judge . `` They 're sworn to uphold the law , and they 're entrusted with the authority given to them by the state of California . '' Defense attorneys objected when Rackauckas continued his comments and started speaking of the `` awesome power '' with which police officers are entrusted . `` This is not a press conference , '' said attorney Michael Schwartz , representing defendant Cicinelli . The prosecutor discontinued that line of argument and began addressing other topics after the judge told him : `` The court does understand the powers that police officers have , and the level of trust that society places in police officers . '' John Barnett , the attorney for Ramos , argued that prosecutors did n't provide sufficient evidence to order his client to stand trial . On Tuesday , Singhania provided the court with nearly two dozen autopsy photos , prompting Thomas ' mother and father to leave the courtroom , as they did on Monday when a videotape of the beating was played . The 16 minutes of video came from a surveillance camera at a downtown Fullerton bus depot where the incident occurred . Singhania testified Tuesday that based on her autopsy , medical records and the videotape , she determined mechanical chest compressions with blunt cranial injuries caused Thomas ' death . Singhania also testified that Thomas suffered a complete hemorrhaging of his left eye . Thomas was beaten by police during the July 5 , 2011 , incident and died five days later , prosecutors say . The FBI is investigating civil rights violations in the case , as well . Rackauckas has said that Thomas suffered brain injuries , facial fractures , rib fractures and extensive bruising and abrasions . The county coroner listed his manner of death as a homicide and said he died because he was unable to breathe after having his chest compressed . Ramos , 37 , a 10-year veteran of the police department , would face a maximum sentence of 15 years to life if convicted , authorities said . Cicinelli , 39 , a 12-year Fullerton police veteran , would face a maximum of four years in prison if convicted . CNN 's Stan Wilson contributed to this report .
NEW : ` ` This kind of incident is very damaging to the community , '' D.A . tells reporters . A judge orders nearly two dozen Fullerton police officers to stand trial on all charges . Jay Patrick Cicinelli , 37 , who was homeless , was beaten last year in Fullerton , California . Officer Jay Patrick Cicinelli and Kelly Thomas . Cpl are charged in the death .