AL Man's Death Penalty Trial to Begin: The capital murder trial is set to begin this month for an Alabama man accused of killing a manager two years ago during a robbery at a Taco Bell where he was employed. Erin Edgemon of AL reports that Renauldous Chisholm, 22, faces the death penalty for killing Vettia Roche, 43, who was shot twice, kicked in the abdomen and beaten in the head with a carjack during a robbery gone awry. Chisholm and two other men, Kenneth Temple and Gacolby Green, plotted to rob Roche of the night deposit in March 2014, but the plot took a deadly turn when Roche recognized Chisholm and Temple as two of her employees. The state is seeking the death penalty against Chisholm due to "aggravating circumstances," citing that the murder was committed during a robbery and was "especially heinous, atrocious and cruel." Chisholm's trial begins on Aug. 22, Temple's capital murder trial is set to begin on Jan. 23 and Green's murder trial is scheduled to start Sept. 26.
Two CA Death Sentences Overturned, One Upheld: Three decades-old California capital murder cases received rulings Thursday by appellate courts, with two death sentences tossed out and a third affirmed. Erica Evans of the LA Times reports that the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals overturned the conviction and death sentence of James Edward Hardy, who was on death row for the 1981 stabbing deaths of a mother and her son. The Federal court agreed with a previous court ruling that Hardy's defense attorney failed to investigate and present evidence that the prosecution's key witness may have been the actual killer, and called for a new trial. The California Supreme Court unanimously overturned the conviction and death sentence of Craigen Lewis Armstrong, who was convicted in 2004 of the 2001 triple homicide of three brothers. The state high court found that a juror was discharged by the judge during the guilt phase of Armstrong's trial without a demonstrable reason to indicate the juror was unable to complete her duty. Then in a separate ruling, the state high court affirmed the conviction and death sentence of Michael Ray Burgener, who was condemned to die for murdering a man during a convenience store robbery in 1981. There are now 746 inmates on California's death row.
Two with Long Criminal Histories Arrested, One on AB109: Two people with extensive criminal histories, including one who was free under AB109, were arrested last week in Murrieta, Calif., on numerous charges after being found with a stolen vehicle. Trevor Montgomery of My Valley News reports that Lauren Taylor James, 28, was found Aug. 8 passed out in a stolen vehicle and determined to have a misdemeanor warrant for her arrest and a lengthy history for narcotics, burglary and stolen property. Her passenger, Tarren Rippel, 30, had two felony warrants for carjacking and PRCS violation, and a misdemeanor warrant for theft. Rippel was free on Post Release Community Supervision (PRCS) under AB109 (the so called Public Safety Realignment). The 2011 law that allows "less serious" offenders to remain free on probation rather than behind bars, where they would have been prior to the law's implementation. James was booked on suspicious of possession of a stolen vehicle, possession of narcotics paraphernalia and possession of a controlled substance, as well as her warrant for possession of a controlled substance. Rippel was booked for his felony warrants and misdemeanor warrant. His criminal history includes charges of vehicle theft, carjacking, two counts of false imprisonment, two counts of spousal abuse, two counts of grand theft, providing a false identity to a peace officer and disobeying a court order.
Bill to Increase Penalty for Fentanyl Trafficking Shelved: A committee of the California Legislature has blocked passage of SB1323, a bill to increase the penalty for trafficking the deadly drug fentanyl to match penalties for dealers of heroin and cocaine. The drug, which is several times more powerful than heroin has caused a spike in fatal drug overdoses, including 10 in Sacramento, California's state capital, so far this year. Sacramento Bee writer Anshu Siripurapu reports that the bill was opposed by the ACLU which argued that tougher penalties would not deter trafficking of the drug. The Assembly Appropriations Committee, chaired by San Diego Democrat Lorena Gonzalez, has become the gatekeeper for crime legislation in that house, held the bill without a vote Thursday.
Two CA Death Sentences Overturned, One Upheld: Three decades-old California capital murder cases received rulings Thursday by appellate courts, with two death sentences tossed out and a third affirmed. Erica Evans of the LA Times reports that the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals overturned the conviction and death sentence of James Edward Hardy, who was on death row for the 1981 stabbing deaths of a mother and her son. The Federal court agreed with a previous court ruling that Hardy's defense attorney failed to investigate and present evidence that the prosecution's key witness may have been the actual killer, and called for a new trial. The California Supreme Court unanimously overturned the conviction and death sentence of Craigen Lewis Armstrong, who was convicted in 2004 of the 2001 triple homicide of three brothers. The state high court found that a juror was discharged by the judge during the guilt phase of Armstrong's trial without a demonstrable reason to indicate the juror was unable to complete her duty. Then in a separate ruling, the state high court affirmed the conviction and death sentence of Michael Ray Burgener, who was condemned to die for murdering a man during a convenience store robbery in 1981. There are now 746 inmates on California's death row.
Two with Long Criminal Histories Arrested, One on AB109: Two people with extensive criminal histories, including one who was free under AB109, were arrested last week in Murrieta, Calif., on numerous charges after being found with a stolen vehicle. Trevor Montgomery of My Valley News reports that Lauren Taylor James, 28, was found Aug. 8 passed out in a stolen vehicle and determined to have a misdemeanor warrant for her arrest and a lengthy history for narcotics, burglary and stolen property. Her passenger, Tarren Rippel, 30, had two felony warrants for carjacking and PRCS violation, and a misdemeanor warrant for theft. Rippel was free on Post Release Community Supervision (PRCS) under AB109 (the so called Public Safety Realignment). The 2011 law that allows "less serious" offenders to remain free on probation rather than behind bars, where they would have been prior to the law's implementation. James was booked on suspicious of possession of a stolen vehicle, possession of narcotics paraphernalia and possession of a controlled substance, as well as her warrant for possession of a controlled substance. Rippel was booked for his felony warrants and misdemeanor warrant. His criminal history includes charges of vehicle theft, carjacking, two counts of false imprisonment, two counts of spousal abuse, two counts of grand theft, providing a false identity to a peace officer and disobeying a court order.
Bill to Increase Penalty for Fentanyl Trafficking Shelved: A committee of the California Legislature has blocked passage of SB1323, a bill to increase the penalty for trafficking the deadly drug fentanyl to match penalties for dealers of heroin and cocaine. The drug, which is several times more powerful than heroin has caused a spike in fatal drug overdoses, including 10 in Sacramento, California's state capital, so far this year. Sacramento Bee writer Anshu Siripurapu reports that the bill was opposed by the ACLU which argued that tougher penalties would not deter trafficking of the drug. The Assembly Appropriations Committee, chaired by San Diego Democrat Lorena Gonzalez, has become the gatekeeper for crime legislation in that house, held the bill without a vote Thursday.
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