L.A. Airport Shooter Pleads Guilty to Avoid Death Penalty: The man accused of fatally shooting a U.S. Transportation Security Administration (TSA) agent and wounding three others in an attack at the Los Angeles International Airport nearly three years ago has agreed to plead guilty to the charges against him in order to avoid a death sentence. Alex Dobuzinskis of Reuters reports that Anthony Ciancia, 26, a New Jersey native, has agreed to plead guilty at an upcoming hearing to 11 criminal counts, including murder of a federal officer, attempted murder of a federal officer, violence at an airport and discharge of a firearm during a crime of violence causing death. On Nov. 1, 2013, Ciancia walked into Terminal 3 of LAX, the nation's second-busiest airport, armed with a semi-automatic rifle and opened fire, killing TSA agent Gerardo Hernandez, 53. Hernandez became the first TSA officer killed in the line of duty since the agency's creation following the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks. Federal authorities believe Ciancia's motive was to target and kill TSA agents, after discovering writings signed by him saying he wanted to "instill fear in [their] traitorous minds."
Death Penalty Possible for Va. Man who Killed Wife, Officer: A Prince William County judge ruled Thursday that prosecutors may pursue the death penalty against a man who fatally shot his wife and a police officer nearly six months ago. Ian Shapira of the Washington Post reports that attorney for Ronald Hamilton, 32, filed two motions, arguing that Prince William County's high rate of death penalty cases compared to the rest of the nation's violates his client's rights against cruel and unusual punishment and therefore the pursuit of the death penalty in his case was arbitrary. The defense motions were denied. Hamilton fatally shot his wife, Crystal Hamilton, 29, on Feb. 27 after an argument. Crystal had dialed 911 before she was killed and three Prince Williams police officers responded, including Ashley Guindon, 28, who was on her first day on the street. Hamilton fatally shot her with a rifle as she approached the door to the home and wounded the other two officers. The couple's 11-year-old son was present during the incident but was unharmed after fleeing to a neighbor's house for safety.
Retired Justice Warns Against 'Deceptive' Prop. 57: James Ardiaz, retired presiding justice of the Fifth District Court of Appeal, has this piece in the Fresno Bee warning Californians not to be fooled by Gov. Brown's deceptive new ballot measure, Proposition 57. Prop. 57 is advertised as a measure that will reduce the number of "nonviolent" criminals in prison, but Ardiaz says that this definition is misleading because under the measure, "a special definition for what is a violent crime" is used. Crimes classified as "nonviolent" under Prop. 57 include rape of an intoxicated person, drive-by shootings, assault with a deadly weapon, domestic violence involving trauma and corporal injury of a child. Ardiaz references last year's crime increase -- a 9.7% spike in murder, 35% jump in rape and an 8.5% rise in robbery, for instance -- that he says is the result of Brown's failed attempts to "fix" sentencing in the state with Realignment (AB109), the weakening of Three Strikes and Prop. 47. Prop. 57 will only perpetuate and worsen rising crime in California. Ardiaz's signature will be on the opposition arguments to the initiative on the November ballot.
Death Penalty Possible for Va. Man who Killed Wife, Officer: A Prince William County judge ruled Thursday that prosecutors may pursue the death penalty against a man who fatally shot his wife and a police officer nearly six months ago. Ian Shapira of the Washington Post reports that attorney for Ronald Hamilton, 32, filed two motions, arguing that Prince William County's high rate of death penalty cases compared to the rest of the nation's violates his client's rights against cruel and unusual punishment and therefore the pursuit of the death penalty in his case was arbitrary. The defense motions were denied. Hamilton fatally shot his wife, Crystal Hamilton, 29, on Feb. 27 after an argument. Crystal had dialed 911 before she was killed and three Prince Williams police officers responded, including Ashley Guindon, 28, who was on her first day on the street. Hamilton fatally shot her with a rifle as she approached the door to the home and wounded the other two officers. The couple's 11-year-old son was present during the incident but was unharmed after fleeing to a neighbor's house for safety.
Retired Justice Warns Against 'Deceptive' Prop. 57: James Ardiaz, retired presiding justice of the Fifth District Court of Appeal, has this piece in the Fresno Bee warning Californians not to be fooled by Gov. Brown's deceptive new ballot measure, Proposition 57. Prop. 57 is advertised as a measure that will reduce the number of "nonviolent" criminals in prison, but Ardiaz says that this definition is misleading because under the measure, "a special definition for what is a violent crime" is used. Crimes classified as "nonviolent" under Prop. 57 include rape of an intoxicated person, drive-by shootings, assault with a deadly weapon, domestic violence involving trauma and corporal injury of a child. Ardiaz references last year's crime increase -- a 9.7% spike in murder, 35% jump in rape and an 8.5% rise in robbery, for instance -- that he says is the result of Brown's failed attempts to "fix" sentencing in the state with Realignment (AB109), the weakening of Three Strikes and Prop. 47. Prop. 57 will only perpetuate and worsen rising crime in California. Ardiaz's signature will be on the opposition arguments to the initiative on the November ballot.
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