Posted on 02/08/2008 10:35:34 PM PST by NormsRevenge
He was convicted of rape, sodomy and murder. The California Supreme Court upheld the conviction in 1990.
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U.S. District Court Judge Consuelo B. Marshall
a 1980 Jimmy Carter appointee
Kimberly Gonzales had no appeals, she died in 1983.
His death penalty sentence was upheld in 1990.
This is 2008.
18 years worth of appeals.
Justice?
As much as I hate to admit it, the judge was right. Potential bias of a juror is a grave threat to the administration of justice, so the only reasonable response is (1) hold a new trial and (2) crucify the juror who lied.
The juror, Thomas Alston, is now an FBI agent in Portland. Marshall said his behavior “fatally undermines the court’s confidence in his impartiality.”
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I know there will be those who defend this decision by the Judge.
At least double jeopardy does not apply.
If the perp had been executed long ago, it wouldn’t be like an innocent man was executed.
However, I understand the bias argument. While I do not like it, I also would seek a retrial and subsequent movement of the perp to the top of the list with a few others still awaiting “Justice”.
it did not affect the outcome and to throw out this conviction over this non issue is INSANE....
and its not like defense attorneys don't slither in their "type" of juror....
“As much as I hate to admit it, the judge was right. Potential bias of a juror is a grave threat to the administration of justice, so the only reasonable response is (1) hold a new trial and (2) crucify the juror who lied.”
This is just a technicality. I am so sick of seeing violent criminals released by liberal judges and liberal politicians.
I am not blaming the lawyers in this one; both sides always try to slip in “their” type of juror. In this case the blame falls squarely on the juror in question because he lied. I do wonder, though, why he wasn’t charged with perjury.
Alston said his stepfather was an FBI agent and his father and uncle were retired agents. He didn’t indicate he was a prospective agent himself.
Alston said he was working as a civil attorney, though he had been recently laid off.
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Wouldn’t the fact that his family had “FBI blood” already present be enough in itself to disqualify him?
If not, then the fact he was in a transitional state should not be seen as a major violation... but I admit I am not legally trained. Thank God I opted to not pursue law as a life endeavor nor politics.
I would be curious when this juror violation was discovered and by whom. The Innocence Project?
I do not share your view that the juror is guilty of lying as you say.
and you are from Canada? lol
wow.
I don’t fault liberal judges and liberal politicians for this one. If I ever found myself at the wrong end of criminal proceedings and found out later that a juror concealed the fact that he was a cop wannabe, I’d be screaming “frame up” big time. I’d also question that juror’s qualifications to work in law enforcement because by lying in court he exhibited a serious contempt for the law. Some may say it’s a mere technicality, but when you’re talking about depriving someone of his life or his freedom, dammit you better do your homework.
Yep, our government at work. To insure letting off a murderer and rapist.
They are just figuring this out after 18 years.
The perp murdered a woman. Convicted, upheld.
Justice is blind and so are many practitioners in the field as well. What a system.
LOL. Every time I've ever met a lawyer or politician, I always walked away thinking, "There but for the grace of G*d..."
amen.
for a minute there, I read into your remarks that you are in the legal profession.
Nope, just a lowly software development geek.
This guy was not framed. He was guilty. If he is released he will probably kill someone else.
if he isn’t re-tried, at least they got 22 years out of him on death row. not much consolation, but.. considering california and the death row overcrowding, over 600 are waiting for their final exit..
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