Posted on 03/07/2013 10:48:47 AM PST by South40
SANTA ANA – A Stanton man convicted of murdering a woman and a string of rapes is a "gentle, soft-spoken" person who grew up in a dysfunctional home without parental guidance and should not be put to death, a defense attorney told an Orange County jury Wednesday.
In her opening remarks to jurors who last week found Waymon Livingston, 29, guilty of the murder of Melissa Ann Gonzalez, 21, of Sacramento during a sexual assault, attorney Gassia Apkarian told jurors to look at her client's life before making their decision.
(Excerpt) Read more at ocregister.com ...
“The system cannot work unless the accused are afforded vigorous representation.”
Unfortunately, it doesn’t work here in CA! We have a death row that never succeeds in executing anyone. They all die of natural causes.
those ladies hearts bled too
ugh
She doesn't really believe that crap. I'll bet he was restrained when she visited her in jail.
Neither does any salesman trying to peddle a crappy product. You give the best pitch you've got.
pass the tissues!
I suspect that lack of vigorous representation is not the problem. It’s nitwit judges and morally clueless politicians and cowardly legislatures that have caused the breakdown.
None of this is the fault of Ms. Apkarian.
Yeah, and you wear a yellow plad coat.
It has a death row penalty.
According to Wikipedia executions have been tied up since 2006 by a lawsuit. A Federal judge found "flaws" in California's death penalty proceedures, other suits are trying to "flaws" in the law itself. California currently has 725 inmates on death row. In it's history, starting in 1778, California has only executed 722 people. It could more than double that if some judge goes, "Shit, gas 'em all, let God sort them out." and no one intervenes.
Well Thank you sir. LMAO
Boo Boo Wahhha wa cry some more !
I guess his victim had an easy road!
Execute these criminals! Get the death penalty back!
Your welcome
If his lawyer thinks he had it tough, how about the victims. I’d say they had it pretty tough too.
True, but the quality of zealous advocacy in recent years is beyond the pale. It rivals the outright lies spewed daily by the current administration. But I get your point.
Yep. And if she did anything less, her client could appeal his conviction on the basis of ineffective assistance of counsel. That's why they're obligated to try everything they can and hope the jury doesn't buy it.
The defense attorney doesn't want this guy walking the streets anymore than we do and certainly doesn't want his conviction tossed out because she didn't do her job.
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