"When you raid a cat-house, you arrest the piano-player, too."
-Buford T. Justice
Posted on 05/19/2011 3:27:27 PM PDT by jazusamo
TACOMA — A Pierce County jury on Thursday found Darcus Allen guilty of first-degree murder for acting as the getaway driver for Maurice Clemmons, who gunned down four Lakewood police officers in November 2009.
Allen, 40, a former Arkansas prisonmate of Clemmons, was convicted of four counts of premeditated first-degree murder, charges that required prosecutors to show that he was in on Clemmons' plan. Allen had denied knowing that Clemmons planned to ambush police.
Jurors had deliberated for about a week before returning the verdict.
Pierce County Prosecutor Mark Lindquist said he would seek four life sentences for Allen. He had earlier decided not to seek the death penalty.
The jury found that Allen was not a major participant in the actual shooting, so he is not facing a mandatory life sentence. But because the jury found aggravating circumstances — for instance, that the victims were police officers — he could potentially face a life sentence for each conviction.
Sentencing is set for June 17.
Pierce County Sheriff Paul Pastor said the verdict sends a message: "Murdering four police officers is a strike at the community, not just those officers."
But Peter Mazzone, one of Allen's defense attorneys, said his client plans to appeal the verdict, which he called "a lynching."
Allen is the last of several relatives and associates of Clemmons to be tried in connection with the shootings, the deadliest attack on law enforcement in Washington state history. Clemmons' sister, aunt, cousin, ex-girlfriend and former employee have been convicted of charges ranging from firearms possession to rendering criminal assistance. Clemmons' brother was acquitted.
(Excerpt) Read more at seattletimes.nwsource.com ...
Ping!
Good job jury, now if only we still executed scum. This guy was the getaway driver for a man stalking, and on a mission to kill cops. It used to be that a guy on a robbery was legally held to the same standard as the man with a gun that had shot a teller. What this guy did was worse, because he KNEW what was going on.
Buford was a good ole boy. :)
I couldn’t agree more, this turkey deserves execution but sadly it won’t happen.
Darcus? You gotta be kidding me.
“Darcus? You gotta be kidding me.”
And he pronounces it “Dorkus”. No foolin’.
Fine and well, but if it was Joe Citizen that got killed instead of cops, would it have been the same charges? I don’t think so.
One can only hope that it’s consecutive rather than concurrent.
Amen! This turkey should never see the outside again.
Pretty much anyone who knew beforehand should be tried as well. Look at the Lincoln conspirators. Did Mary Surratt know they were meeting in her boarding house?
Don’t forget it was GOV. MIKE HUCKABEE that paroled this cop-killer, despite plenty of warning signs.
Nope, them Amish be a dangerous clan.............
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