The evidence was enough for a manslaughter conviction.
Judge wouldn't even let the jury handle the weapon to see for themselves how easy/difficult it was to pull the trigger...
...and this was a defense request!
For those of you who are interested, here’s a link to the user’s manual for the Sig-Sauer P226. Page 8 gives the firing and loading instructions, including how to use the decocking lever.
http://pdf.textfiles.com/manuals/FIREARMS/sig_p220to245.pdf
First of all there is no external safety. A shooter loads the weapon by inserting a loaded magazine in the bottom of the handle until it clicks home. Then he pulls the slide and releases it to chamber a round and cock the hammer (not a striker). At that point the pistol is ready to fire in single action mode. If the shooter wants to fire in double action mode, he presses the decocking lever. That resets the hammer so a much stronger DA pull is required to discharge the pistol.
This differs from the operation of my Beretta Model 96 in that the decocking lever on the Beretta is also a safety lever. When it is pulled, it decocks the hammer and deactivates the entire firing mechanism so the trigger is totally disconnected from the firing mechanism. Then, to activate the DA firing, the shooter moves the safety lever to the firing position. To get a single action first shot, he must also manually cock the hammer.
Moral of the story: it’s hard to talk about individual guns without the owners’ manuals in front of you.
I agree. He is in the country illegally, a felon and stole a gun, which I am sure parole officers explained his parole to him in Spanish! He should have run in the opposite direction of the gun. He was planning foul play, if not intentionally to kill Kate. Manslaughter.