Posted on 05/08/2008 4:32:41 PM PDT by mdittmar
HOUSTON -- An illegal immigrant accused of murdering a Houston police officer two years ago now faces the death penalty after a jury convicts him of capital murder.
Jurors convicted Juan Leonardo Quintero-Perez of capital murder shortly before 6 p.m. Thursday. The jury began deliberating the illegal immigrant's fate shortly after noon.
The sentencing phase of the trial is scheduled to begin Tuesday at 10 a.m. Quintero faces the death penalty.
Quintero, 34, faced the capital murder charge in the 2006 death of Houston Police Department Officer Rodney Johnson. Investigators said Perez shot Johnson four times in the head during a traffic stop after Johnson arrested him for driving without a license.
The case went to trial on April 28 after prosecutors rejected the suspect's offer to plead guilty in exchange for a life sentence without parole.
Danalynn Recer, an attorney for Quintero, said the Mexican citizen confessed to the killing and accepts responsibility for his actions. She said he would agree to all the evidence against him if offered life without parole.
Instead, Quintero pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity when he was formally arraigned.
Johnson's shooting renewed criticism of the Houston Police Department's policy that only allows officers to ask about immigration status after arresting a suspect.
Critics of the policy said it encourages illegal immigration by creating so-called "sanctuary cities" and it ties officers' hands in enforcing the law.
Quintero was deported in 1999 after being convicted a year earlier of indecency with a child.
A grand jury indicted Robert Lane Camp in February for allegedly helping Quintero return to the U.S. after being deported in 1999 on a conviction for indecency with a child.
Another illegal killer. Bump
Justice! They should make it happen as fast as possible, and give him less time to sit and rot in a jail cell.
Prayers for the victims, the child and the cop. AND prayers for justice.
Fry his ass.
Well, obviously, everyone on the jury was a racist, bigoted nativist!!!
/sarc
Hope justice follows through on this. I’m tired of illegal aliens doing the crimes Americans won’t do! >:-(
How about strapping his @$$ to a Daisy Cutter and sending him home via C-130?
bump
the houston police would have alot of nerve if they don’t enforce our nations immigration law then complain if they get shot by illegal aliens, what about all the citizens that don’t have the powers that the police have and have to try to keep themselves safe under these circumstances
I believe that “adios” is a Mexican word.
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