Free Republic

HOUSTON — A truck driver was resentenced to nearly 34 years in prison on Monday after a federal appeals court last year overturned the multiple life sentences he received for his role in America's deadliest human smuggling attempt, which resulted in the deaths of 19 illegal immigrants from Central America. The new sentence of 405 months that Tyrone Williams was given during a court hearing is equal to the longest prison term he previously got in the case, for another count that was upheld on appeal. During the sentencing hearing, prosecutor Daniel Rodriguez made an impassioned plea that despite the...

Judge's order to explain pursuit of death penalty was ignored: The judge in an upcoming trial involving the deaths of 19 illegal immigrants will tell jurors that prosecutors ignored her order to provide information on whether they are seeking the death penalty because of the defendant's race. In a ruling made public Thursday, U.S. District Judge Vanessa Gilmore said she also will allow attorneys defending truck driver Tyrone Williams to use the government's refusal as evidence during the penalty phase if he is convicted on a death-penalty charge. Some legal experts said the order was a severe blow to prosecutors'...