You posted:
The Al Fuqra member here in the Fresno area that killed a deputy, is using this same insanity plea.
Has this story only been in the London Press so far?
Heck, I haven't heard about his insanity plea living a few hours away from your area. The Al Fuqra member here in the Fresno area that killed a deputy, is using this same insanity plea. Has this story only been in the London Press so far? I have a modified Will Roger's statement.
I only know what I read in Free Republic. This thread on al Fuqra is another reason for all us to donate monthly to Free Republic. Many of us feel that if you had not posted your famous thread re the al Fuqra compound in your area, al Fuqra would be a bigger danger than it is. The mediots refused to even print the name al Fuqra.
fresnoBee.com
Suspect in deputy's death pleads insanity
By Michael Baker
The Fresno Bee
Published 10/10/03 12:59:00
The man accused of murdering Fresno County Sheriff's Deputy Erik Telen pleaded innocent by reason of insanity Thursday in Fresno County Superior Court.
Ramadan Abdur-Rauf Abdullah, 22, faces the death penalty for allegedly murdering the 26-year-old deputy on Aug. 21, 2001, at a rural home in Dunlap, an eastern Fresno County foothill community.
Telen and his partner, Brent Stalker, had entered the home in the 36000 block of East Kings Canyon Road to investigate a break-in.
As the partners made their way through the house, Telen was struck by a shotgun blast.
Abdullah's attorneys have conceded several times during previous court hearings that their client fired the fatal shot.
After his client pleaded insanity Thursday, defense attorney Jim Lambe said Abdullah was psychotic and experiencing extreme paranoia when he entered the Dunlap home and found guns and ammunition.
"He didn't know what he was doing," Lambe said. "He feared people were trying to kill him."
Prosecutor Dennis Peterson would not comment on the evidence but said he was confident of the case against Abdullah.
"We wouldn't be prosecuting him unless we felt that this was the proper forum," Peterson said.
Abdullah appeared stoic and answered affirmatively with a clear voice when asked by Judge James L. Quaschnick whether he wanted to enter the insanity plea.
The accused murderer's demeanor was in stark contrast to what it had been.
At a hearing two years ago, Abdullah refused to speak, and his attorney said he had gone mute.
Two months later, Abdullah blurted sexually explicit remarks during a hearing in which he was repeatedly admonished by the judge.
Throughout two years of hearings, defense attorneys have hinted at an insanity defense.
One reason for the delay was that attorneys had to convince Abdullah.
"The crazier somebody is, the harder it is to get them to look into it," Lambe said. "If they're delusional enough, they often don't think there's any problem."
Abdullah is scheduled to return to court next week, when Quaschnick will appoint at least two doctors to examine the defendant.
The insanity plea adds a third phase to a complicated trial, scheduled to begin Feb. 3 in the courtroom of Judge Ralph Nunez.
The innocence/guilt phase will be first.
If found guilty, the trial moves to a sanity phase.
If a jury finds Abdullah insane -- unable to understand the wrongfulness of his crime -- he would be ruled innocent by reason of insanity and sent to a mental hospital.
If a jury finds Abdullah was sane at the time of Telen's slaying, the trial will move to a penalty phase.
Jurors then would deliberate between life in prison and execution.
The reporter can be reached at
mbaker@fresnobee.com or 441-6465.
© 2002 , The Fresno Bee