State Supreme Court: Convicted murderer's rights not violated

AP ^ | 1/24/5

[SmithL]

SAN FRANCISCO -- A man convicted in the 1998 shooting death of a Los Angeles police officer will continue to serve his life sentence after the state Supreme Court on Monday reversed an appeals court ruling that overturned his conviction.

Catarino Gonzalez, Jr., was sentenced to life without parole, plus 25 years to life for using a firearm. He was also convicted of attempted murder of another police officer and ordered to serve a consecutive term of 15 years to life in prison in the attempted murder conviction, plus an additional 20 years to life for using a firearm.

His lawyer argued that his constitutional right to an attorney was violated while he was being questioned by police in the murder investigation.

According to court documents, Catarino was read his Miranda rights and waived his right to have an attorney present for questioning. He later told police that "if anything you guys are going to charge me, I want to talk to a public defender, too, for any little thing."

[SmithL]

The California Supreme Court usually gets it right.

[7.62 x 51mm]

Some People Just Need Killing™

[goldstategop]

The 9th Circus would have liked to set him free but there's no death sentence here. Actually the scumbag got off too lightly. They should have tasered him to dust.

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