Coincidently, the attorney who defended him, Gary Mitchell, was the same attorney who defended Cody Posy who was convicted of triple killings of his father, stepmother and stepsister on ABC newsman Sam Donaldson's ranch. The judge in that case was the same and that sentence was to be held in custody and receive mental health care until age 21.
What a pity the video tape didn't get erased in an unfortunate accident.
Gary Mitchell often takes high-profile cases that involve the death penalty, as well. He is a very capable lawyer.
One of those cases where he did break the law, but nobody really wants to send him to jail based on the circumstances. Probably a good cop and a good man who lost his bearings after seeing his friend and partner murdered.
if this guy wasn't a cop, he'd probably have been sent up for 20 years.
Rule of law just doesn't apply to cops.
Crime of passion. Frankly, if you shot my partner (friend or family member) and I was there, you would be a bullet riddled corpse. Luckily, I'm not an officer of the law.......
So, I have to wonder what happened prior to the cops showing up.
Sorry, but I don't think Bill Anders did anything wrong.
I say Hooahh!
Dirty Harry lives.
He did the public a great favor...and his temporary insanity
was understandable..
He should not have to do one single day of prison...and after therapy and some paid vacation time...if cleared by a couple of independent docs...should be returned to duty..if he wanted
imo
Putting this LEO in prison is a crime...
The person who said a civilian who did the same thing would be treated much more harshly is right too.
ALAMOGORDO— District Attorney Scot Key said the manslaughter case against former Otero County sheriff's Sgt. Billy Anders put him in "just about the most uncomfortable position to be in."
But the DA said justice had to be done and the sentencing hearing for the former lawman— who shot the man who killed his partner— began Thursday.
Anders pleaded guilty last August to a charge of voluntary manslaughter in the Dec. 18, 2004, shooting death of 38-year-old Earl Flippen outside the victim's residence near Cloudcroft.
A videotape taken from his sheriff's department truck showed that Anders shot Flippen, who was wounded and had his hands cuffed behind his back, at close range after the pair had engaged in a brief gunfight.
Moments before delivering the final, fatal shot, Anders discovered that his partner and close friend, Deputy Robert Hedman, had been shot and killed by Flippen behind Flippen's house as the officers investigated a shooting report.
Investigators later discovered that Flippen had also killed his pregnant girlfriend, 30-year-old Deborah Rhoudes, and was trying to dispose of her body when the deputies arrived at his house.
As the sentencing phase of Anders' case began, Key did not ask District Judge James Counts to impose the maximum seven-year sentence but simply to consider prison time between one and seven years.
Attorney Robert Doughty II, who is defending Anders with attorney Gary Mitchell, asked Counts to give the defendant no more than the minimum one-year sentence and to allow Anders to serve his time outside of prison, monitored with an ankle bracelet.
The courthouse was heavily guarded, with streets blocked off by police on three sides because intelligence reports indicated prison "chatter" about potential threats to Anders. Flippen was a member of a white supremacist prison gang called the Aryan Brotherhood.
Thanks for posting this Dave.
When did that come out-- must have missed it...
Don't know more than what I heard on KKOB about the Cody Posy case, but from the sound of it, that kid should've gotten ahelluvalot more than free health care. Like a good 30-40 years in the big house, for example.
I figure that nobody will really know what actually occurred on that ranch. That being said, the kid committed three murders. Sounds like he's getting the mother of all free rides here.