Posted on 08/17/2006 4:51:48 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
The California Supreme Court today upheld the death sentence of a San Jose man convicted in 1989 after two trials on charges he killed a witness against him in a robbery case.
Fermin Ledesma was originally convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to death in 1980, in a case prosecuted by current Santa Clara County District Attorney George Kennedy, for the 1978 murder of Gabriel Flores, a gas station attendant Ledesma robbed and later killed after Flores identified him to police. That conviction was overturned in 1987 after the California Supreme Court ruled that he had received ineffective assistance from his lawyer. He was re-tried, re-convicted and once again sentenced to death in 1989 in a case prosecuted by Deputy District Attorney Lane Liroff.
Liroff was gratified to hear today's news but dismayed by the lengthy appeal process.
``Seventeen years for a decision is a very long time,'' Liroff said.
In addition to the murder count, Ledesma also was convicted of kidnapping and two counts of robbery as well as two special circumstances: the killing of a witness and murder during the commission of a robbery. The court today overturned one of the robbery counts and the robbery special circumstance but upheld the rest of the convictions and Ledesma's death sentence.
The unanimous opinion was written by Chief Justice Ronald George.
Ledesma may still appeal his conviction and death sentence in the federal court system and could be years away from execution, according to Assistant District Attorney David Tomkins.
(Excerpt) Read more at mercurynews.com ...
Kill him.
Kill him.
Whooops, sorry for the dbl-post!
"that he had received ineffective assistance from his lawyer"
What?
I guess execution by natural causes is quite popular today with bleeding-hearts.
So it's been 28 years since the crime.And California is still years away from an execution. Well, isn't that special!
I agree with the double posting: "Kill him." TWICE.
Not from me, o.
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!
(Gone twice, but not forgotten!)
Even then this is a clear case of justice delayed = justice denied.
Regrettably, it is business as usual.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.