prosecutors - Law Offices of William W. Bruzzo

DNA Frees Three Men- One Faced Death Penalty

Law Offices of William W. Bruzzo — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 01:50:00 GMT

On Friday August 19 the “West Memphis Three” were released after new DNA evidence was considered. The case was from a 1993 crime, where three eight year old boys were killed and their mutilated bodies found in a ditch. The three men had spent 18 years behind bars; Damien Echols had been sentenced to death row. The other two Jessie Misskelley and Jason Baldwin were given life sentences. Misskelley had confessed during a police interrogation and named Echols and Baldwin in his confession. One article explains how his confession varied in details from the actual results of the investigation; it was also known that he was considered borderline mentally disabled. Echols was a person of interest because he practiced Wicca; the investigation at the time led people to believe that he may have been involved. Prosecutors could have tried them again but probably would not have gotten a conviction. As time as passed, witnesses have died, people had changed their stories and evidence has grown stale. A deal was reached where the three got time served and maintained their innocence.

Orange County Prosecutor: Killer’s Photos Could be of Additional Victims

Law Offices of William W. Bruzzo — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 00:29:00 GMT

Convicted murder Rodney Alcala has again been sentenced to death for two murders from the 1970’s. The case gained attention outside of Orange County and has been featured in print and television news as Alcala represented himself on his third trial for multiple murders after the prior trials were reversed on appeal. Alcala also defended himself during the penalty phase of his trial where a jury recommended the death penalty. News reports of his death sentence brought attention to the many photos Alcala took during the 1970’s. The Huntington Beach Police Department in Orange County released the photos to the media to see if it generated information from the public regarding the subjects in the photos. According to the Orange County Register prosecutor Matt Murphy expressed a concern that the people depicted in the photos were missing or possible additional victims of Alcala. The police were able to get a search warrant for a storage locker in Seattle and Alcala’s home in Monterrey Park. Authorities explained that they have received calls from people stating that they are the subjects in the pictures. Some photos had addresses and the police have followed up with family members at those locations with no one being identified as missing. The photos can be seen on the Orange County Register website.

Anyone with information can contact Huntington Beach PD Detective Patrick Ellis at 714-375-5066, pellis@hbpd.org or Supervising District Attorney Investigator Ed Berakovich at 714-347-8492.

Criminal Law Updates by the Law Offices of William W. Bruzzo (714) 547-4636

Here is an Associated Press video regarding Alcala and the photos:

Federal Law Does Not Allow Marijuana to Be Sold or Used for Medical Purposes

Law Offices of William W. Bruzzo — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 17:55:00 GMT

As reported by the Associated Press, Deputy Attorney General David Ogden released a policy memo that outlines suggestions for state attorneys regarding prosecution of medical marijuana users and distributors. Federal law does not allow marijuana to be sold or used for medical purposes even though various states do, California among them. The memo suggests that state prosecutors would make better use of their time by not focusing on prosecuting legitimate marijuana patients or the dispensaries in states that have legalized marijuana for medicinal purposes. This memo was also distributed to the higher rungs of the Drug Enforcement Agency and FBI.

This policy does not prohibit federal agents from making arrests nor does it stop prosecutors from filing charges. The memo draws attention to illegal usage and distribution, or marijuana cases connected to other violations such as money laundering or illegally armed people. One reason for the shifting focus is because of the limited resources the federal agencies have. The article quotes Attorney General Eric Holder “[i]t will not be a priority to use federal resources to prosecute patients with serious illnesses or their caregivers who are complying with state laws on medical marijuana…”. It would appear then that medical marijuana users and providers in California will be less likely to face prosecution from federal authorities. (See California Health and Safety Code Section 11357(b)). Criminal Law Updates from the Law Offices of William W. Bruzzo (714) 547-4636.