Sentencing venue moved for man facing possible death penalty

September 15, 2011

Albuquerque, New Mexico: A request to change locations for a jury selection hearing has been granted to Michael Astorga, a man convicted of killing Deputy James McGrane Jr. in 2006. Judge Neil Candelaria granted the request after Astorga's attorney, Gary Mitchell, successfully made the argument that the jury pool in Bernalillo County had been contaminated because they knew too much about the case and had strong feelings. Mitchell requested that the venue be moved to Santa Fe where jurors would be selected for the case to decide whether to sentence Astorga to death or life in prison. The move of the sentencing out of Bernalillo County will also result in the case being delayed at least another 6 months. McGrane's family responded negatively to the news, with James McGrane Sr. saying, "Everybody in the state knows about the trial. They know what's going on. We're very unhappy." Though Judge Candelaria was scheduled to retire at the end of the year, state prosecutors were expected to request that he remain on the trial.