Two death penalty sentences reversed in California
December 6, 2011
California: This week, the California Supreme Court reversed two death penalty convictions for gang members from Los Angeles County. The men were sentenced to death for the murder of two rival gang members in 1991. The sentences were overturned after a review of the actions of the trial court judge, Charles E. Horan.[1]
California's justices found that Horan had erred in removing a juror from the case. After Juror #11 expressed reservations about the credibility of a key witness, other jurors complained to the judge. Judge Horan, who disagreed with the reasoning, removed the juror for bias. In the Supreme Court's ruling, Justice Carol Corrigan wrote, "It is not the province of trial or reviewing courts to substitute their logic for that of jurors to whom credibility decisions are entrusted."[1]
The next step for the case is yet to be determined. The attorney general's office is considering appealing the ruling to the Supreme Court of the United States, while the district attorney is debating whether to retry the gang members.[1]
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