A Santa Maria jury has convicted two gang members of first-degree murder and other charges connected to the fatal shooting of a rival two years ago.
The jurors arrived at a decision around 3:30 p.m. Tuesday, according to Senior Deputy District Attorney Megan Ross, the case prosecutor.
The verdict was delivered in the courtroom of Santa Barbara County Superior Court Judge Jed Beebe, where the trial played out for three weeks.
Jurors started deliberating the case Wednesday, Sept. 22, continued Thursday, and then broke deliberations until Monday this week.
Santa Maria residents Isaac Garza, 24, and Carlos Valdez, 20, were found guilty of first-degree murder in the killing of Jorge Zirate, 18, of Santa Maria, and attempted robbery. Jurors found true allegations that the pair were gang members and used a firearm.
Garza was also convicted of shooting at an occupied vehicle in an incident earlier in the day of the murder, Sept. 1, 2008, and of using a firearm to carry out that crime.
The jury found Garza guilty of being a felon in possession of a firearm on the day of the murder, but not guilty of a charge that he had a firearm Sept. 8, 2008 when the car he was in was stopped by police.
Garza shot and killed Zirate after the Northwest gang, which Garza and Valdez belong to, got into an altercation with the rival West Park gang Sept. 1, 2008, in the 900 block of South Russell Avenue in Santa Maria. Zirate was reportedly a member of West Park. He was the father of a daughter, who is now 2 years old.
Valdez and Garza are scheduled to return to court for sentencing on Nov. 8.
Garza is facing a sentence of life in prison with the possibility of parole after 78 to 82 years, and Valdez is facing life in prison with the possibility of parole after 50 years, Ross said.
Santa Maria residents Orlando Diaz, 22, and Ernesto Ruiz, 21, also were charged with murdering Zirate, but have testified for the prosecution in exchange for leniency concerning their sentences.
Diaz and Ruiz were key witnesses in the prosecution’s case, testifying that they were present when Garza fired the gunshot that killed Zirate.
The defense attorneys picked apart the motivation for Ruiz and Diaz taking the witness stand, and pointed out inconsistencies in what they told investigators.
Garza’s attorney, David Bixby, said Wednesday that the jury asked many questions during the deliberation process, and that he believes the jurors did their best.
“This jury, in my opinion, took their job seriously and went through the evidence very carefully,” he said.
“The trial was a thoroughly conducted trial,” Bixby added.
Valdez’s attorney, Charles Biely, could not be reached.
Source - http://www.santamariatimes.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/article_19f5fc68-cc5b-11df-9662-001cc4c03286.html
20+ million ILLEGAL aliens are in the United States of America.
Right now in the United States of America, ILLEGAL aliens have more rights than you do!
9/26/2010 - HAZELTON, PA - UNITED STATES OF AMERICA - IT'S ILLEGAL TO ARREST AN ILLEGAL ALIEN. IT'S ILLEGAL TO ARREST OR PUNISH THOSE WHO HIRE OR RENT TO ILLEGAL ALIENS!!!
"There can be no divided allegiance here. Any man who says he is an American, but something else also, isn't an American at all. We have room for but one flag, the American flag, and this excludes the red flag, which symbolizes all wars against liberty and civilization, just as much as it excludes any foreign flag of a nation to which we are hostile...We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language...and we have room for but one sole loyalty and that is a loyalty to the American people." --Theodore Roosevelt
"This nation is in danger of becoming a Third World nightmare with all the corruption, disease, illiteracy, violence and balkanization known all over the world. We need a 10-year moratorium on all immigration to catch our collective breath and we need deportation of over 10 million illegal aliens in a slow and orderly fashion." --Ed Garrison
“The 1987 amnesty was a failure; rather than reducing illegal immigration, it led to an increase,” FAIR stated. “Any new amnesty measure will further weaken respect for our immigration laws. Therefore, all amnesty measures must be defeated.” --Frosty Wooldridge
President barry shits on the United States.
This is a picture of YOUR American president, (president barry soetoro, a.k.a barack obama) refusing to acknowledge the National Anthem of the United States of America. This picture clearly shows barry with his hands crossed across his vaginal area when the United States Anthem was playing.
barry has NO RESPECT for you, me, or America! Not only did he disrespect America, he just shit on the graves of every American Soldier that has died for this country.
6/15/2010 - PRESIDENT BARRY CAN'T EVEN KEEP A U.S. PARK OPEN!!! He gave the park to mexico & the illegal alien mexican drug cartel!!!
7/6/2010 - American President barry soetoro sues AMERICA!!!
9/11/2010 - YOUR president just gave mexico $1 billion dollars for deepwater oil drilling despite his own moratorium on U.S. deepwater drilling!? More proof that barry hates America!
Treason
–noun
1. the offense of acting to overthrow one's government or to harm or kill its sovereign. 2. A violation of allegiance to one's sovereign or to one's state. 3. the betrayal of a trust or confidence; breach of faith; treachery.
Traitor
–noun
1. a person who betrays another, a cause, or any trust. 2. a person who commits treason by betraying his or her country.
Pslam 109:8
May his days be few; may another take his place of leadership.
700 ILLEGAL ALIENS - 40 DAYS - ONE TRAIL
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400 ILLEGAL ALIENS - 35 DAYS - ONE TRAIL
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What's in their backpacks? Are any of them sick with a contagious disease?
United States Code, Title 8, Chapter 12, Subchapter II, Part VIII, §1325 - "Improper Entry by Alien," any citizen of any country other than the United States who: 1) Enters or attempts to enter the United States at any time or place other than as designated by immigration officers; or 2) Eludes examination or inspection by immigration officers; or 3) Attempts to enter or obtains entry to the United States by a willfully false or misleading representation or the willful concealment of a material fact; has committed a federal crime.
Violations are punishable by criminal fines and imprisonment for up to six months. Repeat offenses can bring up to two years in prison. Additional civil fines may be imposed at the discretion of immigration judges, but civil fines do not negate the criminal sanctions or nature of the offense.
ILLEGAL
-ADJ
1. FORBIDDEN BY LAW; UNLAWFUL; ILLICIT 2. UNAUTHORIZED OR PROHIBITED BY A CODE OF OFFICIAL OR ACCEPTED RULES
-N
3. A PERSON WHO HAS ENTERED OR ATTEMPTED TO ENTER A COUNTRY ILLEGALLY
Illegal Alien
–noun
1. a foreigner who has entered or resides in a country unlawfully or without the country's authorization. 2. a foreigner who enters the U.S. without an entry or immigrant visa, esp. a person who crosses the border by avoiding inspection or who overstays the period of time allowed as a visitor, tourist, or businessperson.
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