From Newsgroup: rec.arts.tv

On Sun, 14 Jun 2026 18:01:07 -0000 (UTC), BTR1701 <atropos@mac.com>
wrote:

An Orange County judge has reduced the potential sentence for a Chilean >national accused of burglary after earlier finding that District Attorney Todd >Spitzer showed racial bias in the case.

Superior Court Judge Michael Cassidy ruled Friday, June 12, that Jorge >Navarretecorvalan's base sentence, if convicted, cannot be higher than the >midterm of four years. Navarretecorvalan could face more time with >enhancements.

That's ridiculous - everyone knows the jury judges guilt or innocence
while the Judge only gets involved if and when the accused is
convicted. In capital cases the jury may (depending on the court) be
asked to recommend the death penalty or not (my grandfather was on
such a jury and he told me that despite always having theoretically
believed in the death penalty, actually having to recommend it to a
judge was the hardest thing he ever had to agree to) - and judges
seldom give a capital verdict if the jury doesn't recommend it.

In other words, why does the DA's "misdeed" influence the sentence? A
mistrial perhaps but influencing the sentence?!?
--- Synchronet 3.22a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: rec.arts.tv

On Sun, 14 Jun 2026 19:51:17 -0000 (UTC), "Adam H. Kerman"
<ahk@chinet.com> wrote:

An Orange County judge has reduced the potential sentence for a Chilean >>national accused of burglary after earlier finding that District Attorney Todd
Spitzer showed racial bias in the case. . . .

https://www.ocregister.com/2026/06/12/das-racial-bias-prompts-oc-judge-to-reduce-potential-jail-time-for-chilean-charged-with-burglary/

I'm sure the California law in question is over-the-top stupid.

However, a good prosecutor knows he must keep his fucking mouth shut
because he MUST NOT allow the defense to say that he was trying to
influence the jury pool.

Of course he's trying to influence the jury pool - if a prosecutor's
job is not to influence the jury to render a conviction what is it?

If he or she is pressed on the subject they'll invariably say that
facts of the case cry out for a conviction.
--- Synchronet 3.22a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: rec.arts.tv

On Sun, 14 Jun 2026 21:13:17 -0000 (UTC), "Adam H. Kerman"
<ahk@chinet.com> wrote:

In that hypothetical statement to the press, he hasn't mentioned the
upcoming prosecution of a specific defendant, so it would be hard for
the defense to argue he's tainting the jury pool. But I stand by my
criticism if he tries to link a specific defendant to crimes committed
in Chile that the prosecutor has no particular evidence regarding that
won't be introducing in court, then his ethics are questionable.

If the prosecutor has evidence that the accused has committed similar
offences in Chile then by all means he should have the right to bring
that forward at the sentencing stage.

I know that's not what you objected to or questioned his ethics on. I
would EXPECT the prosecutor to bring forward evidence of previous
criminality while seeking a stiff sentence.
--- Synchronet 3.22a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: rec.arts.tv

On Mon, 15 Jun 2026 07:13:15 -0400, NoBody <NoBody@nowhere.com> wrote:

Everything is "racism" today including when a black kid stabs a white
kid to death. Naturally it's racism against blacks when he is
convicted.

Just like Henry Nowak eh? That's probably as egregious a case of
racism as any I've heard of in the past 5 years.

The police let him bleed to death while in handcuffs while NOT
handcuffing his murderer.
--- Synchronet 3.22a-Linux NewsLink 1.2