Deceased/Not Found CA - Sierra LaMar, 15, Morgan Hill, 16 March 2012 #19 *A. Garcia-Torres guilty*

[Claudette]

I don't believe the post you are referring to about "defending him" was a post to you......

And, are you claiming that there are people who have been executed who were later proved innocent? If so, link please.

I personally think this is the guy. However I do think there is too much of a pack mentality with guilty when it comes to high profile cases. While old, these cases have affected me. Admittedly one of them no one really knows even today of their guilt (Sacco and Vanzetti). I did an extensive study on them for a class and even I don't even know, but did have my doubts. They affected me enough to where I make an effort to not let myself get affected by the general public's opinion. It's very difficult sometimes I admit.

http://www.trutv.com/library/crime/notorious_murders/not_guilty/frank/1.html

http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/database/article_display.cfm?HHID=445


I am interested in old cases by nature so that's why I know about these and not current ones. But there are current ones.

 

[PlainJaneDoe]

Bumping for Sierra. :candle:

 

[Annie1004]

Depending on the study you look at, there are between 45,000 and 100,000 wrongfully convicted people in prison right now.

So if they are wrongfully convicted and there are stats to prove it, then why are those " wrongfully" convicted still in prison? I just don't buy it. And I am a fan of the great work of the Innocence Project and other organizations.

Breaks my heart when a perpetrator is kept behind bars and a material witness recants, thereby freeing the prisoner who has lost years -- irreplaceable time -- being incarcerated. All the money in the world can never replace the time s/he lost. Yes, our justice system is flawed, but it is the best on the planet.

 

[Annie1004]

respectfully snipped


Okay - question - can they - GPD or even MHPD show this little girl, now 11 years old a group of pictures - one being Antolin - and see if she can pick him out of a line up?? I have read that children are better eye witnesses than adults - !!

I am wondering about the statute of limitations -- only murder does not have one.

 

[JDB]

So if they are wrongfully convicted and there are stats to prove it, then why are those " wrongfully" convicted still in prison? I just don't buy it. And I am a fan of the great work of the Innocence Project and other organizations.

Breaks my heart when a perpetrator is kept behind bars and a material witness recants, thereby freeing the prisoner who has lost years -- irreplaceable time -- being incarcerated. All the money in the world can never replace the time s/he lost. Yes, our justice system is flawed, but it is the best on the planet.

Just recently a young man was released from prison after the accuser recanted her story. The sad part is the guy had a scholarship to play football at USC. His name Brian Banks now after the years wrongfully spent he is trying to resume his football career. Read some news stories about him amazing not bitter at what happened.

 

[Tuba]

A lawyer out of the Alternate Defender's Office will be representing A.G.-T. but I don't remember his name if I ever knew it. Unless a bargain has been struck with the prosecutor, David Boyd, A.G.-T. will enter a formal plea on July 31. If he pleads not guilty, a pre-trial conference will be set then. He had the right to a preliminary hearing also but he may have waived it in order to consider an offer from the prosecution.

Meanwhile, we await news of the parking lot assault charges, which may go forward first. Volunteer searches continue with the force of our prayers behind them.

 

[Simply Caustic]

I personally think this is the guy. However I do think there is too much of a pack mentality with guilty when it comes to high profile cases. While old, these cases have affected me. Admittedly one of them no one really knows even today of their guilt (Sacco and Vanzetti). I did an extensive study on them for a class and even I don't even know, but did have my doubts. They affected me enough to where I make an effort to not let myself get affected by the general public's opinion. It's very difficult sometimes I admit.

http://www.trutv.com/library/crime/notorious_murders/not_guilty/frank/1.html

http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/database/article_display.cfm?HHID=445


I am interested in old cases by nature so that's why I know about these and not current ones. But there are current ones.

Leo Frank's sentence was commuted to life in prison - a lynch mob broke him out of jail to kill him...you are right about the pack mentality. Just wanted to note that it wasn't a technical 'wrongful execution' by the Gov't or anything. Still tragic, I agree.

 

[krkrjx]

I want the person responsible for Sierra's demise to pay. The DA and LE have reason to believe that person is AGT. I do not see anything positive coming from him having been arrested if there is insufficient evidence against him, so I am assuming for now that there is sufficient evidence for a conviction. Whether a conviction comes to pass remains to be seen.

I am in no way claiming that every arrest comes from diligent police work that yields ample evidence against a person. We have all seen cases where LE got sidetracked and focused on one person, and that focus thwarted proper investigation of other potential perps. However, more often than not when that kind of thing occurs there is evidence that that is what is happening. I do not see evidence of that happening in this case and until I do I will continue to believe LE is doing the right thing and that their motivation has always been to solve this crime and find justice for Sierra's family and to keep the community safe from a person who they believe is a predator.

I saw no evidence at all that any of Sierra's family were involved in her disappearance, yet there were those who were suspicious of "how they act" or "what she said" or "why is he not speaking out?", and so on. Suffice it to say, the DA had a lot more to go on than personal opinion to arrest AGT. I find it interesting to say the least that many who were ready to publicly lynch Marlene and/or Rick with no evidence whatsoever of wrongdoing on their part seem to require a truckload of physical evidence against AGT before they will even consider he might be the perp.

I believe AGT is the perp in this case. But that does not mean I am ready and eager to hang him from the highest tree. What it means is that I am ready and eager to see the evidence against this man and for the attorneys to do their respective jobs with regard to that evidence.

 

[rosesfromangels]

I would be willing to give this miscreant life in prison with no parole vs. the death penalty if he would provide a full confession, provide a a location for the body to be found, and agree to ongoing medical evaluations including tests and scans. We need to learn more about what makes people commit these horrific acts. I would even bargain with him on some sort of special privelage (like more visitors privelages) if he would cooperate. Truly, he's sealing his fate if he doesn't.

 

[DOUBTFUL]

A minor correction, and off topic, but in response to an earlier post : Brian
Banks was never offered a football scholarship at USC, "full ride" or otherwise.
It makes a good story, but it simply isn't true. The university sent out a letter
Of interest, one of hundreds or thousands, which is just a way for a school to
Let the athlete know that he is on their radar. That is it. Nothing more.
If you google it, you will find the scholarship story in full swing, everywhere
You look. It is still false, not matter how often it is repeated.
What is important is that he was poorly represented by a lawyer, falsely
Accused, and put away for 5 years, based on a pack of lies.
She also won something in the area of a million dollar settlement($750,000, according to reports) based on the same lies. She doesn't want to have to repay it, and so far, it sounds like she
Won't be held responsible for what amounts to theft.
They should nail her for perjury and theft. I hope she is held accountable.

 

[GrainneDhu]

So if they are wrongfully convicted and there are stats to prove it, then why are those " wrongfully" convicted still in prison? I just don't buy it. And I am a fan of the great work of the Innocence Project and other organizations.

Breaks my heart when a perpetrator is kept behind bars and a material witness recants, thereby freeing the prisoner who has lost years -- irreplaceable time -- being incarcerated. All the money in the world can never replace the time s/he lost. Yes, our justice system is flawed, but it is the best on the planet.

The most modern studies on wrongful conviction are those that base their findings on the time period since DNA started being used as forensic evidence. However, even today, DNA does not come into evidence in most crimes (rape and murder are the two crimes where DNA evidence is most likely to play a part).

So studies take the rate of exonerations in cases where DNA played a part, do some statistical whiz-bang and spit out an estimate that includes all the crimes for which DNA is not a factor.

The top four reasons that led to wrongful conviction of a person later exonerated were: 1) mistaken eyewitness testimony; 2) invalidated or mistaken application of forensic science (for example, bitemark testimony, which is now largely debunked); 3) false confessions and implicating statements due to improper police methods; 4) informant testimony.

There are many, many convictions that rest on a single piece of evidence from one of the top four causes and which cannot be later resolved via DNA.

As for the US having the best justice system on the planet, all I can say is that we appear to be ahead of most of the Middle East, Africa and Asia but we have nothing to brag about.

 

[JDB]

O\T here but I have to say this. Years ago I was called for Jury duty in Santa Clara County. Here I am and here is this negro in an orange jumpsuit shackles . His charge was stealing a Walkman this was going to be his third strike. At the time here when excuse you went back into the pool.
The next case was a white man mid 30 in a business suit . Charged with attempted murder of his wife. Wife did not file charges the DA did. Anyway I am walking down the street at lunch and here is the guy and his wife right behind me. No I was excuse from that case to.
But I did come home shaking my head at the way our justice system worked.

 

[Annie1004]

I don't believe the post you are referring to about "defending him" was a post to you......

And, are you claiming that there are people who have been executed who were later proved innocent? If so, link please.

No such link exists that proves an innocent person was executed.:takeabow:

Since we are not in a court of law and sworn as jurors, we can certainly make comments and opinions as to AGT's guilt and the known evidence against him. In my, and the DA's office's, opinion, AGT is guilty of the worst kind of crime. I'll let our justice system handle the adjudication.

 

[Ransom]

May I ask what is not adding up for you, d.g.c.?

imo

It wasn't Marlene or her boyfriend is what's not adding up! "Some" were so invested in Marlene/Rick and can't get over that they were WRONG. :moo:

 

[krkrjx]

(snipped)

As for the US having the best justice system on the planet, all I can say is that we appear to be ahead of most of the Middle East, Africa and Asia but we have nothing to brag about.

I agree. Our justice system is better than others but that in no way means it is not flawed; there is certainly much room for improvement in our system.

 

[weneedjustice]

Now, that sounded like an attack. I never stated I defended him, did I? Don't believe I did, because where I stand, there is not enough information for me to see, think logically, then process to convict him - without a reasonable doubt. This dude is getting hung in public, and it's a spectacle that deep down isn't too enjoyable to watch as an American, hope you can understand that. We ALL have the right to a FAIR trial. You can have your opinion of him being guilty, but do not mistake my words as defending him -- they apply to all people on, or going, to trial.

[Please see above statement as how it can be flawed in more ways than one. - my original statement.]

that wasn't toward you, and did not intend it to sound like an attack

 

[weneedjustice]

Im not that familiar with the court system at all, but would ATG be able to do the same thing he did last time? Just extend the date?

 

[Darcyline]

I am curious to see what doesn't add up. For me, this is one of the most clear cut cases on here just going by what we do know. Connected to violent crimes against women in the past, in the immediate area during the abduction, his and her DNA in significant places for not explainable reason, he had the time and knowledge to dispose of a body, etc. Of course, I know that isn't enough to throw him in jail and throw away the key, but I am curious to see what others thoughts are about why it doesn't add up. Is the argument that maybe she knew him and that explains the DNA in strange places?

 

[Tuba]

I don't think anyone is pushing prior acquaintance because A.G.-T. said he did not know Sierra and had never spoken to her. The sheriffs say they did not know one another. I have not seen or heard a statement on this subject from her family but I'm sure they have provided one to the sheriffs. Sierra probably would have been able to avoid him if he did not have the taser but with it, he would be able to overwhelm her before she could run or scream.

 

[JDB]

I don't think anyone is pushing prior acquaintance because A.G.-T. said he did not know Sierra and had never spoken to her. The sheriffs say they did not know one another. I have not seen or heard a statement on this subject from her family but I'm sure they have provided one to the sheriffs. Sierra probably would have been able to avoid him if he did not have the taser but with it, he would be able to overwhelm her before she could run or scream.

There has been no mention anywhere of AGT having a taser .his defense will say that at one time unless they found Sierra DNA or hair in the back of the Jetta he gave her a ride. Regardless of what we have heard. That in itself unless the DA has a lot more is worrisome to me IMHO