By Juan Montoya
After two failed attempts by a jury to reach a verdict, 404th District Judge Elia Cornejo-Lopez on Friday afternoon declared a mistrial in the trial of Marco Gonzalez, charged with the murder of co-worker Ivan Reyna and the kidnapping of his former girlfriend Monica Robles a year ago.
Cornejo-Lopez had polled the jurors who told her nine had opted for guilty while three were leaning toward self defense. The foreman told Cornejo-Lopez felt the 12 jurors could not reach a unanimous decision.
Gonzalez's defense attorney Ernesto Gamez had asked the judge to declare a mistrial, but Lopez instructed them to continue deliberating.
Gamez has spent the better part of this past week cross-examining the prosecution's witnesses, trying to establish that his client acted in self-defense . Gonzalez is accused of shooting Reyes June 4, 2014, and holding Robles hostage for seven hours.Gonzalez used to have a relationship with Robles and the three were co-workers at Cameron County Rucker-Carrizales corrections facility in Olmito.
Gamez also had Robles recount her past relationships, abortions, and false statements she had given to police investigators. In other words, she was the cause of the murder by being a loose woman and driving Gonzalez to defend himself against the victim.
Leo Galvan Jr., Robles' former husband and father of their 14-year-old son, also took the stand and was cross examined by Gamez. He testified he spoke to the accused killer during the standoff with police when he was holding Robles hostage and said that Gonzalez had told him that – unlike him – he had the "tanates" to do what he hadn't, presumably to confront Reyes.
OProsecutor Peter Gilman was apparently unable to discredit Gamez's self-defense justification for the victim's murder. The prosecution will now decide whether to ask for a new trial or to offer the defendant a plea bargain with a lesser charge.
5 comments:
If the murderer plea bargains: Gamez keeps the fees, but the murderer better run????
A 78-year-old Iowa man was found not guilty of felony sexual abuse of his wife, a dementia patient, for allegedly having sexual contact with her after doctors told him she could no longer consent. Consenting to sexual relations is surely a matter of far greater import and complexity than consenting to attend a concert. But there is no reason in principle why a person with dementia should not be able to consent to sexual relations with his or her spouse. And, as the Alzheimer’s Society in Britain notes, “For many couples coping with dementia, physical intimacy continues to be a rich source of mutual comfort, support and pleasure for many years.”
Is this about Jerry McHale?
Luis Saenz takes another hit. Bit off just enough for Ernesto Gamez ti make him choke on.
It's Saturday, election day in Brownsville, and I'm fearful Tony Martinez will win and continue to rape the taxpayers and environment.
Yes. Tony the Herb, will win. He has all the money that the vested interests has given to him. Furthermore, the locals don't Vote. The people here don't give a rat's shit.
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