The homeless community has been terrorized in recent weeks as four have been killed in violent attacks that police say were linked to one man, a former Marine, the Associated Press is reporting.
Proving a charge of murder in Los Angeles requires the most stringent evidence, not simply circumstances to put a person in prison for the rest of their life. Unfortunately, the state sometimes brings murder charges against a person without strong evidence.
That's where an experienced Los Angeles criminal defense lawyer comes into play. Without a strong attorney by their side, a defendant facing murder charges can encounter an uphill battle.
But weak evidence invites reasonable doubt to creep in. The standard of proof in any criminal case in California is proof beyond all reasonable doubt. Jurors are instructed that if they feel there is doubt that the defendant committed the crime, they must acquit him or her of the charges.
What the state sometimes attempts to do in these cases is prove a case solely with circumstantial evidence, such as the defendant not having an alibi or having a motive to commit the crime. But often, they lack physical evidence, such as a weapon that matches the murder weapon, fingerprints at the scene or DNA left behind that implicates the person.
This is a double-edged sword for defendants. On the one hand, they are being charged with a serious crime without relevant evidence. On the other hand, if they go to trial with weak evidence against them, they may have an improved chance of getting a not guilty verdict.
In this case, the Associated Press reports, a 23-year-old who served as a Marine in Iraq has been charged with stabbing to death four homeless men he allegedly stalked after seeing a news article about them. The man allegedly chose the victims after an article featured police warning homeless men to be careful. At least three of the victims were stabbed more than 40 times.
The district attorney in Orange County is now working to decide whether or not to seek the death penalty against the man. Prosecutors say they have no reason to believe the man is mentally ill. His father is homeless.
Police say the killings started in December and the man was arrested after witnesses chased him down after a homeless man was killed outside an Anaheim fast food restaurant. Police say the homeless man had filed a police report stating that someone was following him, but police said they were working through hundreds of reports and leads and hadn't gotten to that one yet.
The man's father told the Associated Press that his son visited him recently and showed him pictures of the victims, warning him of the dangers of living on the streets. Police also said they twice talked to the man in motorist checkpoints set up by police to gain information about the killings, but that he wasn't suspicious to them.
If you need to speak with a Los Angeles criminal defense attorney, contact the Law Offices of Stephen G. Rodriguez and Associates at 213-223-2173 for a free consultation.
More Blog Entries:
Ken v. State Shows Los Angeles Criminal Defense Attorney, Appeals Lawyer Critical: January 12, 2012
Additional Resources:
DA: Homeless killings suspect stalked victims, by Amy Taxin, Associated Press
