#Sex Crimes Attorney San Antonio

[delpradolaw]

Assault Lawyer San Antonio

Del Prado Law specializes in assault defense in San Antonio. Our experienced lawyers provide strategic legal representation to protect your rights and achieve the best outcome for your case.

[coochiequeens]

Only women should be in law enforcement. There’s been to many violent men just interested in using their authority to commit violence against women. 

SAN ANTONIO — A former Border Patrol agent who confessed to killing four sex workers in 2018 was convicted Wednesday of capital murder, after jurors heard recordings of him telling investigators he was trying to "clean up the streets" of his South Texas hometown.

Juan David Ortiz, 39, receives an automatic sentence of life in prison Janelle Ortiz without the possibility of parole because prosecutors decided not to seek the death penalty.

Ortiz, a Border Patrol intel supervisor at the time of his arrest, was accused of killing Melissa Ramirez, 29, Claudine Anne Luera, 42, Guiselda Alicia Cantu, 35, and Janelle Ortiz, 28. Their bodies were found along roads on the outskirts of Laredo in September 2018.

During the trial that began last week, jurors heard Ortiz's confession during a lengthy taped interview with investigators.

Ortiz told investigators he had been a customer of most of the women, but he also expressed disdain for sex workers, referring to them as "trash" and "so dirty" and insisting he wanted to "clean up the streets."

He said "the monster would come out" as he drove along a stretch of street in Laredo frequented by the women.

Following the verdict, family members of the victims faced Ortiz to give their statements. Ramirez's sister-in-law, Gracie Perez, said she was "a loving, kind and funny person." She told Ortiz that the hearts of Ramirez's children are now broken.

"Do you know how much pain you have caused this family?" Perez said. "My heart is torn apart knowing that I won't be able to see her but to visit her in the cemetery," she said.

Defense attorneys said Ortiz was improperly induced to make the confession and that it should not be considered. Defense attorney Joel Perez argued that Ortiz, a Navy veteran who had been deployed to Iraq, was suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, had been suffering from insomnia, nightmares and headaches, and was medicated and had been drinking that night.

Prosecutors told jurors it was a legal confession provided by an educated senior law enforcement official who was not having a mental breakdown.

Erika Pena testified that Ortiz picked her up on the evening of Sept. 14, 2018, and that she got a bad feeling when he told her he was the "next to last person" to have sex with Ramirez, whose body had been found a week earlier. She testified that he told her he was worried investigators would find his DNA on the body.

"It made me think that he was the one who might have been murdering," Pena, 31, told the jury.

Pena escaped from his truck at a gas station after he pointed a gun at her, and she ran straight to a state trooper who was refueling his vehicle. Ortiz fled.

Authorities tracked Ortiz to a hotel parking garage in the early hours of Sept. 15, 2018, and he was arrested.

Capt. Federico Calderon of the Webb County Sheriff's Department testified that officers who arrested Ortiz knew about the slayings of Ramirez and Luera, and while chasing him after Pena's escape learned that a third body — later identified as Cantu's — had been found. But Calderon said it wasn't until Ortiz's confession that they learned Janelle Ortiz had been slain.

Webb County Medical Examiner Corinne Stern testified that Ramirez, Luera and Janelle Ortiz were fatally shot while Cantu, who was shot in the neck, died of blunt force trauma to the head.

The bullets collected from the crime scenes came from the same gun, and matched the weapon found in Juan David Ortiz's pickup, a ballistics expert testified.

Ortiz served in the U.S. Navy for nearly eight years, until 2009, holding a variety of medical posts and served a three-year detachment with the Marines.

[erbjrlawtx]

Business Name: The Law Office of E.R. Báez

Street Address 1: 700 North Saint Mary's Street

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City: San Antonio

State: Texas

Zip Code: 78205

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Business Phone: (210) 901-5236

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Business Description: The San Antonio criminal lawyer at The Law Offices of E.R. Baez provides criminal defense services to clients charged with DWI/DUI, assault, theft, domestic violence, homicide and other criminal charges. San Antonio criminal lawyer E.R. Baez believes that clients are innocent until proven guilty. He believes that God can change any tragedy and turn it into a testimony. ​Because of the vulnerability of our clients, our San Antonio criminal attorney offers a legal solution to the problem, and also offers counseling, prayer and a helping hand whenever possible. He is an experienced DWI lawyer and sex crimes lawyer. No matter how difficult the case, criminal defense attorney E.R. Baez will treat you and your family with the upmost dignity.

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Business Hours: Sunday Closed Monday 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM Tuesday 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM Wednesday 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM Thursday 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM Friday 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM Saturday Closed

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Services: Criminal Appeals, Federal Criminal Appeals, Abogado De Ley Criminal, Abogado De Defensa Criminal, Abogado Criminalista, Federal Crimes, Writ of Habeas Corpus, Post Conviction Relief, Prostitution Crimes, Theft And Fraid Crimes, Parole. Motions to Revoke, Murder, Assault and Battery, DWI Law, Sex Crimes, Drug Crimes, Drug possession defense litigation, DUIs & reckless driving defense litigation, Federal criminal defense litigation, Felony defense litigation, General criminal defense litigation, Petty crimes & misdemeanor, Sex offence defense litigation, 1st DWI, 2nd DWI, 3rd DWI, 5th Circuit Appeal, Court of Criminal Appeals, Criminal Defense Attorney, Criminal Defense Cases, Criminal Defense Lawyer, Criminal Defense Representation, Drug Cases, Drug Charges, DWI Charges, Federal First Act Petition, Felony, Felony Trial-Per Week, Fraid Crimes, MTR County, MTR District, Mandamus, Manslaughter Trial, Misdemeanor, Misdemeanor Trial-Per Week, Motion for New Trial, Murder Charges, Murder Trial, Post-Conviction New Evidence Review, Supreme Court Appeal, Writ of Habbeas Corpus, Criminal Cases, Fraud Cases, Parole Cases, Parole Revocation, Sex Crimes, White Collar Crimes, Criminal Appeals, DWI Defense, D W I Law, Expungement, Non-Disclosures, Parole Board

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Owner Name, Email, and Contact Number: Edgardo Báez, edgar@erbjrlaw.com, (210) 901-5236

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[dankusner]

Life sentence for hater of ‘queers’ who mistook a woman for a man

Michael Dines was convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison for fatally shooting Kerstin Marie Taylor on March 13, 2022. Courtesy, Bexar County Sheriff's

A San Antonio man has been convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison in the fatal shooting of a woman he thought was a man.

A Bexar County jury this week heard testimony and viewed evidence in the trial of Michael John Dines, 52, who fatally shot Kerstin Marie Taylor, 56, whom authorities described as a homeless person.

Prosecutors argued that Dines was homophobic, and in court they played a portion of a video from a VIA transit police officer’s body camera in which Dines said he killed Taylor “because I don’t like queers.”

Taylor came to Texas from Illinois and had lived in Austin.

Testimony established that Dines invited her to his apartment on North Frio Street on March 13, 2022, and went to a grocery store to get dinner and wine while she waited for him there.

Later on, as they were about to become intimate, Dines came to the conclusion that Taylor was really a man, and shot her, he told police.

He left his apartment and told the first police officer he saw that he had just killed someone and that the body was in his apartment.

Taylor was shot twice, and Dines said he watched her die.

Interrogation videos by San Antonio police show Dines making homophobic comments and saying he killed Taylor because he believed he was about to have sex with a man.

A Bexar County medical examiner testified that Taylor was a woman from birth and had not made or begun any transition.

Defense attorneys challenged the admissibility of the confessions as evidence and in the trial's punishment phase asked the judge to allow the jury to consider “sudden passion,” directly caused by and arising out of provocation by the victim, to lower his sentence.

Dines was found guilty of murder on Thursday after about an hour and a half of deliberations in the 226th District Court, with Judge Velia J. Meza presiding.

On Friday, the panel took about the same amount of time to render a life sentence.

The jury concluded the crime had not occurred out of sudden passion.

Court records indicate Dines had no prior criminal record.

He will have to serve at least 30 years before he is eligible for parole.

“The verdict and sentence reflect the gravity of Michael Dines’ actions,” Bexar County District Attorney Joe D. Gonzales said in a statement released late Thursday. “Our office is committed to the protection and justice for victims of crime.”

Bexar County Assistant District Attorneys Raul Jordan, Willem VanZeben, and Tamara Strauch, chief of the DA’s Felony Criminal Trial Division, prosecuted the case.

Defense attorneys Suzanne Kramer and Loraine Efron represented Dines.

[localizee]

He believes that God can change any tragedy and turn it into a testimony.

[atowndailynews]

Man convicted of sex crimes involving two child victims

Marco Antonio Navabarrera, 47. Crimes may be punished by a maximum sentence of 140 years to life in prison plus three years eight months – San Luis Obispo County District Attorney Dan Dow announced this week that a San Luis Obispo County Jury convicted Marco Antonio Navabarrera, 47, of eight counts of sexual abuse of two victims. At the conclusion of a four-day jury trial, twelve jurors…

[sophiamartinezlaw]

Reckless Driving Lawyer in San Antonio, TX

San Antonio criminal defense attorney Sophia Martinez is a former district attorney, and has over 25 years of experience with the law. Martinez cares about her clients and dedicates herself to obtaining the best possible outcome following a criminal charge like DWI, sex crime, domestic violence, and more. Call now for a free consultation. Sophia Martinez13750 San Pedro Ave #645San Antonio, TX…

[crimereporter]

Rodney Alcala... The Dating Game Killer

*WARNING: this post contains mentions to sexual assault, assault, murder and more content that may not be appropriate for some viewers. Read at your own discretion*

Rodrigo Jacques Alcala-Buquor was born on August 23, 1943 to parents Raoul Alcala Buquor and Anna Maria Gutierrez in San Antonio, Texas. “ Rodney “ was raised in Los Angeles, Califorrnia, however at the age of 8, his family moved to Mexico. His father has been regarded as “absent” by Rodney. There we're multiple Alcala-Buquor children, however, not much is known about them or detailed in resources.

In 1960, at the age of 17, Rodney joined he military where he worked as a clerk. He ended up being medically discharged only 4 years later after having a break down which resulted in him being diagnosed with Antisocial Personality Disorder.

He then went to UCLA where he graduated in 1968 with a Fine Arts degree. 

1968- 8 year old Tali Shapiro is found raped and beaten, having been beaten using a steel bar. A motorist saw Rodney lure her into his apartment and called police to notify them of the incident. 

After this, Rodney fled to New York where he attended NYU film school under the alias John Berger. He ended up working at a New Hampshire camp for the arts as a children’s counselor using a slightly dissimilar alias of “John Burger”.

June, 1971- 

Cornelia Crilley, a 23 year old TWA flight attendant was found raped and murdered in her apartment in Manhattan.

1971- 

Rodney is caught by 2 child campers  at the New Hampshire arts camp due to an FBI wanted poster at the Post Office and was arrested. He was then extradited to California for the trial. However, the family of the young girl had moved to the East Coast in an effort to move on from the horrors that Rodney had committed. They then went to Mexico and the parents of the child refused to subject her to testifying. Without testimony from the primary witness and victim of the attack, Alcala was given a lesser sentence.

Rodney Alcala is released in 1974 after only 17 months in prison under the cause of “indeterminate sentencing”. 

1974- Rodney is arrested after being out of prison for 2 moths after violating parole. He had provided marijuana to a 13 year old girl of whom he had kidnapped.

Alcala was then released 2 years later for the same reason before [indeterminate sentencing].

In 1978, he was hired at the LA Times as a typesetter where he was questioned on the Hillside Strangler murders. At this time, Rodney was a registered sex offender with a criminal record on file. However, it’s believed that he had faked credentials to receive the job in the first place. 

1977- Cold case investigators believe that Alcala is irresponsible for the murder of Ellen Jane Hover after briefly moving to Manhattan with the permission of his parole officer.

During his time at the LA Times, Rodney used fake credentials to convince dozen of young women that he was a photographer. These women then posed in compromising positions and were photographed for Alcala’s “portfolio”. Most of these women are still unidentified to this day. 

1979- The Samsoe Murder

Robin Samsoe, a 12 year old girl from Huntington Beach, CA disappeared between the beach and her ballet classes on June 20, 1979. He body was found 12 days later in the Los Angeles foothills. Her earrings were later found in a train locker owned by Alcala in Seattle, WA.

In 1980, Rodney was put on trial and convicted for the Rape and Murder of Robin Samsoe, where he was sentenced to death. This conviction, however, was overturned by the Orange County Superior Court due to the jury hearing testimony regarding Tali Shapiro as well as other rape and kidnapping convictions. This was believed to lead to a jury bias that led to reasonable doubt of the legitimacy of his conviction.

In 1986 Alcala was put on trial again for the Samsoe case after the state rep-files the case. He was once again convicted for the crime and sentenced to death, however it was once again overturned by a panel in the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. It was said that testimony that could have changed the evidence of the case was not allowed to be provided as it supported Alcala. A witness supported Alcala’s claim the park ranger that found Samsoe was “Hypnotized by police investigators”.

In 2003, Alcala’s DNA is found in connection with 6 additional murders. They also found one of these victim’s earrings in the same Seattle locker as they found Robin Samsoe’s. 

4 of the additional victims were:

- Jill Barcomb, 18, who was a New York runaway in an LA ravine (1977). She was originally believed to be a victim of the Hillside Strangler.

- Georgia Wixted, 27, found in her Malibu apartment after being bludgeoned to death (1977).

- Charlotte Lamb, 31, found in the laundry room of her el Segundo apartment complex after being raped and strangled (1978).

- Jill Parenteau, 21, Killed in her Burbank apartment (1979).

In 2006, the state motioned to combine the cases of the 4 women with that of the Samsoe case, which was approved. In 2010, Rodney stood trial for the combined charges. He decided to act as his own attorney for his third trial, tetstifying in his own defense while asking himself questions (he was essentially interrogating himself from the stand). Alcala testified that he was at Knott’s Berry Farm applying for a photographer positions at the time Samsoe was murdered. He did not, however, provide any testimony regarding the other 4 murders other than “not remembering” killing any of the women. For his closing argument, he played Arlo Guthrie’s “Alice’s Kitchen”, in which the protagonist tells a psychiatrist he wants to kill. 

After less than 2 days of deliberation, Rodney was convicted on all 5 counts of first-degree murder. Tali Shapiro served as a surprise witness during the penalty phase of the trial. He was sentenced to death.

Court psychiatrists later proposed that additional diagnoses for Rodney could bet that of Narcissistic Personality Disorder, Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), and Malignant Narcissism with psychopathy and sexual sadism comorbidities. 

In December, 2012, Alcala was extradited to New York and convicted to additional charges of murder. He was sentenced two an additional 25 years two life, as the death penalty hasn’t been an option in New York since 2007.

Rodney is now incarcerated at California State Prison, Corcoran (as according to Wikipedia) awaiting execution. He is now 77 years of age. It is thought that his victim's range anywhere from 8 to 130 in numbers. He is additionally associated with crimes in Washington and Wyoming, however these aren’t crimes he’s been convicted for.

Why he’s called the Dating Game Killer:

In 1978, he appeared on a television. show called the dating game, in which a contestant questions 3 different individuals anonymously and picks one of these 3 to go on a date with. He was introduced as a “successful photographer who got his start at the age of 13.” He actually won a date with contestant Cheryl Bradshaw, however, she refused the date after meeting him. She later said that she had found him “creepy”. He was at the height of his killing spree during his appearance on the show. It is proposed that this rejection from Cheryl may have exacerbated his desire to murder women as he would go on to kill at least 3 more women after this appearance. 

Here is a link to a clip of him on The Dating Game:

https://images.app.goo.gl/vqpkGUqV1km23BZ38

[casillaschristianlaw]

If you are looking for Probate Lawyer in San Antonio for legal guidance look no further than Casillas Christian Law. With extensive knowledge of Texas probate laws, we assist clients in managing estate distribution, wills, trusts, and guardianship proceedings. Dedicated to efficient resolution, they navigate the complexities of probate, ensuring a smooth process during challenging times. Contact us to know more.

[localizee]

Every client is special to us and every client will be treated with respect and dignity. No matter how difficult the case may be, Mr. Baez will treat you, and your family with the upmost dignity.

[acsversace-news]

This is the second season of the FX anthology series American Crime Story. The first season was known as The People V. O. J. Simpson, which was about the murder of Nicole Simpson and Ron Goldman in 1994, as well as the infamous trial of NFL player O. J. Simpson that followed. That series featured an incredible cast giving incredible performances. It was also incredibly written to expose the issues of racism, sexism and media culture that the trial brought out. This season is attempting something similar but the way it’s going about it is different and more in-line with a Hollywood trend that I don’t much appreciate.

Hollywood over the past decade has output a lot of TV shows where the villain or bad guy is the protagonist. Specifically, there have been a significant number of programs where a serial killer is either the protagonist or main character who takes center stage in protagonist-like ways. Some notable examples are Dexter on Showtime, The Following on FOX, Hannibalon NBC, The Fall on Netflix, the recently cancelled Time After Time on ABC, and Bates Motel on A&E. There are other TV shows that fit into this mold like Breaking Bad on AMC or House of Cards on Netflix.

Each of those shows are exquisitely crafted, but each are problematic in their own ways. A lot of the time it depends how those shows ultimately end. A lot of those aforementioned shows can really revel in the gore and violence like Hannibal, much as a horror film would with the goal of disturbing the audience, but the ending can shape how all that revelry should be received, or what the takeaway should be.

The ending to Dexter was atrocious, but the ending to Bates Motel was superb. Therefore, my feelings about this series might change based on how it ends. Unfortunately, this series is based on a true-crime where the outcome is known. It’s not like Dexter, which is a fictional narrative. I can already guess based on how the first five of nine episodes go on how the ending will affect me.

In many of these stories about serial killers, the anchor is often the police or the detectives investigating. In The People V. O. J. Simpson, the anchors were the lawyers, specifically the prosecuting attorneys. If anything, the breakout stars of that season were Sarah Paulson who played Marcia Clark and Sterling K. Brown who played Christopher Darden. Clark and Darden were the prosecuting attorneys. Those anchors help to keep the whole thing from sinking totally into depravity. Those anchors as counterparts aren’t always required, but there’s got to be something to keep us from sinking into total depravity and I’m not sure this show has it, or if it does, whatever it is gets lost.

For example, The People V. O. J. Simpson never actually depicted the murders of Nicole Simpson or Ron Goldman. The series begins with them already dead and moves forward, never focusing or lingering on the corpses. There are five murders here. Three of which are particularly gruesome and this series chooses to depict all of them. It’s not as if we see Nicole Simpson getting stabbed to death and nearly decapitated. Yet, we do witness the murders as they occur here. Instead of moving forward, it goes backward. This show does also linger on the corpses. There’s a trade-off for that. On one hand, we get to know the victims here in ways we don’t get with Nicole Simpson and Ron Goldman but at the same time, the victims don’t get the fleshing out where their lives are celebrated as much as their last moments alive are stewed.

Maybe this is intentional on the part of writer Tom Rob Smith and co-executive producer Ryan Murphy who has been the leading, creative force behind both this season and last. Both Murphy and Smith are openly gay, and in this country for decades, the deaths or murders of LGBT people, especially gay men or trans-women haven’t been treated with the same importance, or with the same care. Sometimes, it’s something as simple and as insidious as the police not mentioning or acknowledging that the victim was gay, even when it’s an element of the crime, as the third episode shows. By focusing on the corpses, lingering on them, maybe it’s Murphy and Smith’s way of forcing or reckoning with how gay victims have been dismissed or sometimes ignored.

That’s an extrapolation that can be gained from this series, but the structure and pacing, however, negate whatever homophobia this series might want to expose. The first, two episodes are fine and everything this series wants to say is said in just those two episodes. The next three episodes change direction and attempt to deconstruct the psychopath at the center, but it doesn’t. It mires him in a one-note mode of wickedness and insanity. It attempts to give voice or breath to the victims who are left in his wake, but it doesn’t. They are merely victims swept up in the wave of killing. Glimpses of insight are washed over with shocking acts of violence that undermine the whole enterprise. The exception is Episode 5, possibly.

Darren Criss (Glee) stars as Andrew Phillip Cunanan, a 27-year-old murder fugitive who shot and killed Gianni Versace, the famous Italian, fashion designer on July 15, 1997. No one knows why. Reportedly, the two met once at a night club in San Francisco in October 1990. No other connection is known or believed. Andrew is gay and had a pattern of having sex with older men in order to get money or luxury items. Versace was an older gay man who Andrew might have identified as a target, an obsession that he knew he could never have, so he snapped and shot him.

Initially, Criss’ performance is reminiscent of Matt Damon’s in The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999) or Will Smith in Six Degrees of Separation (1993). He’s a quick witted, smooth-talking, ingratiating, social climbing sycophant. He’s clearly a pathological liar with a desperate desire to be connected to the wealthy without doing anything to earn it. This series invites psychoanalysis of Andrew, but only in the first episode. By the second, he’s just on the run. The third and fourth episodes portray him as a sheer psychopath who’s mostly vapid. Surely, that changes in episodes six to nine as the chronology moves backward and we delve into Andrew’s childhood, but I already don’t care, which is why the show should have reversed the order of the episodes.

Oddly, the third episode has the least Andrew and is probably the best episode from a character standpoint. Unfortunately, the character is neither Andrew nor the victim, Lee Miglin, played by Mike Farrell (M*A*S*H and Providence). Actually, it’s not unfortunately because that character is Marilyn Miglin, played by the amazing Judith Light (Transparent and Who’s the Boss). She’s only present in this, one episode, but her performance of this woman who’s life is disillusioned after 38 years of marriage is worthy of every award you could throw at it.

Episode 4 is a prime example of sinking into depravity, following a horror scenario simply for horror’s sake. One can condemn the episode for being an exercise in pure conjecture, which would be fine, if it wasn’t needed. Episode 5 is better for supplying more of a platform to explore the characters who would be Andrew’s first murder victims, Jeffrey Trail, played by Finn Wittrock, and David Madson, played by Cody Fern. Jeffrey is the first person killed by Andrew, and if anything, Episode 5 is in part a tribute to him, as it underlines homophobia in the military during the 90’s, and it’s actually the most tribute one of the victims gets other than the titular character.

Edgar Ramírez (Joy and Hands of Stone) co-stars as Gianni Versace. Pop star Ricky Martin also co-stars as Antonio D’Amico, the partner and lover of Gianni. Unfortunately, both of them are virtually non-existent in the first, four episodes. When they appear again in Episode 5, it’s a surprise. Yet, they’ve been absent so long one almost doesn’t care to see them. The two of them aren’t given the due they should have, and their story or rather their kind of story in many ways was better told in Behind the Candelabra (2013).

[thekillerblogofkillers]

Monster of Florence

The Monster of Florence, also known as the Surgeon of Death, is the name commonly given by the Italian media for a series of 8 double murders that occurred between 1968 and 1985 in Florence, Italy. Prosecutors continued the investigations into the cases for many years, and the courts eventually reached the conclusion that the murders weren’t committed by a single person, but a group of at least 4 killers, who would later become known as the “picnic companions”, and were definitively convicted. The 1968 murder was found to be unrelated to the others, although the gun, that probably originally belonged to local minor criminals, may be the same involved in the actual Monster cases. The victims were all young couples parked in lovers’ lanes or camping in the Florence countryside in dark areas and New moon periods. The murderers always used multiple weapons (a .22-caliber gun and a knife), and cut away sexual organs from the female victims, which seemed to be the motive for the crimes.

On August 21, 1968, 29-year-old mason worker Antonio Lo Bianco and 32-year-old homemaker Barbara Locci, lovers, were shot to death with a .22 Beretta in Signa, a small town west of Florence while Locci’s 6-year-old son lay asleep in the back seat of the car. The child woke up and discovered his mother dead, so he walked to a nearby house and at 2am knocked on the door, telling the occupant, “Open the door and let me in, I’m sleepy and my Daddy is sick in bed. Then you have to drive me home, because my Mommy and my uncle are dead in their car.” The child, Natalino Mele, originally said he had run away on his own, later changing his story and saying that his father, or maybe an uncle of his, as he called his mother’s lovers, had driven him to the house. Years later he would again say he was alone, but was too shocked at the time to remember what exactly had happened. Locci, an immigrant from Sardinia, was famous in the area because of her many love affairs, receiving the nickname Ape Regina (Queen Bee). Locci’s husband, Stefano Mele, was eventually charged with her murder and spent 6 years in jail. Whilst he was in prison, however, more couple were killed with the same gun. Several of Locci’s lovers were suspects in the crime and Stefano Mele himself said more than once that one of them had killed “my lady”.

On September 15, 1974, 19-year-old barman Pasquale Gentilcore and 19-year-old accountant Stefania Pettini, teenage sweethearts, were shot and stabbed to death in a country lane near Borgo San Lorenzo whilst having sex in Gentilcore’s Fiat 127. They were close to a disco called Teen Club, where they were supposed to be out with friends. Pettini’s corpse had been sexually assaulted with a grapevine stalk and disfigured with almost 100 stab wounds. Just hours before her murder, Pettini said something to a friend about a weird man that terrified her. Another friend of Pettini’s remembered a strange man (perhaps a voyeur) had followed them and bothered them during a driving lesson a few days earlier. Several couples who used to park in the same country area where Gentilcore and Pettini were killed stated that the area was frequented by voyeurs (people who gain sexual pleasure from watching others), some of them acting very strangely. On June 6, 1981, 30-year-old warehouseman Giovanni Foggi and his 21-year-old shop assistant fiancée, Carmela di Nuccio, were shot and stabbed on a Saturday night near Scandicci, where they lived. Di Nuccio’s body was pulled from the car and her pubic area cut out with a notched knife. The following morning, 30-year-old Enzo Spalletti, voyeur, paramedic, and father of 2, went around talking about the murder before the corpses had been discovered. He spent 3 months in jail, charged with murder, before he was exonerated after the killer struck again.

On October 23, 1981, 26-year-old workman Stefano Baldi and his fiancée, 24-year-old telephonist Susanna Cambi, were shot and stabbed in park near Calenzano. Cambi’s pubic area was excised in the same manner as Carmela di Nuccio’s. The morning after the murders, Cambi’s mother received an anonymous phone call to “talk to her about her daughter”. A few days before the killings, Susanna told her mother that somebody was tormenting her and chasing her by car. On June 19, 1982, 22-year-old mechanic Paolo Mainardi and 20-year-old dressmaker Antonella Migliorini, a couple due to marry in the near future, were the next victims. The couple was nicknamed Vinavil (a brand of superglue) because they were inseparable. They were shot in Mainardi’s car while parked on a country road in Montespertoli. This time the killer didn’t mutilate the female victim. Mainardi, despite having serious injuries, was still alive when the couple was found, but later died in the hospital. A new reconstruction of the events suggests that after shooting the couple, the Monster drove Paolo’s car for a few meters to hide it and the corpses in a woodland area nearby, before losing control of the car and abandoning it where it was finally discovered.

On September 9, 1983, 24-year-old Wilhelm Friedrich Horst Meyer and 24-year-old Jens Uwe Rusch, German students from the faculty of Fine Arts in Osnabruck, who were travelling in Italy to celebrate a scholarship Meyer had just won, were shot to death in their Volkswagen Samba Bus, in Galluzzo. Rusch’s long blond hair and small build may have led the killer to believe he was a female. Police suspected the pair were gay lovers based on pornographic materials discovered at the scene. On July 29, 1984, 21-year-old law student Claudio Stefanacci and 18-year-old barmaid/cheerleader Pia Gilda Rontini were shot and stabbed to death in Stefanacci’s Fiat Panda, which was parked in a woodland area near Vicchio. The killer removed the female victim’s public area and left breast. There had been reports of a strange man who was following them in an ice cream parlour a few hours prior to the murders. A friend of Rontini’s recalled she had told her that she had been bothered by “an unpleasant man” while she was working at the bar. On September 7, 1985, 25-year-old musician Jean Michel Kraveichvili and 36-year-old tradeswoman Nadine Mauriot, lovers from Audincourt, France, were on a camping vacation in Italy when they were killed. Nadine was shot and stabbed whilst asleep in their tent in a wooded area near San Casciano. Jean Michel was killed a short distance away from the tent whilst trying to escape. Nadine’s corpse was mutilated. Because the victims were travelling foreigners, there wasn’t a missing persons’ report. The killer sent a taunting note, along with a piece of Nadine’s breast, to the state prosecutor Silvia della Monica, telling her a murder had taken place and challenging authorities to find the bodies. A mushroom hunter in the area discovered the bodies a few hours before the letter arrived.

4 local men were arrested, charged, and convicted of the crimes at different times. These men were: Stefano Mele (husband of Barbara Locci), Pietro Pacciani, Mario Vanni, and Giancarlo Lotti. Some suggest that the real killer or killers have never been identified to this day. Several others suspects were arrested and held at different times, only to be released when subsequent murders using the same weapon and MO cast doubt on their guilt. Pietro Pacciani, a farmer who was known to be a “peeping tom” (friend to Lotti, Vanni and Pucci), was suspected because of the similarities in MO between victims of the Monster and a man murdered by Pacciani in 1951 for sleeping with his then-girlfriend. Pacciani served 13 years in prison for crime and was later sentenced to more years for raping his daughters and abusing his wife. Pacciani was convicted for the Monster’s crimes and condemned to life imprisonment. This verdict was overturned at the request of his attorney before being annulled by the supreme court of cessation. Pacciani died before his retrial could commence. Vanni and Lotti were convicted and condemned to life imprisonment instead, but these convictions have been criticised and ridiculed by the media.

[ryans-law-blog]

Few charges carry significant consequences that are such as that of sexual assault. A certainty on charges of sexual assault in Texas can bring about decades or years invested behind bars, as well as astronomical penalties to be certain. Also, a person convicted of sexual assault may face professional and private repercussions also, which will, actually, continue for a lifetime. It is critical that you just comprehend the effects this might have on your daily life, in case you happen to be charged with sexual-assault in Tx. Go through the following tips as a preliminary manual, and don't wait to contact a professional that is legal to begin working on your defense promptly. What Constitutes Sexual Assault? Generally, rape is synonymous with the term "sexual assault" as it is employed in a colloquial context. Here, approval is crucial; it has to be demonstrated the sexual penetration was non-consensual to be able to get a certainty to take place. In addition to basic sexual-assault, the state-of Tx separately classifies such actions of transmission that involve the use of risks or violence, also. Codified as aggravated sexual-assault, this offense takes place when someone causes sexual penetration of another party without their authorization, along with the crime leads to serious bodily injury, the accused voiced risks or used a weapon during the puncture, or the accused participated in various other tasks specified in the Texas Penal Code. In all cases involving sexual assault, the burden of evidence is really on the plaintiff, the individual asserting they were offended, to show that the defendant, the victimizer, not just facilitated the penetration, but did so without the plaintiff's approval, and, in case of aggravated sexual-assault, required other actions that are in violation of Arizona law.

Possible Penalties of Sexual Assault Upon Conviction The penalties associated with a conviction on charges of sexual assault or aggravated sexual-assault should not be dismissed. In fact, the results might have devastating, long-term effects on a variety of the defendant's lifestyle. As an example, Texas law defines sexual assault typically as a second-degree felony, the punishments for which may incorporate a jail term of between 2 and 20 years, plus a fine as high as $10,000. Aggravated assault, nevertheless, is considered a much more serious violation, and is rather categorized as a first-degree felony. The certainty of the crime carries a substantial-good, along with a prison term of 99 and between five years. Sadly, the abuse doesn't end there. An individual convicted of this kind of sex-crime in Texas should place their name to the Texas Public Sex-Offender Registry, a database viewable by people. "And anyone whose name is really on the registry may unavoidably have a tough time obtaining or maintaining a job, enrolling in an educational institution, and also guaranteeing home. Additionally, the stigma of being a true sex-offender could even lead to the loss of friendships or associations, and also other devastating personal effects." States a San Antonio Sexual Assault Attorney. Combat with the Charges In case you are facing charges for sexual assault in Texas, there is absolutely no substitute for specialist assistance that is experienced. Don't attempt to battle with these costs alone; rather, contact a lawyer that specializes in protecting sex offenses for the support that is proficient. A criminal justice attorney will start operating immediately to help create distinctive protection to ensure you receive the best possible outcome on your situation.

original post:

http://www.austincriminallawjournal.com/sexual-assault-in-texas/

cite:

http://www.sexcrimedefenseattorney.com/

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[jtrainer21ahsgov]

Blog Post #6: California Proposition Assessment

FORMER CALIFORNIA PROPOSITIONS

Please use the UC Hastings Law Library-California Ballot Measures Database to search past propositions which relate to your civic action issue.  In the search bar type your issue.  The most effective words to search are guns, gun control, women, abortion, gay, same-sex, climate change, speech, etc. Next, on the left of the screen is a gray box; under Publication, click Propositions.  A list of all propositions to make the CA ballot on that issue will appear.  Choose the most recent proposition and answer the questions below.

Questions: 1. Proposition number, title, and election year 2. Summarize the proposition in your own words. 3. What was the fiscal impact: how much would it cost to enforce?

Next, search Ballotpedia: the Encyclopedia of American Politics to answer the remaining questions.  In the search bar type California Proposition (insert #) and choose the accurate title from the list. Scroll down to answer the following questions. 4. What were the election results? Do they surprise you? 5. Identify the proposition sponsors, interest group endorsements, and financial backers.  Are you surprised by any of the endorsements? Explain how this information can help voters understand the true intentions of the proposition. 6. What were the arguments in favor for and against the proposition? 7. How would you have voted on the proposition and explain why. 8. Identify one additional fact you found interesting about this proposition from your review of Ballotpedia.

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1) Proposition 34, End the Death Penalty Initiative, 2012.

2) Wants to, instead of the Death Penalty, Imprison people for life without the possibility of Parole.

3) It would at least cost $100 million.

4) The proposition did not succeed, which does not surprise me at all. Mostly because of how much it would cost to house all of the Death Row inmates for life instead.

5) Some the supporters were the Democratic Party, Gil Garcetti (former District Attorney for LA 1192-2000), Jennifer A. Waggoner ( the president of the League of Women Voters of California), and Antonio R. Villaraigosa (former mayor of the City of Los Angeles County 2005-2013[mayor at the time]).

6) For:  Repealing the death penalty will "save the state millions of dollars through layoffs of prosecutors and defense attorneys who handle death penalty cases, as well as savings from not having to maintain the nation's largest death row at San Quentin prison."

Against: "On behalf of crime victims and their loved ones who have suffered at the hands of California's most violent criminals, we are disappointed that the ACLU and their allies would seek to score political points in their continued efforts to override the will of the people and repeal the death penalty."

7) I would vote against Proposition 34 because I can only imagine how much taxes could’ve gone up if it got passed and how much I would have to pay if it were not to get repealed once I became an adult.

8) It had raised $7.4 million in favor of Proposition 34 and $391,900 against it.

[fullspectrum-cbd-oil]

Seventeen Democrats, Three Republicans in U.S. Presidential Race

The historically large field of Democratic presidential candidates vying to take on Republican President Donald Trump in next November’s U.S. election was reduced by one on Wednesday when Wayne Messam dropped out of the race.

Messam, 45, the mayor of Miramar, Florida, announced via Twitter that he was suspending his campaign. His withdrawal brings the number of Democrats still in the race to 17, with former New York mayor Michael Bloomberg also considering a White House bid as a Democrat.

TOP DEMOCRATIC CONTENDERS

There are four candidates who have separated themselves thus far from the rest of the field among Democratic voters.

JOE BIDEN

Biden, the early Democratic front-runner in opinion polls, waited until April to enter the race, launching his bid with a direct swipe at Trump. Biden, 77, served eight years as President Barack Obama’s vice president and 36 years in the U.S. Senate. He stands at the center of the Democratic debate over whether the party’s standard-bearer should be a veteran politician or a newcomer, and whether a liberal or a moderate has a better chance of defeating Trump. Biden, who frequently notes his ‘Middle-Class Joe’ nickname, touts his working-class roots and ability to work in a bipartisan fashion. Some fellow Democrats have criticized him for his role in passing tough-on-crime legislation in the 1990s.

ELIZABETH WARREN

The 70-year-old U.S. senator from Massachusetts is a leader of the party’s liberals and a fierce critic of Wall Street. She was instrumental in creating the federal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau after the 2008 financial crisis. Her campaign has surged in recent months, equaling Biden in some polls. She has focused her presidential campaign on a populist anti-corruption message, promising to fight what she calls a rigged system that favors the wealthy. She has released an array of policy proposals on everything from breaking up big tech companies to implementing a wealth tax on the richest Americans. Warren has sworn off political fundraising events to back her campaign.

BERNIE SANDERS

The U.S. senator from Vermont lost the Democratic nomination in 2016 to Hillary Clinton but is trying again. For the 2020 race, Sanders, 78, is fighting to stand out in a field of progressives running on issues he brought into the Democratic Party mainstream four years ago. Sanders suffered a heart attack while campaigning in Nevada in October, but there has been little impact so far on his support. His proposals include free tuition at public colleges, a $15-an-hour minimum wage and universal healthcare. He benefits from strong name recognition and an unmatched network of small-dollar donors.

PETE BUTTIGIEG

The 37-year-old mayor of South Bend, Indiana, emerged from virtual anonymity to become one of the party’s brightest stars, building momentum with young voters. A Harvard University graduate and Rhodes scholar, he speaks seven languages conversationally and served in Afghanistan with the Navy Reserve. He touts himself as representing a new generation of leadership needed to combat Trump. Buttigieg would be the first openly gay presidential nominee of a major American political party. Recent polls in Iowa and New Hampshire, which hold the first nominating contests in February, put him ahead of the other leading candidates, even though his national standing is lower.

TRYING TO BREAK THROUGH

The rest of the Democratic field is a mix of seasoned politicians, wealthy business people and others still looking to break into or regain their toehold in the top tier of contenders.

KAMALA HARRIS

The first-term U.S. senator from California would make history as the first black woman to gain the nomination. Harris, 55, the daughter of immigrants from Jamaica and India, announced her candidacy on the holiday honoring slain civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. She supports a middle-class tax credit, the Green New Deal and marijuana legalization. Her track record as San Francisco’s district attorney and California’s attorney general has drawn scrutiny in a Democratic Party that has grown more liberal in recent years on criminal justice issues. She saw a significant bounce in the polls after a high-profile clash with Biden over racial issues during the first Democratic debate in June but has since seen her numbers drop back down.

ANDREW YANG

The New York entrepreneur and former tech executive is focusing his campaign on an ambitious universal income plan. Yang, 44, wants to guarantee all Americans between the ages of 18 and 64 a $1,000 check every month. The son of immigrants from Taiwan, Yang supports the Medicare for All proposal, which is based on the existing government-run Medicare program for Americans aged 65 and older, and has warned that automation is the biggest threat facing U.S. workers. His campaign has released more than 100 policy ideas, including eclectic proposals like creating an infrastructure force called the Legion of Builders and Destroyers.

AMY KLOBUCHAR

The U.S. senator from Minnesota was the first moderate in the Democratic field vying to challenge Trump. Klobuchar, 59, gained national attention when she sparred with Brett Kavanaugh during his Supreme Court nomination hearings last year. On the campaign trail, the former prosecutor and corporate attorney has said she would improve on the Affordable Care Act, popularly known as Obamacare, by adding a public option, and is taking a tough stance against rising prescription drug prices.

CORY BOOKER

Booker, 50, a U.S. senator from New Jersey and former Newark mayor, gained national prominence in the fight over Kavanaugh’s Supreme Court nomination. Booker, who is black, has made race relations and racial disparities in the criminal justice system a focus of his campaign. He embraces progressive positions on healthcare coverage for every American, the Green New Deal and other key issues, and touts his style of positivity over attacks.

TULSI GABBARD

The Samoan-American congresswoman from Hawaii and Iraq war veteran is the first Hindu to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives and has centered her campaign on her anti-war stance. Having previously worked for her father’s anti-gay advocacy group and drafting relevant legislation, she later apologized for her past views on same-sex marriage. Gabbard’s populist, anti-war approach has won her fans among the far left and the far right, and she recently engaged in a Twitter war with Hillary Clinton, whom she called the “personification of the rot” after Clinton suggested Gabbard was being groomed for a third-party run at the presidency. Gabbard, 38, slammed Trump for standing by Saudi Arabia after the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

JULIAN CASTRO

Obama’s secretary of housing and urban development would be the first Hispanic to win a major U.S. party’s presidential nomination. Castro, 45, whose grandmother immigrated to Texas from Mexico, has used his family’s personal story to criticize Trump’s border policies. Castro advocates universal prekindergarten, supports Medicare for All and cites his experience to push for affordable housing. He announced his bid in his hometown of San Antonio, where he once served as mayor and as a city councilman. In the third Democratic debate in September, Castro drew jeers from the audience for an attack on Biden that was perceived as questioning the former vice president’s memory as a way to draw attention to his age.

TOM STEYER

A billionaire environmentalist and force in Democratic fundraising over the past decade, Steyer said in January he was focusing on his efforts to get Trump impeached and Democrats elected to Congress. Steyer, 62, reversed course in July, saying other Democrats had good ideas but “we won’t be able to get any of those done until we end the hostile corporate takeover of our democracy.”

JOHN DELANEY

The former U.S. representative from Maryland became the first Democrat to enter the 2020 race, declaring his candidacy in July 2017. Delaney, 56, says that if elected, he would focus on advancing only bipartisan bills during the first 100 days of his presidency. He is also pushing for a universal healthcare system, raising the federal minimum wage, and passing gun safety legislation. A former business executive, Delaney is self-funding much of his campaign.

MICHAEL BENNET

Bennet, 54, a U.S. senator for Colorado, has based his political career on improving the American education system. He previously ran Denver’s public schools. Bennet is not well known nationally but has built a network of political operatives and donors helping elect other Democrats to the Senate. During the partial U.S. government shutdown in January, he garnered national attention criticizing Republicans for stopping the flow of emergency funds to Colorado.

STEVE BULLOCK

Montana’s Democratic governor, re-elected in 2016 in a conservative state that Trump carried by 20 percentage points, has touted his electability and ability to work across party lines. Bullock, 53, has made campaign finance reform a cornerstone of his agenda. He emphasizes his success in forging compromises with the Republican-led state legislature on bills to expand the Medicaid healthcare funding program for the poor, increase campaign finance disclosures, bolster pay equity for women, and protect public lands.

MARIANNE WILLIAMSON

The 67-year-old best-selling author, motivational speaker and Texas native believes her spirituality-focused campaign can heal the United States. A 1992 interview on Oprah Winfrey’s show led Williamson to make a name for herself as a ‘spiritual guide’ for Hollywood and a self-help expert. She is calling for $100 billion in reparations for slavery to be paid over 10 years, gun control, education reform, and equal rights for lesbian and gay communities.

JOE SESTAK

The retired three-star Navy admiral and former congressman from Pennsylvania jumped into the race in June. Sestak, 67, highlighted his 31-year military career and said he was running to restore U.S. global leadership on challenges like climate change and China’s growing influence. Sestak said he had delayed his entry in the race to be with his daughter as she successfully fought a recurrence of brain cancer.

DEVAL PATRICK

Patrick is a late entry, launching his candidacy just days before early state filing deadlines. The 63-year-old African American and former Massachusetts governor said he was seeking to draw in Americans who felt left behind and to bridge a party he saw split between “nostalgia” or “big ideas” that left other voices out. The state’s first African American governor, Patrick was credited with implementing Massachusetts’ healthcare reform plan and tackling pension reform, transportation and the minimum wage. In 2014, Obama said Patrick would make “a great president or vice president,” although Patrick has said the former president was remaining neutral in the current race.

MICHAEL BLOOMBERG

Former New York City Mayor and billionaire media mogul Michael Bloomberg, 77, has filed as a candidate in Alabama and Arkansas, but has not yet decided whether to run.

THE REPUBLICANS

Trump is the clear favorite to win the Republican nomination, and there has been criticism among his opponents that party leadership has worked to make it impossible for a challenger. Still, the incumbent will face at least two rivals.

DONALD TRUMP

The 73-year-old real estate mogul shocked the political establishment in 2016 when he secured the Republican nomination and then won the White House. His raucous political rallies and prolific use of Twitter were credited with helping him secure victory. After running as an outsider, Trump is now focusing his message on the strong economy, while continuing the anti-immigration rhetoric that characterized his first campaign as he vies for re-election.

JOE WALSH

A former congressman, Walsh, 57, has become a vocal critic of Trump, who he argues is not a conservative and is unfit for public office. Walsh won a House seat from Illinois as a candidate of the Republican Party’s fiscally conservative Tea Party movement in 2010, but was defeated by Democrat Tammy Duckworth in his 2012 re-election bid. After leaving Congress, he became a Chicago-area radio talk-show host.

BILL WELD

The 74-year-old former Massachusetts governor ran unsuccessfully for vice president in 2016 as a Libertarian. He has been a persistent critic of Trump, saying when he launched his 2020 campaign that “the American people are being ignored and our nation is suffering.”

(Reporting by Ginger Gibson, Joseph Ax, Tim Reid, Sharon Bernstein, Amanda Becker and Susan Heavey, Editing by Rosalba O’Brien)

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