MORE TWISTS ARISE AFTER TRIAL IN CRASH THAT KILLED YOUNG ENGINEER.Byline: Orith Goldberg Staff Writer When Johnny Castro, a Beverly Hills Beverly Hills, city (1990 pop. 31,971), Los Angeles co., S Calif., completely surrounded by the city of Los Angeles; inc. 1914. The largely residential city is home to many motion-picture and television personalities. man with a long string of drunk-driving convictions, was suspected in a fatal car crash in Castaic, Officers David J David J. Haskins (b. April 24, 1957, in Northampton, England) is a British alternative rock musician. He was the bassist for the seminal gothic rock band Bauhaus. Life and work . Pokorny and Charles Peterson were summoned. For three years, the Years, The the seven decades of Eleanor Pargiter’s life. [Br. Lit.: Benét, 1109] See : Time two California Highway Patrol highway patrol n. A state law enforcement organization whose police officers patrol the public highways. investigators have worked side by side at the Newhall station, digging through driving records, serving warrants and eventually deciding whether charges should be pursued. Juggling up to 20 cases a day, the two investigators have developed a system that allows one to dig deeper into some cases while the other carries the rest of the workload. This time it was Pokorny's turn to dig. Investigators said the evidence in the Jan. 12, 1998, crash pointed to 38-year-old Castro. The victim was Mahdad Koosh, 22, a promising engineer from Westlake Village, who suffered severe injuries when his Jeep Wrangler The Wrangler (also known as the YJ, TJ, and JK, as explained below) is an off-road vehicle produced by American automaker Chrysler under its Jeep marque. was crushed from behind. He died two days later. After more than a year, Castro was convicted. But the case remains full of twists and turns as the Oct. 4 sentencing hearing approaches. The latest complication arose earlier this month after blood was found in the Nissan 300 ZX that Castro was driving the night Koosh was killed. Pokorny said he fears the blood will be the basis of a demand for a new trial. Castro's attorney Lawrence Boyle already has said he will ask for a new trial on other grounds - allegations of juror juror n. any person who actually serves on a jury. Lists of potential jurors are chosen from various sources such as registered voters, automobile registration or telephone directories. misconduct. The prosecution is prepared to battle on both fronts. A judge found no evidence of juror misconduct, Pokorny said, and a DNA DNA: see nucleic acid. DNA or deoxyribonucleic acid One of two types of nucleic acid (the other is RNA); a complex organic compound found in all living cells and many viruses. It is the chemical substance of genes. expert believes the blood was fresh when found, not related to the fatal crash months earlier on the Golden State Freeway The Golden State Freeway is a north-south freeway running through Kern County and Los Angeles County, California. Originally built as U.S. Highway 99, it was re-signed as Interstate 5 in 1964. . ``This blood is not 18 months old,'' Pokorny said. ``The expert said it's fresh. It's red liquid, and it would not be red. It would be dried up.'' The blood was found after the defense asked for a DNA expert to examine Castro's car. But when officials arrived at the storage yard, they found a large hole in the chain-link fence near the car, and Pokorny said the stains in the car had not previously been there. He said photographs prove that. Testing continues on the stains, he said. Pokorny said the investigation was complex from the start. He found Castro had used two separate identities and had at least 11 drunk-driving convictions in Kern County. His license had been suspended, but he had a new driver's license obtained with an alias, Pokorny said. Castro's attorneys said he was not the one driving the night Koosh was mortally injured. They believe one of the 12 jurors agreed with them and refused to convict Castro of second-degree murder, but then agreed to vote for a manslaughter conviction rather than let the case end in a deadlock and mistrial A courtroom trial that has been terminated prior to its normal conclusion. A mistrial has no legal effect and is considered an invalid or nugatory trial. It differs from a "new trial," which recognizes that a trial was completed but was set aside so that the issues could be . Judge Meredith Taylor brought eight of the former jurors back for questioning earlier this month and determined there had been no coercion. Still, Castro's attorney is expected to claim there was juror misconduct and to seek a new trial at the sentencing hearing. If the motion is denied, an appeal is likely. He faces 10 to 12 years in state prison if the conviction is upheld. |
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