OUTBURST IN COURT MURDER SUSPECT SWEARS AT JUDGE, DEMANDS TO PLEAD GUILTY.Byline: Karen Maeshiro Staff Writer LANCASTER - An ex-convict accused in a potential death-penalty case of shooting to death an auto shop worker and fatally beating a prostitute swore and yelled at a judge and declared that he wanted to plead guilty. Appearing handcuffed in the Antelope Valley This article is about the Los Angeles County region. For the census-designated place in Wyoming, see Antelope Valley-Crestview, Wyoming. The Antelope Valley Courthouse's top-security courtroom, 37-year-old Steven Jones objected to the deputy public defender public defender, governmental official who represents indigent persons accused of crime. U.S. Supreme Court decisions expanding the right to counsel to pretrial proceedings and holding that a person cannot be sentenced to even one day in jail unless a lawyer was assigned as his attorney and said he wanted to represent himself and plead guilty. ``I put these people's families through enough already. Why can't I plead guilty? I want a speedy trial The Sixth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution guarantees all persons accused of criminal wrongdoing the right to a speedy trial. Although this right is derived from the federal Constitution, it has been made applicable to state criminal proceedings through the U.S. . I want to plead guilty,'' Jones said from behind a glass-windowed room in the basement courtroom Judge Steve Ogden Steve Ogden (born 21 September 1950)[1] is a Republican member of the Texas Senate representing the 5th District. Ogden was elected to the Texas Senate in January 1997, and chairs the Texas Senate Finance Committee. at first said he doubted Jones is mentally competent, but changed his mind after Jones agreed to let a deputy public defender serve as his attorney. This was the third hearing at which Jones demanded to plead guilty, officials said. Before Jones relented and agreed to let Deputy Public Defender Earl Siddall represent him, Ogden said he doubted whether Jones understood the nature of the proceedings against him. ``He doesn't care whether he gets death or not,'' Ogden said. Siddall responded that he did not doubt Jones' competency. When Ogden stuck with his decision, Jones interjected, ``Can I withdraw my plea and have him as my attorney?'' Ogden replied he didn't want to hear anything more from the defendant, angering Jones, who began to swear and yell at the judge about not letting him speak. ``I don't want to represent myself. You're going to tell me I can't have him as my attorney?'' Jones said. Ogden then withdrew his ruling and set an arraignment A criminal proceeding at which the defendant is officially called before a court of competent jurisdiction, informed of the offense charged in the complaint, information, indictment, or other charging document, and asked to enter a plea of guilty, not guilty, or as otherwise permitted date for May 11. After the hearing, Siddall said: ``Right now I'm going to be the attorney of record. I talked to him. He's got a better understanding.'' Jones is charged in the Nov. 12 robbery-slaying of 24-year-old Neil Hacker, who was found shot to death in the back seat of an SUV at an auto-service bay where he worked at Critical Car Care in Quartz Hill. Jones also is accused of murdering Sharon Ann Willis, 49, of Lancaster, who was beaten on the head with a rock pick. Her body was found Dec. 7 in a Lancaster field used as a storage yard off Sierra Highway Sierra Highway is a road in Southern California, United States. It runs from Tunnel Station near the north limit of the City of Los Angeles, where it intersects with San Fernando Road and Foothill Boulevard, as well as Interstate 5, and continues north to Mojave, mostly paralleling . Jones also faces burglary and attempted murder In the criminal law, attempted murder is committed when the defendant does an act that is more than merely preparatory to the commission of the crime of murder and, at the time of these acts, the person has a specific intention to kill. charges in a Dec. 12 attack on a man and his nephew at a Lancaster home where Jones had once stayed. Both victims were left in comas, although they are out of the hospital now, relatives said. Arrested in Arizona in January in the attempted-murder case, Jones was already in custody when prosecutors filed the two murder charges against him. Special-circumstance allegations filed in the murder cases make Jones eligible, if convicted, for the death penalty or life in prison without the possibility of parole. A committee in the Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. County District Attorney's Office will make a decision after the preliminary hearing on whether to seek the death penalty against Jones. Jones has a criminal record dating back to 1987, with convictions for burglary, assault with a deadly weapon Assault with a Deadly Weapon is the term used to describe the act of threatening to harm one or more people by using a weapon (usually a firearm). Here, assault must be differentiated from battery as they are often confused. Assault is threatening to use force. , robbery and spousal abuse, mostly in Riverside County. Karen Maeshiro, (661) 267-5744 karen.maeshiro(at)dailynews.com CAPTION(S): 3 photos Photo: (1 -- 3 -- color) Friday's hearing was the third at which Steven Jones said he wanted to plead guilty, according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. officials. Instead, he withdrew his plea, accepted an attorney and will be arraigned May 11. Jeff Goldwater/Staff Photographer |
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