TRIAL AND RELATED EXPENSES COST $325,000, COUNTY OFFICIALS SAY.Byline: Bhavna Mistry Daily News Staff Writer With Michael and Kathleen Gentry headed for a second trial on charges they starved to death their handicapped daughter, Los Angeles County officials say the first trial cost approximately $325,000. At an average court cost of $9,459 a day, which includes the salaries for judge, clerk, bailiff bailiff Officer of some U.S. courts whose duties include keeping order in the courtroom and guarding prisoners or jurors in deliberation. In medieval Europe, it was a title of some dignity and power, denoting a manorial superintendent or royal agent who collected fines and , reporter, prosecutor and 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 , the monthlong trial would have racked up a $283,770 court bill, according to Los Angeles County Superior Court estimates. Added to that was $8,550 paid to three doctors to review Lindsay Gentry's medical records and testify for the prosecution, another $1,978 to fly the Gentrys' older daughter to and from Georgia to testify for the prosecution, and $711 for transporting and lodging a former school principal who testified, according to Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office records. The Sheriff's Department said it cost roughly $29,000 to keep the couple in jail since their July 23, 1998 arrest. Arrested after what authorities called a complex two-year investigation, the Lake Los Angeles couple were charged with murder, child abuse and conspiracy in the death of their daughter, who was 4 feet 8 inches tall and weighed less than 50 pounds when she died Feb. 6, 1996 at age 15. Lindsay Gentry suffered from congenital myotonic myotonic pertaining to or emanating from myotonia. myotonic dimple a depression or furrow that forms from a sudden local contraction of muscle in response to percussion and persists for up to a minute. distrophy, a hereditary affliction characterized by the wasting away of muscles, formation of cataracts, premature baldness and, frequently, mental deficiency mental deficiency n. See mental retardation. . Her mother has a less severe case of the disorder. Lindsay's death certificate listed pneumonia and marasmus marasmus /ma·ras·mus/ (mah-raz´mus) a form of protein-energy malnutrition predominantly due to prolonged severe caloric deficit, chiefly occurring in the first year of life, with growth retardation and wasting of subcutaneous fat and - progressive emaciation emaciation /ema·ci·a·tion/ (e-ma?she-a´shun) a wasted condition of the body. e·ma·ci·a·tion n. The process of losing so much flesh as to become extremely thin; wasting. caused by a lack of food - as causes. After a trial that featured conflicting medical opinions from doctors as expert witnesses on both sides, the Van Nuys jury on May 6 declared it was hopelessly deadlocked and unable to reach a verdict. Ten of 12 jurors voted to acquit To set free, release or discharge as from an obligation, burden or accusation. To absolve one from an obligation or a liability; or to legally certify the innocence of one charged with a crime. acquit v. the Gentrys of murder, but seven of 12 thought they were guilty of child abuse. Prosecutors announced Friday they will retry re·try tr.v. re·tried , re·try·ing, re·tries To try again. Verb 1. retry - hear or try a court case anew rehear the couple on involuntary manslaughter The act of unlawfully killing another human being unintentionally. Most unintentional killings are not murder but involuntary manslaughter. The absence of the element of intent is the key distinguishing factor between voluntary and involuntary manslaughter. , child abuse and conspiracy to commit child abuse charges, dropping the murder charge. With the reduction in charges, Superior Court Judge John S. Fisher drastically lowered the Gentry's bail to $20,000 each. It had been $500,000 for Kathleen and $1 million for Michael. Since their arrest, the Gentrys have turned down three plea bargains offered by the district attorney. One turned down Friday would have given Michael Gentry two years in prison if he and his wife pleaded guilty to either felony child neglect or involuntary manslaughter. In none of the plea bargains would Kathleen Gentry have gone to prison. head TRIAL COSTS FOR MICHAEL AND KATHLEEN GENTRY Superior Court costs court costs n. fees for expenses that the courts pass on to attorneys, who then pass them on to their clients or, in some kinds of cases, to the losing party. , Van Nuys NW Dept. N, at $9,459 a day for 30 days: $283,770 Estimate includes salary for: Deputy District Attorney Kathleen Cady Deputy Public Defender Patrick Thomason Judge John Fisher Bailiff, court clerk, court reporter Inmate housing, Men's Central Jail and Twin Towers Correction Facility Kathleen Gentry at $53.45 a day for 295 days: $15,768 Michael Gentry at $46.12 a day for 295 days: $13,605 Total cost: $29,373. Prosecution costs for witnesses and medical experts Dr. Philip Hyden - $1,200 to analyze case and $1,750 for testimony Pat Turner, an Orange County school principal - $534 for transportation and lodging. Dr. Thomas Anderson - $3,600 to review medical records. Dr. Frank Sheridan - $2,000 to review case and testify in rebuttal Shelia Gentry Pollard - $1,978 for air fare to and from Georgia and $68 for one night's lodging. Orange County Hospital - $38 for copying medical records Source: Los Angeles County Superior Court, Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department This article is about the Los Angeles County Sherriff's Department, not to be confused with the smaller Los Angeles County Police The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department (LASD) is a local law enforcement agency that serves Los Angeles County, California. , Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office. CAPTION(S): Box BOX: TRIAL COSTS FOR MICHAEL AND KATHLEEN GENTRY (See text) |
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