Torrance gang leader trial

It's always a weird scene when seven or so guns are spread out on the attorney's table, all lined up like good little soldiers. As Ricky Sam Sisneros' trial got underway yesterday, the table was littered with rifles and pistols. However, one was missing, which left the attorneys and investigating officer scrambling around at the end of the day trying to find out what happened to the assualt rifle between Sisneros' last trial and this one. It was eventually found in the court's storage room.

Not available last night, but known now, is Sisneros' criminal history. He has three strikes for shooting at an inhabited dwelling, assault with a deadly weapon and residential burglary, according to prosecutors. He also has convictions for possession of a controlled substance and weapons charges.

The hold-out juror in his last trial, by the way, reported to the judge that her car was vandalized in the court parking lot during the trial. While it's never been proven if the vandalism was linked to her role in the trial, the situation prompted Deputy District Attorney Jeff Stodel to ask for extra security in and around the courtroom for this trial. Judge Steven Van Sicklen, though, refused the request.

Van Sicklen's kind of the new guy on the bench at the Torrance Courthouse. However, he already won the heart of one juror when, during a lull in the proceedings, he asked the panel: "For those jurors who watch TV, who do you think is going to win tonight?" A couple wondered aloud what he was talking about - maybe the Dodgers? Until a young woman in the front row asked excitedly: "Are you talking about 'So You Think You Can Dance?'" Then, they shared a very nice moment.