Rolling Hills murder trial underway
Like I wrote in my story in today's Daily Breeze, it seems Joe Nino and Miguel Torres' second trial won't be vastly different from their first one in terms of evidence, defense and such.
I'm not privy to all the pretrial evidentiary motions Judge Eric Taylor made, but they went over a couple last minute ones before opening statements yesterday that were kinda interesting.
For one, Erick Velasquez, the prosecution's star witness with the immunity deal, cannot tell the jury that he was carrying around a Smith & Wesson 9mm handgun because he wanted to be a badass like Torres - who always carried a gun. This ruling appears subject to Velasquez actually being able to establish with what frequency Torres allegedly carried a gun.
Also, when talking about the car tire rims that supposedly supplied Torres with a motive to kill, no one can mention that that they were stolen. (Juan Vasquez apparently had the rims as a result of a carjacking he did with Nino.)
In addition, in the first trial, it was said that Torres suggested they call Nino to take care of Vasquez by saying "he's a pretty crazy guy." That statement can't be said to the jury this time.
The trial is running in the afternoons only and is expected to take weeks, if not more than a month. We'll be revisting it here and there on the blog, and will, of course, bring you the verdict.
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About the Blogger
Larry Altman has covered crime in the South Bay since 1990. He's seen it all - the missing model who turned up dead in the desert, the wives found dead in trunks, the high-school coaches who get a little too close to their players. He drives his young colleagues nuts with his "I remember when" stories. He welcomes your tips and observations about the present, and you can mix in a little Lakers basketball talk if you like.
E-mail Larry at larry.altman@dailybreeze.com.
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About the Blogger
Denise Nix knew as young as grade school, when she spent every summer working on the camp newspaper, that she wanted to be a journalist. Denise has spent most of the last 12 years of her career in the courtroom. She joined the Daily Breeze in 2001, where she tracks and reports on hundreds of cases at every level of the justice system. And she's never, ever, seen a judge use a gavel.
E-mail Denise at denise.nix@dailybreeze.com.
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HI DENISE, IM WONDERING WHEN WILL YOU BE POSTING MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE TRIAL...THESE GUYS ARE SO COLD HEARTED.....AFTER 7 YEARS THEY STILL CANT ACCEPT THAT THEY ARE GUILTY.....ITS VERY HEARTBREAKING TO HAVE TO BE GOING THRU THIS ONCE AGAIN.....WE NEED TO LET MY COUSIN REST IN PEACE!!!
Hello denise
Its amazing how these boys have served all that time in prison behind a crime that i and the whole betty ford center belive was commited by that Erik Velasquez character. I also have a hard time understanding how a killer or someone with a motive to kill is given immunity. justice need to be served and Mr.Nino and Torrez should be rescued and returned home to their familys, my heart goes out to them and their family's Thank you so much for the oppertunity to speak my mind.
HELLO DENISE
SANDRA IS RIGHT IT IS AMAZING HOW THESE TWO INNOCENT MEN ARE IN JAIL FOR A CRIME DIDNT COMMIT IS ONE OF THE DEFENDENTS IS MY COUSIN AND THERE IS NO WAY HE COMMITTED THIS CRIME ESPECIALLY WITH NO PHYSICAL EVIDENCE AGAINST HIM. BRENDA I AM VERY SORRY FOR WHAT HAPPENED TO YOUR COUSIN AND I HOPE HE REST IN PEACE BECAUSE NO ONE DESERVES THIS, I NO IT MUST BE HARD TO GO THRU THIS A SECOND TIME! MY RESPECT GOES OUT TO YOUR FAMILY, BUT I NO MY COUSIN DID NOT COMMIT THIS CRIME AND THE REAL KILLER NEEDS TO BE PUT BEHIND BARS!
Brenda Sanchez please!.., I feel for your cousin very much, but, you can't just put two innocent men behind bars because of one's testimony. Erick is really in for one, and you would know if you kept up with the case, and not be so biased, justice shall prevail...
i for once did not put these human beings behind bars it was them themselves who got into this... i want to believe they were really his friends and want to believe they had nothing to do but im sorry, i know what i know and that is they are all guilty including mr. velasquez, yes its sad what friends could do. To the family it is not ur fault ur kids turned out to be this way!!!
brooooooooooooo this is for brenda.............dude kick back i know ur sad about ur cousin and im sorry for that but joe had nothing to do with it..the real person who needs to be in jail is ERICK cant u people see...poor joe he had 7 years of his life taken away from him and he didnt do anything
It must be hard to loose a family member, a tragic passing indeed brenda. But two more families are in mourning over the loss of their loved ones. With a chance that they will never get out, hearts are broken. These two are clearly innocent. Its a shame that immunity was given to the wrong guy. clearly, the one who brought the gun into the picture, had intentions of using it to prove something, and he proved that he is a coward! That he could let two "friends" take the fall for a mistake he made!
You will receive justice, but dont take away our families just to satisfy the hole that is left in your heart. The truth will come out, its just a matter of time. its sad my cousin has to loose his whole life over "circumstantial evidence"
This will all be straightened out. Enshala