Recently in Barry Mosley Category

Barry Mosley sent to death row. Here's our quick-hit story. Look for a more detailed one later...

Barry Sacks pleaded guilty this morning to two counts of child molestation in exchange for 60 days in jail, which he has the option to serve at a city jail and likely will. Sacks will be on probation for five years, will register as a sex offender for the rest of his life, serve 30 days of community service on a CalTrans work crew and be ordered to undergo 52 weeks of sex offender counseling. The remaining seven counts were dismissed.

I'll have a story with more details on everything later.

Previous entries here.

Never before at the Torrance Courthouse have I seen so many people trying to fit in one courtroom as I did yesterday for the verdict in the penalty phase Barry Mosley's trial. The crowd - mostly friends and family members of the victims, along with some courthouse workers riveted by the case and courtwatchers - gathered outside the courtroom early for the scheduled 2 p.m. verdict. Sensing that some of the victims' loved ones were getting a bit worked-up, every person had to get in line and be checked by a security guard with a metal-detecting wand before going in the courtroom.

Staff photographer Steve McCrank, Daily Breeze intern Douglas Morino and I somehow ended up at the end of the line. By the time we got to the door, word was coming that there were no seats left. The bailiffs, though, knew we needed to get in, and were kind enough to let us stand at the front of the courtroom, behind the clerk. It was a vantage point I don't normally have - being able to see the defendant and the audience instead of the backs of everyone's heads.

Before the jury came in, Judge Mark Arnold tried to diffuse the tension by addressing the friends and family members, many of whom had come for the bulk of the trial. "I've been impressed by how you've conducted yourselves," Arnold said. "I ask that you continue that level of integrity and decorum you have displayed so far."

After the jurors took their seats, Arnold said he had a request from Juror No. 11 to hold a moment of silence for the victims of 9/11. The packed room grew still, while many in the audience bowed their heads and some of the 15 or so bailiffs who were there for extra security placed their hands over their hearts.

There were three verdicts read by the clerk - one for each victim. With each pronouncement of "death," the room remained quiet, but hands shot up in the air. Mosley never flinched.

In a press release issued by the District Attorney's Office late yesterday, District Attorney Steve Cooley paid kudos to Deputy District Attorney Steve Schreiner (and hopefully that DDA Tony Aguilar wasn't mentioned was just an oversight!), as well as the office's investigators who worked on the case.

"This was an appropriate case for the death penalty and I am pleased with the jury's recommendation," Cooley said. 

Today's story on the verdict can be found here (along with Steve's photos).

Previous entries on Mosley are here.

To find out more about capital punishment in California, click here for the Dept. of Corrections and Rehabilitation death penalty page.

Jurors in Torrance just recommended that Barry Mosley, 48, be put to death for raping and strangling two women and a teenage girl in their Athens area homes.

It didn't take them long for such a serious decision. They've been listening for weeks to testimony about some of the most heinous acts anyone can commit -- Murder during rapes, burglaries and sodomy and multiple murders.

The jury's recommendation goes to Judge Mark Arnold, who will formally sentence Mosley at a later date.

We have Denise Nix and Douglas Morino in the courtroom and will have full coverage for you later.

Previous Mosley entries

The Torrance jurors deliberating whether Barry Mosley should live or die for his crimes took about two hours to make that decision. They deliberated yesterday afternoon then, just moments after they resumed this morning, they indicated that they reached a verdict.

It's scheduled to be read this afternoon at 2 p.m.

Today's story on the trial is here.

Previous blog entries on Mosley can be found here.

What is the worst of the worst? Prosecutors seeking to condemn a killer often argue to juries that, if any case cries out for the death penalty, than this is that case. On the other hand, defense attorneys trying to save their clients' lives will argue that, no - there are far worse crimes out there than what this person is accused of doing, and shouldn't we save the needle for them?

Deputy District Attorney Steve Schreiner illustrated that point to a Torrance jury today, saying that, when most people think who should be on death row, they think of people like Charles Manson. But Manson's attorney would argue capital punishment is for people who have committed more murders, like night stalker Richard Ramirez. Ramirez's attorneys, of course, would say let's reserve the ultimate penalty for those who really deserve it - like Adolf Hitler. Hitler's attorneys? They'd point to Joseph Stalin. And on and on. Until it moves to the next level: "Well, did he eat his victims?" Schreiner said.

There is no law that says the death penalty must be only given to the worst of the worst, Schreiner argued. "But the defendant, in fact, is in that class of people who we categorize as the worst of the worst."

Defense attorney Richard Everett's approach was to argue that killing Mosley would, in a way, be justifying murder. "When is it ever appropriate to kill someone?" Everett asked. "The state is aking you to get together, with cool minds, and issue an order to kill this man. Is that justice? When is a life for a life justice?"

We'll see what the jury thinks and let you know the verdict as soon as we do.

Previous entries on Mosley's case can be found here.

It's been a little more than two weeks since the penalty phase began for Barry Mosley, convicted of killing two women and a teenage girl in two separate Athens-area incidents in 1999 and 2000. He raped two of his victims - along with a then 8-year-old girl who survived the attack and testified against him.

Closing arguments are going to begin this morning with the prosecution arguing he is an evil and violent predator who left a void in the lives of his victims' family that should be paid with his own life. The defense, though, will argue that the evidence shows a childhood of abuse and a head injury contributed to his behavior, and his life should be spared.

We'll have a story on the arguments and will let you know what the jury decides...

Previously:

Torrance jury finds man guilty of three murders, rape  

Death penalty trial in Torrance

Barry Mosley, 48, left, was convicted of three counts of first-degree murder for the slayings of two women and a teenage girl in their homes in the Athens area in 1999 and
2000.

Next up is the penalty phase. The same jury will have to decide whether to send him to Death Row or a cell for the rest of his life.

Jurors found Mosley guilty of 10 counts and seven special circumstances allegations including murder during rapes, burglaries and sodomy and multiple murders.

Denise just reported from the courtroom and will have all the details soon. Staff photo ace Sean Hiller took the photo.

Previous stories on Mosley.

Waiting for verdicts in high profile, serious cases makes me edgy. Everytime the phone rings, I jump a bit. Since you never know when they're gonna come, you're always worried about missing them.

The jury deliberating on the Carson double-murder case has now begun its sixth day of discussions. They are deciding whether or not Eric Sanford and Julio Perez were at all involved in the deaths of two gas station clerks during a pre-dawn attempted robbery on Nov. 6, 2006.

Previous items are here.

A Torrance jury began deliberations yesterday afternoon in the capital murder case against Barry Mosley, who is accused of three murders in two different Athens-area incidents in 1999 and 2000. He's also charged with raping a young girl, who survived and testified against him, as well as a host of other allegations.

Click here for previous entries on the Mosley case.

I'll keep you posted...

In case you missed it in Sunday's Daily Breeze, we had a story about a capital murder case that just got underway at the Torrance Courthouse for Barry Mosley, who is charged with killing three women, two of whom he allegedly raped, and trying to kill a little girl, who he also is accused of raping. Following our story online, there are some user comments and questions I'd like to address here.

Bon Scott from the Palos Verdes Peninsula wrote:

I was on this jury and got kicked off. It will be a horrible experience for the remaining jurors. Several questions: why is being tried in Torrance? Why was there so little coverage of the crimes when they happened? I am glad the Breeze is covering it since no one else seems to care.