Results tagged “Jeff Gray” from Crime & Courts

Although this Palos Verdes Peninsula article doesn't mention it, the brothers featured here come from a prominent South Bay legal family. Their father is Torrance Superior Court Judge Dudley Gray and their uncle is Torrance attorney Jeffrey Gray. Their great-grandfather was also a notable attorney, responsible for bringing that courthouse-looking building on Crenshaw Boulevard near the San Diego (405) Freeway to Torrance from the mid-west.

Chris Gray's untimely death really shook the family. I remember the grief when I wrote his obituary, and I still often hear it when their uncle speaks of the family.

Like the article says, Chris Gray's death should be a grim reminder to all that addiction knows no boundaries.

Soon after Joe Nino and Miguel Torres were convicted - for the second time - in May, Nino's former girlfriend sent a letter to Deputy District Attorney Craig Hum claiming she was with Nino on Dec. 2, 2001 - the night Juan Vasquez was shot and killed execution style in a drainage ditch by a Rolling Hills school.

Why the Arizona prison guard waited nearly eight years and two trials to present herself as an alibi is not known. Nino's attorney, Jeff Gray, told Torrance Superior Court Judge Eric Taylor he investigated the claim and believes she is one of several reasons why his client should have a new trial.

However, Miguel Torres' attorneys - Jaclin Awad, who was in court, and Matthew Fletcher, who was not - asked for more time to prepare. Gray didn't want to put off arguing his new trial motion, but his client did. Because Hum will be involved in another murder trial downtown for a couple months, Nino and Torres will return for their motion and sentencing hearing on Oct. 1.

Outside of court, Hum called the former girlfriend's statement "interesting," especially since Nino gave a statement to police about his activities that night and nothing he said mentioned her. She was also interviewed by police back then, but only said Nino's car didn't have an alarm (neighbors near the crime scene reported hearing a car alarm).

Meanwhile, on our last story about the trial, the user comments are quite heated - both from those who know the parties involved and those who don't.

Previously:

Tight security and tense emotions during Rolling Hills murder verdict