Death Penalty

LOS ANGELES — Nearly 50 potential jurors were dismissed Monday as the trial nears for Juan Manuel Alvarez, who faces capital murder charges for the 2005 Metrolink derailment that killed 11 and injured nearly 200 others. Los Angeles Superior Court Judge William R. Pounders excused many would-be jurors, citing answers they gave on a questionnaire as potential conflicts of interest. The 23-page questionnaire was meant to elicit individuals’ opinions of the death penalty, knowledge of the case or other factors that might have complicated their ability to impartially render a verdict.

LOS ANGELES ? A Superior Court judge on Monday gave defense attorneys for Juan Manuel Alvarez ? accused of murdering 11 people in the Jan. 26, 2005, Metrolink train derailment ? until June 16 to submit a letter detailing why prosecutors should reconsider seeking the death penalty. The district attorney's office announced in August that it would seek the death penalty for Alvarez. But after a new defense team came on to represent Alvarez in September, Deputy District Atty. Patrick Dixon offered to let them submit a reconsideration letter on the death penalty decision, he said Tuesday.

I am disappointed in the responses of the six local leaders of Judeo/Christian congregations as to their feelings about death as a penalty ("Thoughts on the death penalty," Jan. 6). All profess to be of a faith basing its beliefs on the word of God as expressed in the Bible most of us are familiar with, but only one, Pastor Jon Barta, alluded to what it actually says as to executing murderers. And he only mentioned one of five references, then didn't pursue the issue. In fact, the scriptures make it clear in Genesis 9:6, Exodus 21:14, Leviticus 24:17, Numbers 35:31 and Deuteronomy 19:11-13 that God commands that convicted murderers be executed.

LOS ANGELES — After less than two days of deliberation, jurors found Juan Manuel Alvarez guilty Thursday of 11 counts of first-degree murder and one count of arson for his role in the January 2005 Metrolink train wreck. The nine-woman, three-man jury did not convict Alvarez on a train-wrecking charge, but found him at fault for at least one special-circumstance charge that could result in the death penalty. The penalty phase of the trial is scheduled to begin July 7, with testimony from victims’ family members, who filled the courtroom Thursday.

LOS ANGELES — Emotionally charged testimony by co-workers and family members of victims who died in a 2005 Metrolink train crash marked the first day of the penalty phase against Juan Manuel Alvarez on Monday, highlighted by tearful jurors and loud weeping from those sitting in the packed courtroom. Alvarez, 29, was convicted of 11 counts of first-degree murder and one count of arson on June 26 for his role in the Jan. 26, 2005, Metrolink derailment that injured 184 crew members and passengers.

The Sun Valley man accused of killing rookie Burbank Police Officer Matthew Pavelka during a November gun battle will be arraigned next month. David A. Garcia, 19, was previously indicted for fatally shooting Pavelka and severely injuring Det. Greg Campbell, authorities said. He is scheduled to return June 30 to Los Angeles Superior Court. Prosecutors are still considering whether to pursue the death penalty. Garcia and alleged accomplice Ramon Aranda opened fire on Pavelka and Campbell Nov. 15 as the officers approached their sport utility vehicle in the Ramada Inn parking lot on North San Fernando Boulevard, police said.

The 20-year-old man charged with the murder of a Burbank Police officer will appear today in Pasadena Superior Court. David A. Garcia, of Sun Valley, is up for a status hearing before Judge Teri Schwartz in connection with the shooting death of Officer Matthew Pavelka in November. The defense's case is still in the preliminary stage of going through evidence and conducting its own investigation, said Chris Apostal, the public defender representing Garcia.

Jackson Bell The man accused of killing a Burbank police officer last month pleaded not guilty to murder and attempted murder charges Tuesday. During his arraignment in Pasadena Superior Court, 19-year-old David A. Garcia of Sun Valley was ordered held without bail. His next court appearance is scheduled for Jan. 28, when a preliminary hearing date will be set. Dressed in a gray knit shirt and jeans, Garcia avoided eye contact with the courtroom gallery and sat quietly next to attorney, Andrew Flier.

What were they thinking? The role of a defense attorney is to be an advocate, but the role of a prosecutor is to see that justice is done. Sometimes it doesn’t quite work that way. This is the story of a death penalty overturned because prosecutors handling the case neglected to let the defense know that someone else had confessed to the crime. In the early 1980s, Adam Miranda was accused of robbing and killing a gas station attendant. He was also accused of killing Robert Hosey a couple of weeks before the gas station incident.