After nearly five hours of closing arguments, the federal trial involving three former and present members of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department who are accused of brutally beating jail visitor, Gabriel Carrillo, then conspiring to cover up the beating by portraying the alleged victim as the aggressor, the whole matter could hinge on a single photograph of Carrillo’s bruised wrists.
When the case went to the jury at around 1:30 on Tuesday afternoon, both the federal prosecutors and the three different defense attorneys (one for each of the three defendants) had marshaled an array of facts and photos they said proved that the other side was lying about the most crucial elements of the events in question. Yet neither side was able to point to any tie-breaking eye witness who could be characterized as being entirely unbiased.
Everything comes down to whether or not Carrillo was handcuffed on the afternoon of February 26, 2011, when he was being pummeled and pepper sprayed by five sheriff’s deputies with the reported approval of their supervising sergeant in the visiting center of LA’s Men’s Central Jail. If the jury of five men and seven women concludes that Carrillo was not handcuffed during the beating, then jurors should vote to acquit former LASD sergeant Eric Gonzalez, and suspended deputies Sussie Ayala and Fernando Luviano of all the government’s charges.
However, if the men and women of the jury believe that Carrillo was handcuffed when he sustained the panoply of injuries at the hands of the defendants and their colleagues, then they should vote to convict.
For the full story on the final day of the LASD Visiting Center trial check back later today.
It sure would be strange that the Deputies would be found innocent after the County paid 1.2 million to Mr Carrillo and 2 former LASD Deputies gave up their careers and pled guilty to crimes that a Jury voted “innocent” ?
another slam dunk conviction for the feds…this Fox guy for the USatty office is good, damn good
I don’t know about ANOTHER slam dunk. The other cases weren’t and they had to try the Sexton case twice and taint the evidence. So, “another slam dunk”, I think NOT!! @ Just an observer, Brandon Fox my have had the evidence in this case so be it, but in Sexton’s case it was all about his love for himself. I know he is a lie and a cheat and that is how he wins cases.