Judge Rejects Plea Deal In 36 Cases Of Manslaughter

Pliny Pete

Pliny Pete

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A couple years back there was a huge warehouse fire here in Oakland that left 36 people dead
The two defendants struck a plea deal that would have given one of them 6 years and the other 9 years but after 2 days of outrage from the victims families a judge has decided to reject the plea deal and send em to trial
They're fucked

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OAKLAND (CBS SF) — In a surprise move, a judge today rejected a plea agreement for Ghost Ship warehouse master tenant Derick Almena and creative director Max Harris for the fire at the warehouse in Oakland’s Fruitvale district in December 2016 that killed 36 people.

Alameda County Superior Court Judge James Cramer said he accepts the part of the agreement reached on July 3 that called for Harris, 28, to serve 6 years in the county jail for his no contest plea to 36 counts of involuntary manslaughter for the fire during a music party at the warehouse at 1309 31st Ave. in Oakland’s Fruitvale district on Dec. 2, 2016.


Cramer said that’s because he believes that Harris has shown “unconditional remorse from the outset” and immediately accepted responsibility for the blaze, which was the deadliest structure fire in the U.S. since the fire that erupted after the San Francisco earthquake in 1906.

But Cramer said he rejects the part of the agreement that called for Almena, 48, who also plead no contest to 36 counts of involuntary manslaughter, to serve 9 years in jail because he thinks Almena still isn’t acknowledging and expressing complete remorse for the fire.

Cramer said he based his opinion on a 30-page letter that Almena recently wrote to probation officials in which he claimed that various governmental agencies also are responsible for the fire because they didn’t warn him about the fire dangers at the warehouse.

Cramer said that because the plea agreement was “a package deal” that would only work if both Almena and Harris pleaded no contest and were sentenced together he was therefore required to reject the entire agreement and set the case for trial.


Cramer’s surprise ruling came at the end of the second day of a sentencing hearing for Almena and Harris.

The victims’ family members and friends have criticized the plea agreement in lengthy comments to the court and they appeared to be happy that Cramer rejected the deal, as several of them applauded him.

https://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2...rs-ghost-ship-fire-defendants-to-stand-trial/
 
Didn't 100 people die in that rock concert in Rhode Island?

Edit: that may seem OT, but the article says it was the deadliest fire in the US since the SF earthquake of 1906.

Seems like a bullshit cop out by the judge. Basing this off a letter? The guy was already doing 9 years, unless he set the fire and trapped the people in there himself of course there are other responsible factors.
 
Anung Un Rama said:
Didn't 100 people die in that rock concert in Rhode Island?
Click to expand...
Yup, great white, '03, my very close friend nearly died in it. Witnesses saw him save no less than 7 people before he finally jumped through a window with burns over 90% of his body. He was in a coma for 2 months. Toughest MFer I've ever known.
 
Anung Un Rama said:
Didn't 100 people die in that rock concert in Rhode Island?

Edit: that may seem OT, but the article says it was the deadliest fire in the US since the SF earthquake of 1906.

Seems like a bullshit cop out by the judge. Basing this off a letter? The guy was already doing 9 years, unless he set the fire and trapped the people in there himself of course there are other responsible factors.
Click to expand...
That's pretty normal. If a plea deal is based on "accepting responsibility" you need to do that, not write a letter blaming everyone else.

What's dumb is fucking over the actually remorseful defendant because the idiot screwed around.
 
Quipling said:
That's pretty normal. If a plea deal is based on "accepting responsibility" you need to do that, not write a letter blaming everyone else.

What's dumb is fucking over the actually remorseful defendant because the idiot screwed around.
Click to expand...

Idk, I'm conflicted about my opinion of this, especially since it will be difficult to insulate the jury from the fact that a previous plea deal was rejected because the client acknowledged his guilt, but not in a remorseful enough fashion. Getting due process now will be more challenging.
 
abiG said:
Yup, great white, '03, my very close friend nearly died in it. Witnesses saw him save no less than 7 people before he finally jumped through a window with burns over 90% of his body. He was in a coma for 2 months. Toughest MFer I've ever known.
Click to expand...

Damn! Respect:cool:
 
Good. responsible for 36 deaths and only getting 6 and 9 years ya keep dreaming. fuck em.
 
The lengths people go to to do drugs and listen to music with strangers. Sad they died but I'd rather die myself than have to listen to one more white dude with dreadlocks loudly brag about the awesome festival he went to last summer.
 
Pliny Pete said:
A couple years back there was a huge warehouse fire here in Oakland that left 36 people dead
The two defendants struck a plea deal that would have given one of them 6 years and the other 9 years but after 2 days of outrage from the victims families a judge has decided to reject the plea deal and send em to trial
They're fucked

safe_image.php



OAKLAND (CBS SF) — In a surprise move, a judge today rejected a plea agreement for Ghost Ship warehouse master tenant Derick Almena and creative director Max Harris for the fire at the warehouse in Oakland’s Fruitvale district in December 2016 that killed 36 people.

Alameda County Superior Court Judge James Cramer said he accepts the part of the agreement reached on July 3 that called for Harris, 28, to serve 6 years in the county jail for his no contest plea to 36 counts of involuntary manslaughter for the fire during a music party at the warehouse at 1309 31st Ave. in Oakland’s Fruitvale district on Dec. 2, 2016.


Cramer said that’s because he believes that Harris has shown “unconditional remorse from the outset” and immediately accepted responsibility for the blaze, which was the deadliest structure fire in the U.S. since the fire that erupted after the San Francisco earthquake in 1906.

But Cramer said he rejects the part of the agreement that called for Almena, 48, who also plead no contest to 36 counts of involuntary manslaughter, to serve 9 years in jail because he thinks Almena still isn’t acknowledging and expressing complete remorse for the fire.

Cramer said he based his opinion on a 30-page letter that Almena recently wrote to probation officials in which he claimed that various governmental agencies also are responsible for the fire because they didn’t warn him about the fire dangers at the warehouse.

Cramer said that because the plea agreement was “a package deal” that would only work if both Almena and Harris pleaded no contest and were sentenced together he was therefore required to reject the entire agreement and set the case for trial.


Cramer’s surprise ruling came at the end of the second day of a sentencing hearing for Almena and Harris.

The victims’ family members and friends have criticized the plea agreement in lengthy comments to the court and they appeared to be happy that Cramer rejected the deal, as several of them applauded him.

https://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2...rs-ghost-ship-fire-defendants-to-stand-trial/
Click to expand...



Good.

Plea deals should be illegal.
 
I haven’t read Almena’s letter, but he may have a point (or not).

Edit: can’t find the letter, just excerpts. He seems....mentally ill?
 
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Trotsky said:
Idk, I'm conflicted about my opinion of this, especially since it will be difficult to insulate the jury from the fact that a previous plea deal was rejected because the client acknowledged his guilt, but not in a remorseful enough fashion. Getting due process now will be more challenging.
Click to expand...
Yeah, on second thought I'm inclined to agree. The appropriate thing is to deal with the lack of remorse at sentencing, not rip up the plea entirely.
 
Is that a Reese's peanut buttter cup in his earlobe?
 
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