East Palo Alto cop killer sentenced to death

[alp227]

Source: Jessica Bernstein-Wax, San jose Mercury News

A San Mateo County jury this afternoon recommended that Alberto Alvarez face death for murdering East Palo Alto police Officer Richard May in 2006.

The same six men and six women who last month found Alvarez guilty of first-degree murder with the special circumstance that May was performing his police duties when killed deliberated his penalty for nearly four days.

More than 100 witnesses, including friends and relatives of both May and Alvarez, testified in the months-long trial, with testimony beginning in mid-October and concluding last week.

May's relatives expressed relief when jurors convicted Alvarez after just six hours of deliberation of the most serious crime possible the day before Thanksgiving. His 17-year-old daughter, Deanna, described the verdict as "everything we wanted."

But Alvarez's parents left the courtroom in obvious shock and distress after learning their son would spend the rest of his life in prison without the possibility of parole or die in a death chamber. The penalty phase of the trial, during which jurors were forced to decide which of the two sentences was more appropriate, began Dec. 7, nearly four years after the 38-year-old policeman and father of three died.

Read more: http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_14051392?nclick_check=1

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County-wide, Alvarez is the first person sentenced to death since 2004, when a jury sentenced Scott Peterson to death for killing his wife, Laci, and unborn child. Thursday (Christmas Eve) marks 7 years since Laci Peterson was last seen alive. As you may remember, the Peterson case got major national attention earlier this decade.

Alvarez's defense attorneys argued that Alvarez shot Officer May because Alvarez thought that May shot first. As ridiculous an argument it is for self-defense, well I wonder what they could come up with in the suspect's side of the story. The prosecution argued that Alvarez shot and killed May because Alvarez was on parole and did not want to return to prison. Alvarez was on parole for possession of a concealed weapon and marijuana intended for sale. I approve the jury's decision and hope that California's justice system will keep this monster sheltered forever from society, whatever it takes.

[boppers]

1. Multiple assaults, brandishing, and an execution-style murder.

Not much good coming out of him for the next 15-20 years, I think.

I happen to be against the death penalty, myself, for economic reasons, but I can see why the defendants' history could lead a jury to their conclusion.

[mackerel]

2. It seems like this case took a long time to get to trial.

Alvarez will still live quite a few years before execution. I'm actually surprised to see how few murderers in our state actually gat the death penalty in comparison to other states.