OAKLAND — An Alameda County jury is deliberating the destiny of a 30-year-old man accused of homicide, after a prosecution that rested considerably on the phrase of a former co-defendant who accepted a plea deal in change for his testimony.
Odell Jones, 30, is going through homicide, theft, and assault prices within the November 2017 killing of 25-year-old Justin Classes. Police describe the incident as a theft setup concentrating on Classes and his brother. Jones’ former co-defendant, Darryl Hickman, 34, allegedly organized the theft by providing the Classes brothers laptop computer computer systems priced under market charges.
The witnesses embody Justin Classes’ brother, Joshua Classes, who was current when he and his brother have been robbed by gunmen who introduced a duffel bag to the scene to make it seem that they have been bringing the merchandise. Police say the thought from the beginning was to rob the Classes brothers at gunpoint of the money they introduced for the computer systems.
Jones’ trial wrapped up Wednesday, with prosecuting and protection attorneys giving jurors their remaining pitches. Simply weeks earlier than trial, Hickman accepted a plea deal, pleading no contest to second-degree homicide prices with the understanding that if he testified honestly in opposition to Jones he would obtain a manslaughter conviction and an 11-year jail time period.
Deputy district legal professional Angelina Clay stated that the testimony of Joshua Classes and Hickman clearly set up that Jones was the person who shot Justin Classes within the again as he tried to get away from the robbers. She stated after the theft, Jones returned as a result of he’d dropped his automotive keys on the scene and a 3rd Classes brother was capable of establish him from that encounter.
“We have now the facet of the perpetrators, and we've the facet of one of many victims,” Clay informed the jury. She stated each witnesses have been constant of their description of “smaller particulars” of the occasion, which proves their credibility.
Protection legal professional Annie Beles argued the fees have been based mostly on a “shoddy police investigation” and questionable witnesses, most notably Hickman, whom she described as “an individual who has each purpose to place another person in that slot.”
“Mr. Hickman is making an attempt to save lots of his personal pores and skin,” Beles stated, later including that upon cautious examination of all proof, “you will note that it's not sufficient.”
Hickman’s plea deal is almost similar to these struck in two different ongoing Alameda County homicide trials, the place former co-defendants got carrot-and-stick model offers to testify and obtain leniency. Downstairs from Jones, Oakland resident Brenton Boatwright is in a homicide trial the place the star witness is his former co-defendant Abdulsatar Muqbel, beneath a concept that he and Muqbel acquired right into a lethal shootout. In one other courtroom, William Hommert is going through homicide prices based mostly largely on the testimony of former co-defendant Trevor Simpson.
Like Hickman, each Muqbel and Simpson anticipate to prices to be downgraded from homicide to manslaughter for his or her testimony. In all circumstances, it's the decide — not attorneys or police — who should decide whether or not the witnesses have been credible sufficient to obtain the lesser sentence.