Jury Returns Not Guilty Verdict in Murder Case

James A. Goldstein represented an admitted gang member who was charged with the murder of a gang member and two counts of attempted murder of two LAPD gang officers. In this case, testimony was presented that LAPD officers had picked up a rival gang member and transported him into rival gang territory controlled by the defendant’s gang. According to testimony, the officers stopped in front of the defendant and his fellow gang members showing them the rival gang member in the back seat while still wearing his rival gang attire. According to the officers, the defendant and fellow gang members opened fire on the patrol vehicle injuring the passenger and the officers and ultimately killing one of the defendant’s fellow gang members in return fire. Notwithstanding the evidence, the officers denied “trolling” the passenger gang member into rival territory and also denied stopping in front of the defendant and his cohorts. Our investigator located a witness who was watching the events from the corner and offered a version which contradicted the testimony of the officers. Jim presented an alibi defense for his client who denied being present during the shooting even though his car was parked at location of the shooting. The jury rejected the version by the officers and found our client Not Guilty of all charges. This case was prosecuted by the elite Crimes Against Police Officers division of the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office.