Opinion ID: 2630926
Heading Depth: 5
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Tobin's Case in Mitigation

Text: Dan Hlobick testified that he accompanied Letner, Tobin, and William Healer on their excursion to discuss with Tobin's mother the repair work Healer had performed on her car. According to Hlobick, Letner slapped Healer a few times on the way to meet Tobin's mother. Tobin did not hit or choke Healer. After they left Tobin's mother, Healer simply stopped the truck and ran away for no apparent reason. Letner and Tobin did not threaten Healer or attempt to obtain money from him. Tobin's mother also testified that Healer did not appear to be upset when they met that day. She testified that Healer told her during a subsequent telephone call that the reason he had told the police Tobin had assaulted him was to teach Tobin a lesson, but that Healer would be dropping the charges. Raymond Dudley, Tobin's brother-in-law, testified that he overheard a similar conversation between Healer and Tobin's sister, in which Healer again said he had complained to the police in order to teach Tobin a lesson, but would be dropping the charges because Tobin had not done anything improper. According to Dudley, Healer said Letner had hit Healer, but Tobin had told him to stop. John Dean testified he was driving the car when Letner and Tobin picked up David Bendowski. According to Dean, no one struck, threatened, or demanded money from Bendowski. Robert Hernandez, an inmate at the Tulare County jail, testified that Letner told him that he and a person named Christopher went to Pontbriant's house to steal $300 in cash and other items. Letner said he had killed Pontbriant to keep her quiet, and he demonstrated to Hernandez how he had used the knife on her neck. Leo Pike, another inmate at the jail, testified that, contrary to Letner's testimony, Letner and Hernandez occasionally spoke with each other. Tobin's father, mother, and sister each testified that they loved him and hoped the jury would reach a verdict of life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.