Opinion ID: 3168859
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Shooting Incident and Investigation

Text: While investigating an April 2006 gang-related shooting, SMPD detectives Louis Tanore and Eligio Lara learned that Javier Bravo, Jr. and about a dozen others might have been involved in the shooting or might possess evidence of the crime (in particular, the weapons used). Tanore directed Lara to gather information on eight of these individuals, including checking into their criminal histories and custody status. According to Lara’s testimony, he called the Santa Barbara county jail to determine the custody status of the eight targets. Lara learned from these calls that one of the eight—James Franklin—had been transferred from county custody to state prison. He disclosed this finding to Tanore, and Franklin was removed from the list of targets. According to a county jail official’s trial testimony, Lara asked whether Javier Jr. was in county custody (he was not), but he did not ask follow-up questions about whether, like Franklin, Javier Jr. had been transferred from county to state custody. Lara never learned this. 6 BRAVO V. CITY OF SANTA MARIA