Opinion ID: 1142215
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Assistant District Attorney Louis Guirola, Jr.:

Text: Mr. Louis Guirola, Jr. also corroborated his fellow prosecutors' testimonies, stating that [t]he only thing [he] ever heard prior to the trial date and extending back was that Mr. Moore told Mr. Evans specifically that he did not have a deal, he did not have any recommendation and that as far as he was concerned, ... he [wa]s facing the death penalty too. He testified that Moore asked Evans' at least twice whether he understood that he had no deals, and both times, Evans responded, Yes, I understand. He further noted that this happened on more than one occasion, because it would go on at each individual interview so that he would understand at each interview that he did not have a plea negotiation. Mr. Guirola gave the most detailed account of the exchanges between the district attorney's office and Fielding Wright, as follows: [L]et me ... start[] at the beginning. When this investigation first took place, there were bits and pieces of information that would come into the Sheriff's Office and then they would make arrests based on these bits and pieces of information. During their investigation, they arrested two individuals, one I believe was John Paul Adams and the other one,... Mitchell Byrd... . Sometime later during the investigation, Thomas Terrell Evans was arrested but he was not charged with capital murder at that time and we weren't even sure of what his involvement was.... I think it might have been the next day or next afternoon, Mr. Fielding Wright came into our office and announced that he was representing Thomas Terrell Evans. And, at that time, he made the statement  and I remember this vividly, because it shocked me  he said, `You've got the wrong people charged with capital murder, and I know who did it.' Well, of course, at that point Miss King was present too and we were very interested... . And, Mr. Wright said, `Well, of course, I can't tell you what my source of information [is]. I can only tell you that I know who did it and you've got the wrong people in jail for capital murder.' Well, it didn't take a genius to understand that if he's representing Thomas Terrell Evans and he comes in and makes that kind of a statement that, obviously, Mr. Wright's source of information was Thomas Terrell Evans. At that point, Mr. Wright said `Well, if I am able to bring some information forward that will get you the right man, what would this office be willing to do?' At which point myself and Miss King both told him, `We can't make any recommendation. We can't say anything at this point because we don't even know who it is or what he will say.' ... [Wright] gave us an outline of what the person knew and who he knew to be the actual killer of the victim ... and that [his source] could be guilty of nothing more than accessory after the fact to capital murder, which if you took the facts as Mr. Wright perceived them and he was told them, arguably that would have been the charge. So, at that point, I believe Miss King and I both told Mr. Wright, `Well, if this is true, if these facts are right down the line as you have told us, there is no way that you could convict that man of anything more than accessory after the fact to capital murder, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in the penitentiary.' Now, at that point  let me make it clear  that was not a recommendation that was made, that was an observation that that would be the maximum penalty for that particular crime. At that point, Evans was brought in for an interview. After the interview, there was some discussion about what Evans would get if his story was true. Guirola told Wright again, `If what your man is saying is true, then the maximum penalty would be five years in the penitentiary, and since he is in fact on probation now, that probation would be revoked and he would get five years consecutive with five addition years for accessory after the fact.' I still did not perceive that as a recommendation, because all of the facts were not in, all of the testimony was not in. But, I thought that in my opinion that's what would happen if all these facts were true... . I didn't think we were in the position to ... make any firm recommendation. After the case went before the grand jury, they indicted Evans for capital murder, too. Now since the time of the indictment, and I would say sometime before, at no time has Terrell Evans been told `you've got a deal with the District Attorney' or `we're going to reduce something,' because there was nothing to reduce at that point... . As a matter of fact, that has been to the contrary. Mr. Moore has always told Mr. Evans, `Be sure that you understand you do not have any kind of recommendation, you do not have any kind of deal. You are charged with capital murder and as far as I'm concerned you are facing the death penalty too.' At which point Mr. Evans would always indicate that he understood. The above detailed account by Guirola indicates that there was no plea bargain agreement between the State and Evans.