Opinion ID: 1203248
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Defense Case: Defendant

Text: Defendant admitted the Croutch robbery. He asserted that he was a professional robber, but not a murderer. He said he had committed hundreds of robberies over the preceding six-year period. He used a gun, not a knife, and victimized drug dealers. He admitted a prior kidnapping conviction, but said that he had admitted the use of a knife only as a result of a plea bargain, not because it was true. He had planned to rob Kumar, but he denied the abortive robbery attempt recounted by prosecution witness Kempf. Defendant said it was Kempf who suggested the robbery, but as Kempf had testified against another associate, defendant wanted nothing to do with Kempf. On the evening of January 8, 1981, defendant threw a party in honor of his best friend, Shotgun, whose funeral had been two days before. Around 8 p.m., defendant left to get drugs from Kumar's house to liven up the party. He knocked on Kumar's door and, hearing no response, went to the back and broke a pane in the kitchen door. It would not open, but another door swung open when he kicked it. He took a bag containing about half a pound of marijuana from a bedroom. He touched a bag containing a bluish substance in the bedroom, and spilled a bag containing green material in the kitchen. He did not ransack the house or stack the stereo equipment. He did not kill anyone. He returned to the party a little before 9 p.m., and shared the marijuana he had taken. He drank heavily and smoked considerable marijuana. Art Corona wanted to know where he had gotten the marijuana. Around 11:30 p.m., because Corona complained that he was short of cash, defendant gave him Kumar's address in exchange for a third of whatever Corona could steal from him. Corona returned around 1 a.m., having been unable to find Kumar's house. Defendant gave him directions again. About 1:30 a.m. defendant went out for food, then went to tell Lisa Tapar that Shotgun was dead. When she slammed the door in his face, he stabbed the door and scratched a swastika and lightning bolt on her car. He returned home a little after 2 a.m. Art Corona arrived around 4 a.m., reporting he had gotten nothing from Kumar's home. The next morning, Corona called to ask defendant not to say anything about his trip the night before. Defendant told Corona about his own visit to Lisa Tapar. Defendant's brother and several friends testified in defendant's behalf, confirming in basic outline his testimony regarding the party in his apartment building, the timing of his various absences, and his distribution of marijuana he provided around 9 p.m. Defendant called Gian Norelli, who said he was present when Charles Kempf tried to get defendant to participate in a robbery of Kumar. He denied that the group of men actually went to Kumar's home, and he said that Kempf had a reputation as a liar. He was impeached with his prior inconsistent statement to the police, relating the earlier abortive attempt on the Kumar home in terms substantially the same as Kempf's testimony. One Gary Mallory said Casey Corona had approached him near her home, asking what would happen if she were caught lying for her husband on the witness stand. Terry Pinholster testified that the bloodstained boots found in defendant's apartment were his. Defendant testified that the boots were too small for him.