Kalehue
March 30th, 2009, 10:27 PM
http://imgs.sfgate.com/c/pictures/2008/01/19/ba_oakshoot17_117_ls.jpg
Pctured - Christopher Rodriguez, the boy who was paralyzed during his piano lesson by a stray bullet
Jared Adams was found guilty Monday of attempted murder and 11 other felonies in the shooting of a 10-year-old boy and the carjacking of a former state senator.
A jury of eight men and four women took less than four hours to find Adams, 26, guilty of the crimes, many of which Adams admitted committing when he took the witness stand during the more than monthlong trial.
Adams, 26, admitted that he robbed a gas station, carjacked former state Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata and stole multiple vehicles during a three-week crime spree that began in late December 2007 and ended Jan. 10, 2008, when 10-year-old Christopher Rodriguez was shot in the back and paralyzed, and Adams was caught after a high-speed chase.
Adams, wearing a black suit, sat still as the verdict was read, at times closing his eyes and shaking his head from left to right. His attorney, Assistant Public Defender Brendon Woods, did not have an immediate comment.
At a minimum, Adams faces 25 years to life in prison. But Chief Assistant District Attorney Nancy O'Malley, who tried the case, said Adams most likely will face the maximum sentence, which includes several life terms.
"Senseless violence will be punished," O'Malley said. "All the people hurt by this (man) will see justice served."
More than 60 witnesses testified during the trial, including Maeve Clifford and Christopher. Clifford originally was a co-defendant in the case but later took a plea deal and agreed to testify against Adams, her former boyfriend.
Clifford's testimony provided jurors with hard facts about what crimes Adams committed during the crime spree, while Christopher's testimony provided the jurors with emotional material.
Sitting in his wheelchair, Christopher, who turns 12 Wednesday, testified in a cool, matter-of-fact fashion about his paralysis and how it has changed his life. He never once shed a tear as he explained that he most likely would never walk again.
Christopher's family declined to comment after the verdict Monday but had a family spokesman attend the verdict's reading. "This is just a chapter. What they really want to do is focus on Christopher," Alix Sabin said. "They are not focused on the trial, they are focused on their son."
Much more:
http://www.insidebayarea.com/oaklandtribune/localnews/ci_12030988?source=rss
At one point during the trial, Adams said he was "losing it" -- boo hoo.
Saying he feels he has been "losing it," the man accused of firing the shot that paralyzed young Christopher Rodriguez took the stand in an Oakland courtroom Tuesday.
"I can't take it no more," said a teary-eyed 26-year-old Jared Adams. "When Chris (Rodriguez) came up here, I wanted to "... I feel like I've been losing it. I'm scared. I can't take it anymore."
http://www.contracostatimes.com/alamedacounty/ci_11986121
His girlfriend (19 years old at the time of the crime spree) has a knack for picking some real losers. Her baby, Destiny, was placed in foster care after her skull was fractured (Clifford and her boyfriend lied to investigators about that incident). Destiny managed to survive that only to be beaten to death by her father two weeks after she was returned to the couple. Maeve's story is here. She will be spending 6 years in prison:
Effort to start over ends in prison
Maeve Clifford said she had moved to California and hoped to turn her life around after her young daughter was killed at the hands of her teenage father. Maeve only found more trouble.
http://www.startribune.com/local/stpaul/37611079.html
Pctured - Christopher Rodriguez, the boy who was paralyzed during his piano lesson by a stray bullet
Jared Adams was found guilty Monday of attempted murder and 11 other felonies in the shooting of a 10-year-old boy and the carjacking of a former state senator.
A jury of eight men and four women took less than four hours to find Adams, 26, guilty of the crimes, many of which Adams admitted committing when he took the witness stand during the more than monthlong trial.
Adams, 26, admitted that he robbed a gas station, carjacked former state Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata and stole multiple vehicles during a three-week crime spree that began in late December 2007 and ended Jan. 10, 2008, when 10-year-old Christopher Rodriguez was shot in the back and paralyzed, and Adams was caught after a high-speed chase.
Adams, wearing a black suit, sat still as the verdict was read, at times closing his eyes and shaking his head from left to right. His attorney, Assistant Public Defender Brendon Woods, did not have an immediate comment.
At a minimum, Adams faces 25 years to life in prison. But Chief Assistant District Attorney Nancy O'Malley, who tried the case, said Adams most likely will face the maximum sentence, which includes several life terms.
"Senseless violence will be punished," O'Malley said. "All the people hurt by this (man) will see justice served."
More than 60 witnesses testified during the trial, including Maeve Clifford and Christopher. Clifford originally was a co-defendant in the case but later took a plea deal and agreed to testify against Adams, her former boyfriend.
Clifford's testimony provided jurors with hard facts about what crimes Adams committed during the crime spree, while Christopher's testimony provided the jurors with emotional material.
Sitting in his wheelchair, Christopher, who turns 12 Wednesday, testified in a cool, matter-of-fact fashion about his paralysis and how it has changed his life. He never once shed a tear as he explained that he most likely would never walk again.
Christopher's family declined to comment after the verdict Monday but had a family spokesman attend the verdict's reading. "This is just a chapter. What they really want to do is focus on Christopher," Alix Sabin said. "They are not focused on the trial, they are focused on their son."
Much more:
http://www.insidebayarea.com/oaklandtribune/localnews/ci_12030988?source=rss
At one point during the trial, Adams said he was "losing it" -- boo hoo.
Saying he feels he has been "losing it," the man accused of firing the shot that paralyzed young Christopher Rodriguez took the stand in an Oakland courtroom Tuesday.
"I can't take it no more," said a teary-eyed 26-year-old Jared Adams. "When Chris (Rodriguez) came up here, I wanted to "... I feel like I've been losing it. I'm scared. I can't take it anymore."
http://www.contracostatimes.com/alamedacounty/ci_11986121
His girlfriend (19 years old at the time of the crime spree) has a knack for picking some real losers. Her baby, Destiny, was placed in foster care after her skull was fractured (Clifford and her boyfriend lied to investigators about that incident). Destiny managed to survive that only to be beaten to death by her father two weeks after she was returned to the couple. Maeve's story is here. She will be spending 6 years in prison:
Effort to start over ends in prison
Maeve Clifford said she had moved to California and hoped to turn her life around after her young daughter was killed at the hands of her teenage father. Maeve only found more trouble.
http://www.startribune.com/local/stpaul/37611079.html