The Supreme Court reinstates the conviction of driver in drive by shooting.
Wired PR News.com – The Supreme Court voted to reinstate the murder conviction of a man charged with being involved in a Washington drive by shooting. As reported by the Associated Press (AP), the second-degree murder conviction of Cesar Sarausad II, which had previously been thrown out by a federal appeals court was voted by the high court to be reinstated on Wednesday.
Sarausad was convicted after acting as the driver in a drive by shooting that resulted in the death of a teenager who was outside of a high school in Seattle. Sarasusad, who was 19 when the incident occurred in 1994, received a sentence of 27 years in prison for his role in the events that led to the killing of the innocent bystander, who reportedly became caught in the crossfire of a gang rivalry.
Justice Clarence Thomas is quoted in the AP report as citing of the Court’s decision as to whether juror confusion had a role in the driver’s conviction, “the jury simply reached a unanimous decision that the state had proved Sarausad’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.”
