Elect Judge David S. Milton For District Attorney, Los Angeles County

Elect Judge David S Milton For District Attorney Los Angeles County

Sampling of cases presided over as Judge

Case Name-1

People vs. Alvardo

Case Number

GA063808

Charge

Murder Robbery

Disposition

Guilty 1st Degree Guilty

Sentence

Life without Parole
The case involved a defendant who, during early morning hours, waited for the victim to make a withdrawal from an ATM. After the withdrawal, the defendant approached and took the victim by surprise. He produced a knife, fatally stabbed and robbed the victim. The defendant suffered prior convictions for robbery, possession of a dangerous and deadly weapon, and forgery

Case Name-2

People vs. Gutierrez

Case Number

KA03049

Charge

Murder Att.Murder

Disposition

Guilty 1st Degree
Guilty 2st Degree Guilty

Sentence

Death
The case involved the murder of victim Dawn Nakatani, Mario Arrellana and the attempted murder and infliction of serious bodily injury upon Sergio Medina. The defendant strangled to death his girlfriend, victim Nakatani, in the presence of their three-year-old son. Ten days later he ambushed three teenaged boys who were sitting in a vehicle parked at a service station. The shootings in the service station were found to have been for the benefit of and in furtherance of gang activity pursuant to Penal Code Section 186.22. After the defendant’s arrest he, along with family members and friends, conspired to kill, intimidate, and dissuade the surviving victims and other witnesses. The jury fixed the penalty at death.

Case Name-3

People vs. Winn & Cummings

Case Number

KA03852

Charge

Murder
Att.Murder

Disposition

Guilty on all counts

Sentence

Life without Parole
Defendant Cummings was the right front passenger in a motor vehicle being driven by Defendant Winn. The defendants observed the victim driving a vehicle with a female passenger in the right front seat and two children in the rear seats. The defendants, who were criminal street gang members, believed the victim to be a rival gang member. After stalking him for several blocks, Defendant Winn pulled alongside the vehicle where Defendant Cummings fired 6-7 shots at the victim. After the victim was mortally wounded, his vehicle continued moving on the roadway until the second victim, who also had been shot, was able to bring the vehicle to a stop. The children were not injured. Because Defendant Winn made statements to law enforcement that implicated co-defendant Cummings as well as himself, the trial was conducted with two juries. Defendant Cummings was sentenced to Life Imprisonment without the Possibility of Parole for murder plus ten years for Personal Use of a Firearm, plus Life Imprisonment for Attempted Murder of the second victim. Defendant Winn was sentenced to Life Imprisonment without the Possibility of Parole plus Life Imprisonment.

Case Name-4

People vs. Riley

Case Number

KA046391

Charge

Rape of child, kidnapping etc.

Disposition

Guilty on all counts

Sentence

935 years imprisonment (Affirmed)
In this case, the defendant approached his first victims and attempted to force them into his vehicle at gunpoint. The victims fled. Immediately thereafter, he entered the home of the second victims, ages 7 and 11 before they arrived home from trick-or-treating. He hid in a closet until their mother left for work. After the girls began preparing for a bath, he entered the bathroom and ordered them to continue to disrobe. He bound both girls with strips of cloth which he tore from a curtain. He then physically examined the vaginal area of each girl. He stated to the 11 year old: “you will do fine.” At gunpoint, he ordered her outside to his car. He drove the minor to different remote locations where he forcibly performed numerous sex acts upon her, including oral, vaginal and anal penetration which caused tearing of the vaginal and anal areas. He repeated the acts over several hours. He offered to sell her to persons unknown. He led police on a high speed chase before his apprehension. The defendant had been paroled for very similar misconduct a few months earlier. The conduct fell within the sexual predator legislation of the Penal Code.

Case Name-5

People vs. Portillo

Case Number

KA030961

Charge

Murder, 2Cts.
Att. Murder

Disposition

Guilty 1st degree Guilty

Sentence

Life without Parole
The matter involved three defendants who entered the dwelling of the victims for the purpose of robbery of narcotics. Upon resistance by the victims, the defendants shot to death one victim and stabbed to death a second victim. A third victim who survived the attack was stabbed 5 times. After a lengthy trial, the jury returned verdicts of guilt on all counts. Post conviction, a juror stated in an affidavit that serious juror misconduct occurred during deliberations. It was necessary for the court to conduct a hearing on the propriety of the allegations.

Case Name-6

People vs. Moore

Case Number

KA031700

Charge

Att. murder Robbery 18 Cts. Kidnapping
Carjacking

Disposition

Guilty
Guilty

Sentence

370 years + Life
While armed with a firearm, the defendant entered several locations, including Stater Brothers Markets, K-Mart, Burger King Restaurants, and a Chevron service station. During each event, he ordered the victims to the floor at gunpoint, taking money from the establishment, as well as money and other valuables from the person of each victim. During some events, the defendant fired shots at the victims. One victim was kidnapped in order to carry out the defendant’s objectives. One victim’s vehicle was taken by force by the defendant to facilitate his escape. The defendant was convicted of 18 counts of robbery, Kidnapping for ransom, carjacking, and attempted murder. Gun use during the commission of crimes and prior convictions special allegations were found to be true.  

Case Name-7

People vs. Manriquez

Case Number

BA109306

Charge

Four counts of murder

Disposition

Guilty on all counts

Sentence

Life without parole
At gunpoint, the defendant and his associates, all of whom were members of a criminal street gang, ordered two victims into a vehicle. The victims were driven to a remote area and executed by the defendant and his companions. Sometime thereafter, the defendant entered a bar, confronted a patron and accused him of being “a cop.” Upon denial, the defendant shot him twice while calling him a liar. One of the projectiles fired at the victim exited and struck a second victim. Both victims deceased. Numerous shell casings and bullets gathered from both crime scenes and during the autopsies were determined to have been fired from the same firearms. The defendant tampered with witnesses, produced perjured testimony and other false evidence during trial of the matter. The jury opted for life imprisonment without possibility of parole over the death penalty.

Case Name-8

People vs. Martinez

Case Number

KA023567

Charge

Murder

Disposition

Guilty 1st degree

Sentence

Life without parole
After arguing with the victim at a party, the defendant stabbed him in the abdomen. As the victim was being placed in a vehicle to be transported to a hospital, the defendant and his fellow criminal street gang members exited the party and kicked and punched the injured victim. During this second assault, the defendant and two others repeatedly shot the victim resulting in his demise.

Case Name-9

People vs. Guzman

Case Number

KA035024

Charge

4 counts of Murder

Disposition

Guilty 1st degree on all counts

Sentence

Life without parole
The defendants, who were criminal street gang members, went to the home of the first victim, knocked at the door, and forced entry after it was opened by the victim’s sister. They chased the victim to the rear of the house shooting him repeatedly in the presence of his family. Approximately 15 shots from a .380 & .45 caliber were fired at the victim who deceased upon reaching his bedroom. The victim was not a gang member; it was determined this victim was a mistaken target. Shortly thereafter, the defendants went to a second location, forced entry and shot to death three additional victims. Approximately, 16 shell casing from .380 & .45 caliber firearms were recovered. The casing matched the casing left at the first location.

Case Name-10

People vs. StathumPeople vs. Stathum

Case Number

KA025223

Charge

Murder Spec. Circs.

Disposition

Guilty 1st degree

Sentence

Life without parole
While armed with firearms, the defendants robbed several businesses including supermarkets and service stations. During one robbery, defendant Stathum shot and killed a victim. The case involved two juries due to the complexity of the evidence including admissions by the defendants which also inculpated one another. A victim’s dying declaration was also introduced against defendant Stathum during the presence of his jury.