A convicted quadruple murderer facing life in prison without parole may not have any more opportunity to delay his sentencing after his attorney failed to file a motion for a new trial by Friday's deadline.
Alfredo Valenzuela, 25 was convicted last September of four counts of first-degree murder and faces nothing less than life in prison without parole when sentenced. Shortly after his conviction, Valenzuela scrapped his court-appointed attorney for a retained Los Angeles-based lawyer who continually told the court he needs more time to ask for a new trial.
Judge Stephen Hall gave Leonard Levine Friday afternoon as a hard deadline but, according to court clerks records and the prosecution, no documents ever arrived. Levine, who did not attend his client's last hearing, could not be reached for comment . He planned to base his motion for new trial on new statements from one witness.
The missed deadline means unless Hall relents, Valenzuela's upcoming Aug. 26 sentencing date will most likely hold. Valenzuela's ongoing disciplinary problems in the county jail since his September guilty verdict isn't helping him stay local, either. After a number of infractions came to light, Hall agreed Valenzuela could be sent to prison to awaiting sentencing if prosecutors and jail officials asked.
Valenzuela's latest charges for allegedly assaulting another jail inmate are also not reason to delay sentencing - prosecutors dismissed the case because he is facing a far greater prison term.
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Valenzuela has been incarcerated at Maguire Correctional Facility since February 2002 when he was arrested with accomplice Raul Campos. Both were charged and convicted for the Jan. 11, 2002 execution-style deaths of Javier Vaca, 21, Jose Alberto Munoz-Lopez, 21, Emilio Alba-Flores, 20, and Roberto Ramos-Guerra, 18, in an Evergreen Ridge apartment in San Bruno.
Valenzuela admitted being in the apartment but said he only stood by the door while three men were bound with plastic zip-ties and four were shot. Valenzuela and Campos worked as drug runners for co-suspect Jorge "Chico" Hernandez and drove to San Bruno to collect a drug debt. Hernandez was later fatally shot in Mexico. Fourth suspect Lazaro Perez remains at large.
If Valenzuela's case is no longer delayed, the appeal of Campos may be sped up. Local court clerks working on processing the appeal said it has been stagnant because his attorney wants documents from Valenzuela's case. Those documents cannot be released until Valenzuela's sentencing, according to clerks.
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Keep the discussion civilized. Absolutely NO personal attacks or insults directed toward writers, nor others who make comments.
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PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
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