Liberal Los Angeles County DA Gascón plans to cut killer’s decades-long prison term
Milenne Sandoval, cousin of murder victim Louis Amela, and Kathleen Cady, Amela family attorney, slam the district attorney's policies on 'Fox & Friends First.'
The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department harshly criticized a deputy district attorney after she allowed a convicted murderer to be released.
The Los Angeles Daily News reported that L.A. County Deputy District Attorney Alisa Blair did not present evidence at a hearing last week meant to determine if Andrew Cachu should serve his full sentence for killing Louis Amela, 41, in March 2015.
Cachu killed Amela two months before Cachu's 18th birthday, which makes him eligible for a retroactive transfer hearing to determine if his case should remain in the juvenile court system or be transferred to adult court. Under California law, offenders convicted as juveniles must be released by the age of 25.
In this Sept. 10, 2020, file photo, Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva speaks at a news conference in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File)
The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department tweeted that Blair's decision was "intentional."
"I was present in court when the judge said he thought it was intentional," Kathy Cady, an attorney for Amela's family, told Fox News. "He asked her if she wanted to present any evidence and asked if she wanted additional time to bring in witnesses. She declined both. Based on her actions, I agree with the judge."
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"Louis Amela's family is devastated," Cady continued. "They have been abandoned by Gascon and believe that Alisa Blair was only interested in helping the convicted murderer. They feel that the justice system failed them."
According to the Daily News' reporting, Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Brian C. Yep didn't have an option to keep Cachu in prison since Blair didn't show how the state would help him through the Division of Juvenile Justice.
Cachu is expected to be released soon and is being held until then at the Twin Towers Correctional Facility in Los Angeles.
A Los Angeles sheriff's police cruiser in downtown Hollywood.
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Alex Bastian, a special assistant to Gascón, told the Los Angeles Daily News the judge was left with no other option but to release Cachu.
"However, there were no witnesses who could testify to the fact that [Division of Juvenile Justice] has specific programming that would benefit Mr. Cachu presently. Understandably, the probation report was also deficient in its ability to articulate specific programming as required by state law. The judge was left with no legal option other than to terminate juvenile jurisdiction," Bastian said.
This is not the first time that the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department has criticized other officials.
In October, Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva said he wouldn't enforce a vaccine mandate while on "The Ingraham Angle."
"This is so politicized, I cannot in good conscience impose a mandate like that," he said.
Fox News' Brie Stimson contributed to this report.
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