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Indictment unsealed in case of accused murderer
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More from Breaking NewsProsecutors on Thursday unsealed the indictment against Calvin Sharp, who is accused of killing 6-year-old Sev'n Molina with a meat clever in August in Newbury Park.
Senior Deputy District Attorney Maeve Fox said there are a multitude of felony charges, including two new felony charges of aggravated mayhem allegedly committed against the boy's mother, Sandra Ruiz, and Ruiz's neighbor, Dianne Cox, who intervened to end the attack.
Also on Thursday, the 28-year-old Sharp's arraignment in Ventura County Superior Court was postponed until May 29.
Fox said count one against Sharp is murder with the use of a deadly weapon with two special circumstances — that the murder was committed during the course of a burglary, and that it was committed in the course of another felony mayhem.
In addition, Sharp was indicted on two counts of attempted murder committed against victims Ruiz and Cox, said Fox.
Prosecutors also allege that Sharp used a weapon and caused great bodily injury while committing the crimes against Ruiz and Cox.
Also, Sharp is charged with felony cruelty to an animal pertaining to the killing of Sharp's dog named Knuckles, said Fox.
Sharp's attorney, Todd Howeth with the county Public Defender's Office, declined to comment on the case.
In the past, Fox said that going through a grand jury to get an indictment means that, by law, a defendant won't have a preliminary hearing, which is open to the public. That will spare the witnesses from having to testify in court, she said.
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Posted by 1pmachado1 on May 8, 2008 at 12:10 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Too bad the electric chair is no longer used
Posted by busymommy on May 8, 2008 at 12:30 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I wish they would stop wasting tax payer money and just convict this guy. There is no way a jury will let this guy off. With all the witnesses this guy is guilty. What a terrible terrible crime. Poor little boy trying to protect his mom. I hope the mom will be able to somehow move on from this terrible tragedy
Posted by LivinInPoorMansPV on May 8, 2008 at 12:37 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Electric chair is too costly, a rope and a tall tree sounds good tome!
Posted by Think on May 8, 2008 at 12:42 p.m. (Suggest removal)
This is just another excuse why death by firing squad should be legal.
Posted by Comments on May 8, 2008 at 12:50 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Busymommy, while I share your anger and disgust, I don't share your naivete about our justice system. Unfortunately "they" can't just convict this guy and stop wasting tax payer money. Yes, the case does appear to be quite cut and dried, and I anticipate that he will be found guilty of all charges (and least I hope so!). However, we live in a democratic society and each and every one of us (even the most henious of us) is entitled to a jury by our peers. So, while it does seem like a waste and a travesty to have to go through the trial, it is the way our system works - for all of us. If Sharp has even one ounce of decency in him he'll plead guilty, thereby preventing the need for a trial as well as preventing his living victims from having to relive it all. Doesn't seem likely to happen though.
This murder was one of the most awful things I've read about in this paper. I just can't even imagine doing that to anyone, let alone a sweet little boy. I don't know how his mom would be able to move on. I know that I wouldn't be able to. If anything like that happened to my son I know I wouldn't survive. I hope that she's stronger than I am. Wishing her all the best.
Posted by FRANK_N_BEANS on May 8, 2008 at 1:24 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Or tie him up real good and put him on the train tracks...
Posted by BeaHappi on May 8, 2008 at 2:24 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Comments...I'm with you. I don't think that I could go on if this happened to one of my kids. What happened to Sev'n is one of those things that will never leave my mind. That poor little guy...it honestly still brings tears to my eyes.
As for Calvin Sharp - no punishment seems severe enough for what he did. Not even death. Not even a painful death. I don't care if drugs were involved or not. This man is without a soul. Too bad Ms. Ruiz can't decide his fate.
Posted by smithjc on May 8, 2008 at 2:41 p.m. (Suggest removal)
i'm sure that mr sharp and his liar, uh, lawyer are, right at this very minute, concocting some kind of fairy tale, to be put on in conjunction with a dog and pony show, as to why he should be acquitted. obviously he can't put on the "SOGDI" defense (Some Other Guy Did It) as too many people saw him.
i'm sure we'll be hearing that he:
a. came from a broken home
b. was socio-economically deprived
c. was on drugs and or/alcohol
d. was molested by his parents/priest/teacher
e. is being harrassed and framed by "the man" for being other than white
f. all of the above.
Posted by SummerSun on May 8, 2008 at 2:46 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Hang him in the highest tree in town!
Posted by Shipfaced on May 8, 2008 at 3:04 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Posted by FRANK_N_BEANS on May 8, 2008
Or tie him up real good and put him on the train tracks...
=======================================
Hahaha, Frank_N_Beans w/ a few farts !
Posted by rebel123 on May 8, 2008 at 3:25 p.m. (Suggest removal)
smithjc: do you believe we are a nation of laws and are governed by the constitution? If so, why are you so quick to call the attorney who is handling this case a liar out of hand like that? It is the right of this person to have a trial, regardless of how heinous his crime and regardless of how many people saw him do it in broad daylight. You are really out of line with that comment. Public Defenders are there to keep the system honest and they do not decide the verdict or the sentence. That's up to the jury and the court. To suggest that any attorney would try to do anything other than give this guy his day in court is ignorant and simplistic in the extreme. And if/when they suggest an insanity defense, do you really think sane people do things like hack children up with machetes? If you then wish to complain that it doesn't matter if he is insane, take that up with the justice system that establishes the rules. Bashing defense attorneys is old and trite. If you are ever unfortunate enough to be unlawfully arrested I would bet you are going to be singing a different tune about your attorney. If you think innocent people don't get arrested, you are naive. However, that is beside the point. This guy has a right to an attorney. Your comments are idiotic.
Posted by rbreton59 on May 8, 2008 at 3:44 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Theres nothing anyone can do to make this lowlife suffer like the mom has and will. Kill this puke and get it over with.
Posted by ventura_954RR on May 8, 2008 at 3:45 p.m. (Suggest removal)
rebel123
you must be a lawyer
Posted by smithjc on May 8, 2008 at 5:46 p.m. (Suggest removal)
that's just what i was thinking, ventura. i, in fact, have several lawyers in my family. we all have our crosses to bear.
yes, rebel, he does have a right to have his day in court. but, if you know anything about lawyers, particularly criminal lawyers (god, what a redundancy), they will do anything and i repeat ANYTHING to get their clients off, including lie, cheat, attack the victims, you name it, they're willing to do it. they are nothing but whores.
and, as a GENERAL rule (note that "general" is emphasized) innocent people don't end up in sharp's predicament. most acquittals are based in either jury stupidity (look at the o.j. criminal case), the above noted dirty lawyer tricks, or alleged minor mistakes made by the police generally created after the fact by the 9th circus, who are then overruled by competent courts.
Posted by AnnaWhaat on May 9, 2008 at 6:42 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Think ,In some states it is still legal.......FYI
Comments, I agree.Unfortunately he is entitled to a fair trial. God forbid he came back with anything that wasn't done properly and requested another trial............ I know in my heart Justice will be done in this case.
Rebel I do have to agree with you since we live in the USA he is entitled to a fair trial. Now if anyone really believes this guy is going to get off then they have problems. NO WAY is this guy going to get away with what he did. But let the process begin and we will wait for his death sentence.
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