OAKLAND — Alameda County District Legal professional Ursula Jones Dickson has signaled a willingness to interrupt together with her predecessor and file prices that carry life with out parole in opposition to an Alameda man accused of killing 5 of his members of the family. However a choose is about to quickly rule on a public defender’s try and cease it.
On April 11, Choose Clifford Blakely is scheduled to determine on the county public defender’s early take a look at of the district lawyer’s workplace’s skill so as to add particular circumstances enhancements to critical circumstances. Prosecutors are shifting so as to add such enhancements to the case of 55-year-old Shane Killian, who allegedly killed 5 members of the family in Alameda, together with his 1-year-old and 6-year-old sons, then blamed the bloodbath on his lifeless spouse.
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Underneath former District Legal professional Pamela Value, who voters recalled final November, prosecutors filed 5 homicide prices in opposition to Killian, however didn’t embrace a a number of sufferer enhancement that would make Killian eligible for all times with out parole, information present. However Jones Dickson, a choose who grew to become the county’s new high prosecutor in January, has fashioned a “special circumstances” committee that agreed to maneuver forward with particular circumstances in opposition to Killian, court docket information present.
The deputy public defenders who characterize Killian are urging Blakely to reject the movement, arguing the matter was settled underneath Value’s administration. Typically, prosecutors have a lot authorized leeway relating to amending felony complaints.
“There appears to be no valid reason for the deviation from the original charging decision, as nothing in this case appears to have charged other than the District Attorney’s own administration,” the protection movement says.
In 2022, Value ran on decreasing mass incarceration, arguing that enhancements are disproportionally filed in opposition to minorities and contribute to jail overcrowding. She gained her election handily, solely to be recalled in 2024, partially on account of a backlash over her coverage to scale back enhancements by telling prosecutors to not file them with out approval from an workplace administrator.
Mockingly, in a single case the place Value’s workplace did file sentencing enhancements, a choose later tossed them out over considerations she had used the choice as a political wedge when searching for political help from the defendant’s lawyer.
Recall supporters chided Value for not searching for enhancements in lots of excessive profile circumstances, together with East Bay serial killer David Misch.
In Killian’s case, prosecutors allege that he murdered 5 members of the family, together with his two younger sons, his spouse and his mom and father-in-law. The case is predicated partially on his father-in-law allegedly telling a neighbor that Killian was the shooter earlier than he collapsed, mortally wounded from gunfire.
Killian allegedly referred to as 911 and instructed a dispatcher, “my wife has shot all of us and shot my children.” Killian’s spouse was discovered mendacity on the ground of the house and holding the unregistered pistol Killian allegedly used within the taking pictures, authorities mentioned.
Killian is being held with out bail at Santa Rita Jail in Dublin. The listening to on his pending particular circumstances can be held Friday morning, court docket information present.
