"But during his June sentencing hearing, Judge Kimberly Colwell called a private sidebar with the prosecuting and defense attorneys, then returned to the bench and announced the deal wouldn't be going through. I cannot agree to this because I don't believe it protects the public safety, Colwell said, according to a transcript of the hearing."
"Notable examples include a deal over the deadly Ghost Ship fire, which fell apart after dozens of victims' family members spoke out. In 2023, a judge rejected a plea deal for a triple-murder suspect in Oakland, leading ex-DA Pamela Price to criticize the judge, drop two of the murder charges, and send the deal back to the same court, which eventually approved it."
"Revels' case, by contrast, has received almost no public attention since it was filed in 2019. He is accused of fatally shooting 22-year-old Donald Smith Jr. on New Year's Eve 2018, at the 8800 block of International Boulevard in Oakland. He was arrested four months later after being identified by witnesses and electronic surveillance, according to court records."
An Alameda County judge quashed a negotiated sentence for Bryon Revels, who had pleaded no contest to voluntary manslaughter and expected to be sentenced to six years already served. During a June sentencing hearing the judge held a private sidebar with prosecutors and defense counsel, then announced she could not approve the deal, stating it did not protect public safety and postponing the proceedings without ordering the plea withdrawn. Rejections of homicide plea agreements are uncommon but have occurred in high-profile cases, producing contentious outcomes. Revels is accused of fatally shooting 22-year-old Donald Smith Jr. on New Year's Eve 2018 and was arrested months later after witness identification and electronic surveillance.
Read at www.mercurynews.com
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