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Questions Surround Ronald Bell Conviction

By TChris, Section Innocence Cases
Posted on Wed Apr 13, 2005 at 11:42:57 PM EST
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by TChris

Is Ronald Bell another innocent man on death row? A week after a jewelry store robbery that left the manager dead, Ronald's brother was found in possession of a ring from the store. Ronald resembled his brother, explaining why witnesses might have mistakenly identified Ronald as the killer. The brother had an alibi, conveniently supplied by his girlfriend, but they weren't in church together during the robbery:

The two had spent the afternoon and evening together, she claimed, shooting cocaine at the lovely Sea Horse Motel, which rents rooms by the hour.

The first jury hung, and the second was barely able to return a verdict. The California Supreme Court affirmed the conviction, "although Justice Stanley Mosk issued a blistering dissent in which he blamed prosecutorial misconduct for tipping the case against the accused."

Bell's prosecutor was Gary Yancey, who went on to become Contra Costa's elected district attorney. Yancey suggested to the jury that Bell's own lawyer believed he was guilty. He also snuck in inadmissible hearsay from a secret informant who claimed to have seen Bell cleaning a handgun before the crime.

More recently, evidence has surfaced that one of the witnesses who fingered Bell bragged about getting him the death penalty because she thought he deserved a more severe punishment for an earlier crime. Then a second witness admitted that she'd been convinced to lie.

"Over the years, it has weighed on my conscience that Ronnie Bell is on death row because of our lies," her statement read. "I no longer want him to die."

She has since recanted the recantation, raising doubts about whether she was ever a credible witness. Next week Contra Costa County Superior Court Judge Thomas Maddock will hold an evidentiary hearing to try to sort out the varying stories. His findings may help decide whether Bell should be freed from death row after 26 years.

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    Questions Surround Ronald Bell Conviction | 8 comments (8 topical)
    Re: Questions Surround Ronald Bell Conviction (none / 0) (#1)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Thu Apr 14, 2005 at 12:06:17 AM EST
    Bush must have had a word with Tom DeLay over this one, but did Tom also hire some family for the judge? maybe at 2 million a year? Tom DeLay would do well in Mexico, maybe we can get the Mexican Government to take him and use him. bush is after all family with Fox and we all know how business is done in both Kingdom don't we?

    Re: Questions Surround Ronald Bell Conviction (none / 0) (#2)
    by wishful on Thu Apr 14, 2005 at 05:26:06 AM EST
    Since there is such a blistering dissent from an appeals judge, how can that man be executed? Doesn't that put the "beyond a reasonable doubt" verdict in the category of doubtful? We kill people even when an esteemed judge on the case finds prosecutorial misconduct, even if it is only one judge? "A culture of life", indeed. "Always err on the side of life" when in doubt, except sometimes.

    Re: Questions Surround Ronald Bell Conviction (none / 0) (#3)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Thu Apr 14, 2005 at 06:01:36 AM EST
    Disgusting. I'm so so pissed at the crew running things - never so much as since the phrase "culture of life" was coined. I saw a piece last night (60 minutes II?)on how the Florida Department of Child Protection (or whatever these lame asses call themselves)has betrayed, violated and abused two girls abandoned by their mother, one of whom we will probably now be supporting for life as she killed her child - who NEVER in a million years should have been returned to her mom based on ample, overwhelming evidence of high risk. Death and violence. Culture of life indeed. I'm going to throw up then I'm calling Jeb Bush and cussing out his office big time.

    Re: Questions Surround Ronald Bell Conviction (none / 0) (#4)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Thu Apr 14, 2005 at 06:27:25 AM EST
    It's a problem with the hysterical nature of american culture. We are so manipulated by our culture and the media that almost any kind of penultimate stupidity has a shot at becoming public policy these days. The victim hysteria and manipulative "righteous" indignation about criminals/drug addicts/gays/liberals/judges/taxes is a formula exploited by self-serving neocons. So, again, prosecutorial misconduct. Anybody want to bet with me on this one? I am guessing the prosecutor never even got a slap on the wrist for the the misconduct identified by the Judge. Like the cop perjuring himself in the RNC events, the insiders are seldom if ever held accountable.

    Re: Questions Surround Ronald Bell Conviction (none / 0) (#5)
    by Aaron on Thu Apr 14, 2005 at 06:31:26 AM EST
    This reminds me of my first experience with the "my brother did it" defense - actually "my twin brother did it." That's what the 17-year-old defendant had told the police upon his arrest (in Michigan, for criminal law purposes, 17 = adult). The biggest problem with this defense, as it turned out, is that the defendant was an only child. But that's truly an aside. It would be interesting to see polygraph results for both brothers (albeit, inadmissible, possibly incorrect polygraph results, which one or both would likely adamantly refuse to take). But the larger issue seems to be prosecutorial misconduct, which gets attention in this case only because it is a death penalty case. (As for "erring on the side of life", you've missed the Bush Administration's emphasis, which appears not to be so much on "life", but instead appears to be on "erring".)

    Re: Questions Surround Ronald Bell Conviction (none / 0) (#6)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Thu Apr 14, 2005 at 07:30:33 AM EST
    Aaron, he should have gone with the "the identical double that is said to exist in the world for every person" did it defense.

    Re: Questions Surround Ronald Bell Conviction (none / 0) (#7)
    by Dadler on Thu Apr 14, 2005 at 01:17:11 PM EST
    since a large portion of death penaly supporters also believe in the afterlife, i guess they feel like the ultimate appeal and justice can be granted by the ultimate power. why not just put the condemned into suspended animation, or cryogenically freeze them? this country is SUCH a dysfunctional family.

    Re: Questions Surround Ronald Bell Conviction (none / 0) (#8)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Thu Apr 14, 2005 at 01:48:25 PM EST
    The messiah's returning for the Day of Judgment, dadler. The freezing til judgment day could have some political life. (Sarcastic comment - it's so hard to tell these days)

    Questions Surround Ronald Bell Conviction | 8 comments (8 topical)