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Barring a plea deal, how long does it usually take to resolve a case like this?



Depends on many factors, including the caseloads of the Court and the LA DA, neither of which I'm familiar with. Another major factor is the amount of time the Defenses' experts will need to gain access to, and then evaluate, the evidence. I know that some jurisdictions take their time in making physical evidence available to the defense. You'd have to ask Pornlaw what LA's record is like.


Here's the latest from KABC-TV

Suspects in Road Rage Crash Plead Not Guilty to Murder Charges

Mother and Two-Month-Old Baby Critically Injured


VAN NUYS, Oct. 17, 2007 (KABC-TV) - Two men accused of a crash that killed a five-year-old boy each pled not guilty to a murder charge in court on Wednesday.
Both suspects in this now notorious case are facing multiple felonies stemming from last Tuesday's road-rage crash. The accident ended up killing a 5-year-old boy in Reseda.

Police say 19-year-old Armando Gamboa Ayon of Pacoima and 44-year-old Brian Barnes of Northridge got into a road rage dispute while driving on Sherman Way between Balboa and Louise. Both men apparently tapped their brakes to make the other swerve and crash.

Ayon's Maxima plowed into the rear of a parked car, knocking it into a second parked car. Standing in between those parked vehicles were a 31-year-old mother and her two children, a five-year-old boy and a two-month-old baby girl. The little boy died as a result of his injuries, his mother and baby sister were critically injured. The mother's legs were crushed and one had to be amputated.

Ayon remained at the scene and was immediately taken into custody. He made his first court appearance last week for his bail hearing. The second suspect, Barnes, fled the scene, but later turned himself into police.

A preliminary hearing in the case has been set for December 3rd.

Bail for Barnes is set at $1,190,000 and $1,040,000 for Ayon.

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KABC is the same source from which Gene got yesterdays article. But yesterday they said Vehicular Homicide," and today they say "Murder." That's an important distinction. Which is it?