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Edwards v. Ayers (9th Cir. - Sept. 9, 2008)

By Shaun Martin

I'm as insensitive as the next guy, especially when reading judicial opinions. Believe me.

Still. It's a death penalty case in which the defendant totally randomly shot two 12-year old girls at in the head with a rifle at a campground, killing one of them (Vanessa Iberri). Pretty gruesome, random, and scary. And I admit that the fact that he shot both girls in the head -- and Vanessa right between the eyes -- is, I guess, a little impressive.

Again: Still. I wouldn't start the opinion -- as Judge Schroeder does -- with the following sentence: "This is a death penalty appeal by California state prisoner, and crack marksman, Thomas Francis Edwards."

The "crack marksman" aside is too much. Even for me.

Full post as published by California Appellate Report on September 09, 2008 (boomark / email).