It's insanity if the bum doesn't die.
Insanity plea likely in officer's shooting death
Prosecutors seek death penalty against Quintero
Mexican citizen accused of shooting a Houston police officer during an arrest in 2006 may plead not guilty by reason of insanity during his death penalty
trial, prosecutors said Thursday.
Assistant District Attorney Denise Bradley said she received notice that attorneys for Juan Leonardo Quintero plan to call a mental health professional to
testify about Quintero's state of mind at a pre-trial hearing later this month. The trial is set to begin in April, at which time Quintero will be
arraigned by the judge and enter a plea.
Bradley said the district attorney's office is seeking the death penalty in the case, which unfolded after officer Rodney Johnson stopped a truck
owned by a landscaping company for a traffic violation. He arrested Quintero after the man could not provide a driver's license.
As Johnson wrote up his report in the front seat of his police car, investigators said, Quintero pulled a pistol overlooked in a body search and shot
Johnson four times in the head from the back seat.
In a pre-trial hearing Thursday, prosecutors said Quintero fired eight shots, at least one of which was directed at a tow truck driver who had been
dispatched to the scene to tow Quintero's truck.
State District Judge Joan Campbell ruled Thursday that a ballistics expert would be allowed to testify for the prosecution, and a psychologist, who is an
expert in acute stress disorder, can testify for the defense.
The psychologist, Kris Mohandie, is expected to testify about the state of mind of the officers who first arrived on the scene and inconsistencies in
their reports about what happened, not Quintero's state of mind.
A second mental health professional is expected to be called for another pre-trial hearing next week.
Quintero's lawyer, Danalynn Recer, declined to comment after the hearing.
A possible insanity defense came as no surprise to members of the Houston Police Officer's Union, said Mark Clark, the union's executive
director.
"We don't agree with it, but we understand it," Clark said. "The defense lawyer is going to pull out all the stops because of what is
at stake here."
He said he has full faith and confidence that Quintero will be sentenced to die for the murder of a peace officer, an offense eligible for the death
penalty.
Insanity plea likely in officer's shooting death
Prosecutors seek death penalty against Quintero
Mexican citizen accused of shooting a Houston police officer during an arrest in 2006 may plead not guilty by reason of insanity during his death penalty
trial, prosecutors said Thursday.
Assistant District Attorney Denise Bradley said she received notice that attorneys for Juan Leonardo Quintero plan to call a mental health professional to
testify about Quintero's state of mind at a pre-trial hearing later this month. The trial is set to begin in April, at which time Quintero will be
arraigned by the judge and enter a plea.
Bradley said the district attorney's office is seeking the death penalty in the case, which unfolded after officer Rodney Johnson stopped a truck
owned by a landscaping company for a traffic violation. He arrested Quintero after the man could not provide a driver's license.
As Johnson wrote up his report in the front seat of his police car, investigators said, Quintero pulled a pistol overlooked in a body search and shot
Johnson four times in the head from the back seat.
In a pre-trial hearing Thursday, prosecutors said Quintero fired eight shots, at least one of which was directed at a tow truck driver who had been
dispatched to the scene to tow Quintero's truck.
State District Judge Joan Campbell ruled Thursday that a ballistics expert would be allowed to testify for the prosecution, and a psychologist, who is an
expert in acute stress disorder, can testify for the defense.
The psychologist, Kris Mohandie, is expected to testify about the state of mind of the officers who first arrived on the scene and inconsistencies in
their reports about what happened, not Quintero's state of mind.
A second mental health professional is expected to be called for another pre-trial hearing next week.
Quintero's lawyer, Danalynn Recer, declined to comment after the hearing.
A possible insanity defense came as no surprise to members of the Houston Police Officer's Union, said Mark Clark, the union's executive
director.
"We don't agree with it, but we understand it," Clark said. "The defense lawyer is going to pull out all the stops because of what is
at stake here."
He said he has full faith and confidence that Quintero will be sentenced to die for the murder of a peace officer, an offense eligible for the death
penalty.
