EGN NEWS DESK
Thaddis Lamont Brooks IV confronted eight felony counts, together with six felonies, however was convicted of solely a single rely of misdemeanor battery late Wednesday afternoon, March 20, on the Riverside County Hall of Justice in Riverside.
Brooks’ legal professional, Arsany Said, noticed the decision types the jurors submitted and mentioned Wednesday night that they voted 6-6 on the 5 deadlocked counts: two counts of assault with a gun, one of many felony threats counts, a cost of bringing a gun onto college grounds, and a cost of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Jurors acquitted Brooks of one other of the felony threats counts and one of many battery counts, the legal professional mentioned.
Said mentioned in an interview after the verdicts had been learn that the prosecution’s case “regarded nice on paper, however he had a cellphone. There was no proof he had a gun. It got here right down to the truth that did he have a gun or did he not have a gun? And the underside line was six of them felt like he did, and 6 of them felt like he didn’t and the district legal professional didn’t show it past an affordable doubt.”
Brooks, 40, was being held in lieu of $1 million bail and is because of return to court docket on April 19, when the District Attorney’s Office might announce whether or not it plans to retry Brooks on the deadlocked counts.
The attorneys will talk about these costs earlier than then.
“We do intend on retrying this case if a simply decision can’t be reached,” Amy McKenzie, a district legal professional’s spokeswoman, wrote in an e mail. “After a mistrial, the folks have 60 days to convey the defendant to trial.”
If the battery cost stays Brooks’ solely conviction, he may very well be sentenced to as much as six months in jail. But Brooks has been in custody since Feb. 2, 2023, and he probably can be given credit score for time served and launched at sentencing.
Here is the video from the ugly battle that came about at Corona Centennial of their ladies basketball recreation in opposition to Corona Santiago. Video is from NFHS Network. Game was not resumed. @latsondheimer @CalHiSports @Inland_Sports @CallMeEPJ @derryl_golfer pic.twitter.com/cpPF72b7eJ
— James Escarcega 📈🏈🏀⚾️🥎 🤼🤽🏽♂️🏊🏼♀️🏌🏻⚽️ (@James_Escarcega) January 26, 2023
The costs had been introduced after a melee at a basketball recreation between host Centennial High and Santiago High on Jan. 24, 2023. A battle broke out between two gamers that was later joined by Brooks’ daughter, additionally a participant. Brooks left the stands and entered the court docket. He may very well be seen in a recording exchanging shoves with somebody earlier than going out of view.
He returns to view when a person grabs him in a bear hug and muscular tissues him away from the group.
Brooks was accused of punching two gamers after which going to his automobile, retrieving a gun and threatening to shoot folks within the car parking zone.
The recreation was suspended with Santiago main 73-71 with 2:13 remaining within the recreation, which the CIF later declared a no-contest for each groups.
Deputy District Attorney Jennifer Flores reminded jurors throughout closing arguments Monday that 4 witnesses had testified — generally emotionally — that they noticed Brooks with a gun and had been terrified.
Said countered that Brooks was a Black man in a darkish, nighttime car parking zone holding a black cellphone that would have been mistaken for a gun.
“If he had a banana in his hand, she would have come right here and informed you he had a gun,” he informed jurors about one witness.
Police didn’t search Brooks that night time and arrested him 9 days later. He doesn’t personal a gun, his legal professional mentioned.
