Robbery Gone Wrong in Port Arthur, TX
Attorney Robert Loper AND Attorney Gerald Bourque represented a defendant charged with the shooting death of a nightclub owner during a robbery attempt that went bad in the parking lot of a club in Port Arthur, TX.
The State had an impressive list of witnesses which included two jailhouse snitches who were going to testify that the defendant had bragged to them at the jail about his participation in the murder. The State also had an individual who claimed that the defendant had bragged to him during a car ride with two females about his participation in the murder. The State had the female who had purchased the victim’s necklace from one of the defendant’s friends.
Gradoni & Associates Investigate
After considerable effort, we found the witness to the shooting and were able to determine that he could not identify the shooter. We also found two witnesses who acknowledged that the co-defendant supplied the weapon and was much more a participant in the robbery than he was willing to admit. JJ Gradoni interviewed the two jailhouse snitches and was able to determine that they most likely were not in the position to have any conversations with the defendant and both had benefited in their current cases for their cooperation.
As far as the witness who was in the car with the defendant was concerned, JJ Gradoni found and interviewed the two females in the car who testified at trial that the conversation about the defendant’s participation in the murder never occurred.
Bob Loper and Gerald Bourque, both very experienced trial lawyers, were able to make each of these witnesses’ testimony less than credible. As a result of the background information Investigators provided and their excellent skills in cross-examination, the jury did not find the defendant guilty of Capital Murder but did assess a verdict of a lesser offense.
After the jury verdict Gerald Bourque informed JJ that if there was a Hall of Fame for Investigators, our work on this case should place us in it.
The jury did not find the Defendant guilty of Capital Murder, but did assess a verdict on a lesser offense whereby the Defendant avoided a Life without Parole sentence.
RESULT BASED ON INVESTIGATION: Convicted of Lesser Charge, Life Sentence Avoided
Return to the March 2015 Investigator’s Newsletter