Paul Tanaka Trial and Verdict. Also the Grim Sleeper Trial and update....

Yesterday after I left the Federal Building, the Jury went to deliberate in the Paul Tanaka Trial.   I walked over to the CCB building which I have done each day.   Thinking that yet again the Defense would still be focused on the DNA comparisons, as they had been all that morning (I was told this by my tipsters) and all the previous week, I was pleasantly surprised.

I walked in to the Courtroom as a Criminalist and Firearms expert was on the stand by the name of Rafael Garcia.  On the Elmo was a picture of one of the guns found in Franklin's home.  One picture was a view of the hallway and the West closet showing a picture of the jacket in which the gun had been found.  The firearm was in the picture next to this one.  It was of a semi-automatic pistol.  A Raven 25 caliber Auto.

Ms. Silverman asked if these types of guns are designed for 'easy storage' to which Amster objected right away.
It was overruled and the answer was from Mr. Garcia, that: "Yes, absolutely it is designed for easy storage and concealment.  One that a person might carry in their pocket".

Mr Garcia was handed an envelope, at 2 separate times in his Testimony, which he opened both slowly and pulled out a small coin envelope with a magazine inside.   Also in this large envelope was a gun with a flex tie on it so it would be safe even if Mr. Amster was to 'approach the Witness', it still wouldn't go off accidentally (please see earlier Blogs for understanding of this statement)!

The second envelope Mr. Garcia opened was of a 380 automatic 'Highpoint' firearm inside, this was displayed for us to view in a larger format on the Elmo.  It seemed like a larger gun than the previous gun which probably couldn't have been concealed too well.  This gun was also tied with plastic flex ties for safety in the Courtroom and had 6 live rounds of ammunition inside it.  They kept it the same way in which it had been found.

Before I walked in the Courtroom, my sources told me that during the search of the hallway and also the closets of Franklin's home, a machete, 19 cell phones (approximately) were found there.  (I wasn't there to hear it first hand so I cannot guarantee the exact amount of phones but soon I will confirm this so I have confirmation for my book).   Also pornography items including a video titled something like 'Big Booties etc'.  I happen to know for a fact that Franklin loves 'big booties' especially on black females.

We ended the day on this Witness (Rafael Garcia).

Today April 6th.

Tanaka Trial.. waiting for the Verdict to be read:

I arrived at the Federal Building just before 8am knowing that the Jury would still be deliberating.  They started to deliberate yesterday at 12.15pm until 1.30pm and then came back to deliberate from 8am today.  I went into the Courtroom but no one was there.  I decided to wander around the building and see who I could be with while I/we waited for a Verdict.  I love being around people (as I'm an only child) so sitting with the cleaner would be better than if I was to be by myself with no one to talk to.
So I decided to start out by taking the elevator to the 2nd floor.  Once I arrived on that floor, the first door I saw was a door that said "Attorney Conference Room".  This room clearly was a room saved privately for Attorneys only.  So...... I opened the door and peeked my head in.

Immediately I was faced with a man sitting at a table to the left of where the door opened, it was Jerome Haig, the Defense lawyer for Paul Tanaka.  There was no turning back now so I said "I'm so sorry, I was looking for the Cafeteria"... I wish I had thought up something better than that.  Anyway he beckoned for me to come in and sit at his desk.   I really didn't want to be in his way knowing that he probably had thousands of calls to make and receive.

Mr. Jerome Haig and I had a long chat about everything under the sun, including the Trial, what he thought the outcome would be, who he's represented before and how he diplomatically dealt with the other side .. the Federal Government etc.

It was so very interesting because he seemed to be the stronger of the 2 Defense lawyers, yet his stature was much more on the shorter side.  I would guess he's height is about 5ft 6 but he certainly makes up for his lack of height with his strength and professionalism as a lawyer.

Mr Haig actually knows Seymour Amster, the Defense in the Grim Sleeper Trial, very well, and he informed me that Amster is not a public defender as I'd thought all along.  Amster is actually appointed by the County of Los Angeles and is on a panel that is chosen when a p.d. isn't available. Therefore Amster does get paid quite a bit to represent Lonnie Franklin.  In fact he gets paid between $90,000 and $100.000 per Capital case (in increments).   I was utterly shocked and didn't hold back in letting him know what I thought of this blundering fool by the name of Seymour Amster.   The lack of professionalism and complete disrespect and disregard  he has shown to everyone in the Courtroom is actually what has upset me the most.   Mr Haig, his partner Dean Steward, Brandon Fox and Ed Hardy (spelling?) all showed complete professionalism and comradeship when they were working alongside each other during the Tanaka Trial.  It was like night and day.

After about 50 minutes of sitting with him, he offered me his card which I gladly accepted, and then I went up to the Cafeteria on the 4th floor.  Look, I"m still learning the building so I wasn't to know that the Cafeteria wasn't on the 2nd floor.

I sat with the rest of the media and we all had coffee and breakfast sitting at the same table then we moved around a bit to get signal on the phone which is virtually impossible in that building.    I had been told that this Judge, Percy Anderson, sometimes receives a note when the Jury are ready to come back with a Verdict and that's all he will inform his Clerk who then informs the other lawyers.  The Clerk doesn't call any media to inform them and there is only 10 minutes between  the note being received and the Jury coming back to reveal their Verdict.

At 9.32am this morning, someone in the room was told there was 'a note that had just been passed to the Judge'.  I then told everyone that this means for sure that the Verdict would be read.  I was told that I may be wrong about that, but I kept trying to say...."No, on this I think I'm right.".  I started to run down the corridor, throwing my un-sipped coffee away as I left.  Steve, Judge Anderson's Clerk, was walking down the corridor and I asked him "Is it going to be read now?"  Knowing that he doesn't like to talk to any media (and I"m not media), I took a chance.   He just turned to me and said with a wink, "I'd go straight to the Courtroom if I were you!"  I then did as he advised and then I told the media that 'the note' is definitely going to be the reading of the Verdict!

Flashing back 2 weeks ago:  I think what helped was that after Jury was selected about 10 days ago, I placed a call to the Clerk of Percy Anderson's Courtroom and left a message for 'Steve' as his name was on the machine.  I wanted to know what time the Trial would start the following Monday morning (April 2nd I think), I left my cell phone number and stated that I don't expect him to call me back and have a nice weekend.  Within 10 minutes he called me back telling me that they aren't in session that Monday, he told me the hours of the Court day which ends daily at 1.30pm and no lunch.  I said to him on the phone how much I greatly appreciated him calling me back that day and that he went way above his call of duty to do just that.  So, I feel this is why today, almost 2 weeks later, he was more apt to tip me off than others who may not have shown their appreciation quite as much.

So after less than a total of 3 hours of deliberations, between today and yesterday, the Jury was about to come back with a unanimous Verdict.  We all gathered on the front row/aisle, media and all, keeping our same spots as we had done throughout most of the Trial in fact.  A lot of people weren't there as no one could really inform them, especially in a building with very little signal.

Within 10 - 15 minutes the Jury came in and the Clerk ~ Steve ~  read the Verdict.

"Guilty on both counts: Conspiracy to Obstruct Justice and Obstruction of Justice."


Tanaka sat stone faced and stoic with his head firmly in the same position as it was when he sat down, facing the Judge.  His wife sat next to me across the aisle with her mother.  She looked stoic for the most part until you could see tears welling up in her eyes and, at the same time, a look of utter shock came across her face.  Yet the whole time she didn't move a muscle.  His brother, who is a Judge, was also in the Courtroom along with his sister.  They seem like a lovely family.  They are the innocent victims in this whole mess.

Judge Anderson went down the row of all 12 Jurors and 4 alternates and each one agreed that this was their unanimous decision.   I left the Courtroom and wanted to get a shot of Tanaka, as I had done yesterday which was aired on the ABC7 News.

I also wanted to hear the press Conference with the lawyers from both sides and the FBI.  They all gave very good statements especially Jerome Haig, Tanaka's Defense and David Bowdich from the FBI.  I recorded as much as I could and will try to attach it to this Blog.

I will close here in saying this:  The Tanaka Trial was important to me on a very personal level which is why I attended every day (except one) due to my involvement in this case.
I'm glad, however, that this Trial is now over and I hope that his Conviction will help in the vindication of the wrongly convicted Sheriff's who served closely underneath him.

I have already started my book on this case.
However due to being commissioned first for my Grim Sleeper Book, by my Publisher, I am committed to attend the Grim Sleeper Trial as much as I can on a daily basis.

Over these past 10 days, I feel as though I have been torn in half as I have been running between 2 Courthouses for 2 very different reasons.

The Grim Sleeper Trial is not personal to me at all.  I have been commissioned to write my 4th book on my 'exclusive interviews' and life story of the 'alleged' Grim Sleeper, therefore I am covering that Trial almost every day at the Criminal Courts Building aka CCB.  This Trial will be going on for at least another month or two, so my livelihood is wrapped up in the Grim Sleeper case.
The 'Tanaka Trial', however, (which ended today) involves irreparable damage done to the entire Los Angeles County Sheriff Department and even though my 'livelihood' is not involved, on a personal level I am very much involved.
There are/were so many 'wrongly convicted/innocent' people who worked in positions beneath Tanaka, therefore my goal is to make sure that Justice prevails and these peoples' stories will be heard!

To be very much continued......