Thanks for the heads-up, LR!
After First Round of Bikers Indicted, Legal Analyst Breaks Down What's Next In Twin Peaks Cases
By Rissa Shaw | KCENTV.com | November 11, 2015, 10:31PM
After months of investigation, preparation, and anticipation...a Waco grand jury indicted almost two thirds of the bikers arrested in the Twin Peaks shooting.
The biker count has jumped to 186 after 106 bikers were indicted Tuesday for their involvement in the May 17th shooting that left nine bikers dead and at least 18 more injured. Nine of the 106 indicted were not arrested that day with the 177 others who were.
“The rules of evidence don't apply during grand jury hearings, so they can rely on hearsay evidence, they might hear about people's criminal histories,” said Liz Mitchell, Former Dallas County Prosecutor and KCEN Legal Analyst.
However, nine of the bikers indicted after hearing that evidence are unknown to the public: they were not in the group of 177 arrested on May 17th, so their indictments are sealed, and will be until they're brought in for arrest.
“Those nine people could be defendants that were at the scene at Twin Peaks that day but fled prior to apprehension, or more importantly, these could be people that helped organize this event but were not present,” said Mitchell.
Mitchell said not being present doesn't mean they're not guilty...in fact they could be the brains behind the operation.
“In this case, one of those nine people could have essentially ordered the gang to arrive on a specific date and carry out a crime,” said Mitchell.
“I don't think that anyone could ever expect that the code of criminal procedure, and the laws therein, expected a situation in which 177 co-defendants were going to be going through a system or that there were nine dead and others wounded as well,” said Abel Reyna, McLennan County Criminal District Attorney.
On Tuesday night, Reyna announced the grand jury had indicted this first round of bikers on the original charge they were arrested for of engaging in organized criminal activity with the underlying offense of aggravated assault and murder; that underlying offense means the remaining 80 bikers could be indicted at any time.
“Eventually...those cases will be presented to the grand jury in some form or fashion,” said Reyna.
More at link:
http://www.kcentv.com/story/30496962/after-first-round-of-bikers-indicted-legal-analyst-breaks-down-whats-next-in-twin-peaks-cases