08-27-2014, 08:51 AM
DEFENSE RESTS -- CLOSING ARGUMENTS TODAY
As best I can tell from the reporting, the Defense didn't call Barajas' wife Cindy to testify. They barely put on a case because they believe the state has come up way short in proving beyond reasonable doubt that David Barajas was the person who shot Jose Banda.
A surveillance system installer testified yesterday. The prosecution earlier implied that it was suspicious that the surveillance video system in Barajas' house wasn't working the night of the accident (it could have captured activity at the accident site and the comings and goings at the Barajas' home). The system installer testified there was a problem with the unit and the hard drive was removed a month before the accident
Pearland police officer Oscar Pena also testified. He says he pulled Barajas over last fall for an improper inspection sticker. Inside the police car, Pena says Barajas talked about the pending murder case against him. "I'm not saying that I did anything, but if this happened, would it be murder or a crime of passion?" Pena recalled Barajas asking. But that same police officer also says Barajas did not say he shot Banda.
Barajas' family left court after a paramedic said he found a large sum of money in Banda's waistband that night -- all $20 bills, three inches deep.
"I was there every day during trial; no one accuse David Barajas, not one," Barajas' friend Juan Hernandez told a reporter. "What do you think that money is from? (Banda) didn't have job. What do you think that money from? Was a bad drug deal and David got blamed for it," Hernandez said.
Refs:
http://abc13.com/news/closing-arguments-...al/282700/
http://www.ksat.com/content/pns/ksat/new...-shot.html
As best I can tell from the reporting, the Defense didn't call Barajas' wife Cindy to testify. They barely put on a case because they believe the state has come up way short in proving beyond reasonable doubt that David Barajas was the person who shot Jose Banda.
A surveillance system installer testified yesterday. The prosecution earlier implied that it was suspicious that the surveillance video system in Barajas' house wasn't working the night of the accident (it could have captured activity at the accident site and the comings and goings at the Barajas' home). The system installer testified there was a problem with the unit and the hard drive was removed a month before the accident
Pearland police officer Oscar Pena also testified. He says he pulled Barajas over last fall for an improper inspection sticker. Inside the police car, Pena says Barajas talked about the pending murder case against him. "I'm not saying that I did anything, but if this happened, would it be murder or a crime of passion?" Pena recalled Barajas asking. But that same police officer also says Barajas did not say he shot Banda.
Barajas' family left court after a paramedic said he found a large sum of money in Banda's waistband that night -- all $20 bills, three inches deep.
"I was there every day during trial; no one accuse David Barajas, not one," Barajas' friend Juan Hernandez told a reporter. "What do you think that money is from? (Banda) didn't have job. What do you think that money from? Was a bad drug deal and David got blamed for it," Hernandez said.
Refs:
http://abc13.com/news/closing-arguments-...al/282700/
http://www.ksat.com/content/pns/ksat/new...-shot.html