OXNARD : Court Refuses to Dismiss Murder Case
A judge refused Wednesday to dismiss murder charges against a Ventura man who claims prosecutors reneged on their promise to grant him immunity for cooperating with investigators.
Christopher Samuel is charged with murder, burglary and two related charges in the shotgun slaying of 24-year-old Anthony Pech. Samuel’s cousin, Joseph Samuel, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in July. Days later, police arrested Christopher Samuel in the March slaying.
Defense attorney James Farley asked Superior Court Judge Charles W. Campbell Jr. to throw out the case. But Campbell agreed with prosecutors that the promise of immunity was limited to discussions with prosecutors. Statements Samuel made to Oxnard police were not covered by the agreement, Campbell ruled.
Farley said he will ask Campbell to recuse the Ventura County district attorney’s office from prosecuting the case because the agreement prosecutors made with Samuel is a conflict of interest. Farley is asking the California attorney general’s office to handle the case.
That matter will be heard Dec. 7.
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