Jury finds two guilty of killing teenager

PASADENA — A jury on Wednesday convicted two men for first-degree murder in the 2004 shooting death of a 16-year-old Glendale boy in a court session that was marred by procedural difficulties.

Echo Park residents Carlos Palma, 20, and Julian Martinez, 21, were both found guilty in the Dec. 31, 2004, shooting death of 16-year-old Carlos Pinon in Glendale. The jury rejected the prosecution’s argument that the killing was gang-related, reducing the severity of the charges.

Still, Palma faces 50 years to life in prison for shooting the gun, while Martinez’s conviction calls for at least 25 years in prison, said Deputy Dist. Atty. Martin Bean, the lead prosecutor in the case. Martinez drove the car used in the incident.

Both Palma and Martinez were also found guilty of one count of attempted voluntary manslaughter and shooting at an inhabited dwelling.

They were acquitted of all attempted murder charges and one count each of attempted voluntary manslaughter.

As the initial guilty verdicts for the most serious murder charges were read aloud, both men sat stone-faced as one juror broke down and started sobbing.

Carlos Pinon’s mother, Juanita Pinon, managed to flash a small, short smile to police detectives as a translator whispered the first verdict to her.

But what should have been a relatively short court proceeding was turned on its head after verdicts on the attempted murder and attempted voluntary manslaughter charges were interrupted midway through their reading when court officials discovered the jury had made procedural mistakes in making those decisions.

That set off a series of unusual events in Pasadena Superior Court that at times had Judge Candace Beason grappling with how to salvage the verdicts.

“I’ve never had a case like this,” she told the court.

Beason sequestered jurors for the remainder of the day after she sent them back to deliberate and fill out new verdict forms, since she could not accept the findings on the lesser voluntary manslaughter charges without a not-guilty verdict on the greater attempted murder charges.

Jurors had apparently wanted to convict the two men for the attempted murders of then 15-year-old Juan Beltran, who sustained serious bullet wounds in the shooting, and his friend Jose Morales, who escaped unharmed.

Defense attorneys immediately claimed the mix-up was the result of confusing jury instructions governing Palma’s and Martinez’s self-defense arguments.

But Beason disagreed and denied defense motions for more pointed instructions.

“I don’t think this is the type of jury that just throws up their hands,” she said. “They’ve asked a lot of important questions.”

During their five days of deliberations, jurors submitted at least seven requests for more information or clarification, Beason said.

Jurors were escorted through the building’s back exit after they were excused to avoid any confrontation with emotional relatives, a sheriff’s deputy said.

Defense attorneys will likely seize on the apparent confusion in court Wednesday during the May 9 sentencing hearing for the two men.

“They were very complex jury instructions that were difficult for all parties involved,” said Robert Conley, who represents Palma.

Carlos Pinon’s parents declined to comment on the verdicts until after the sentencing hearing.

After two weeks, the trial’s end was a relief for its lead investigator, Glendale Police Det. Keith Soboleski.

“It represents a lot of hard work for the whole department,” he said outside of the courtroom. “[Carlos Pinon’s death] was a sad ending for 2004, but the verdict is a good start for 2007. I’m just happy for his family.”