A Jury Today Found An Oxnard Man Guilty of First Degree Murder After Jury Controversy
An Oxnard man accused of
using a ruse to lure his victim to a dark and isolated place to kill him and
steal his drug money was convicted of first-degree murder today.
Jurors also found true
three special enhancements to the murder that Victor Chavira committed robbery,
was lying in wait and discharged a firearm.
In addition, Chavira was
found guilty of second-degree robbery and jurors found that he used a firearm
during the commission of this crime. Also jurors found Chavira guilty of two
counts of exhibiting a firearm and guilty of dissuading a witness, finding true
that he was malicious, used threats and discharged a firearm.
Victor Chavira shot the
victim Albino Ramirez who wanted to buy a large quantity of methamphetamine
from drug dealers for $27,000, according to court testimony.
Chavira who was friends
with Ramirez was the connection to drug dealers who had been selling Ramirez
methamphetamine. Chavira fired six times at close range at Ramirez who was at
the steering wheel of his sports utility vehicle.
The shooting took place as
Ramirez's wife, Celia, and the couple three-year-old son sat in the backseat
shortly after 4 a.m. on Aug. 6, 2008 on Lewis Road, just south of Pleasant
Valley Road in Camarillo.
Ramirez's mother and Celia
Ramirez wept after the verdicts were read.
Ventura County Superior
Court Judge Jeffrey Bennett removed
Juror No. 1 from the jury on Tuesday morning and replaced him with an alternate
juror on Tuesday afternoon.
Juror No. 1 was the lone
holdout in an 11 to 1 vote for first degree murder, and other jurors complained
to the judge that he refused to follow the court's instructions, was "importing
theories," speculating and acting as an advocate for the defense.
In removing Juror No. 1, Bennett said Juror No. 1 didn't
follow the court's instructions and considered evidence not submitted in the
case along with not listening to other jurors.
Prosecutor Chrystina Jenson told the judge that Juror
No. 1 was a rogue jurist who was speculating, was showing sympathy to the
defense and failed to follow the court's instructions.
Chavira's lawyer Joseph Lax argued in court that Juror
No. 1 was "engaging" in the jury's conversations and discussions. The only
reason the other jurors wanted him removed by the court was he had strong
opinions about the case and they didn't like it, Lax told the court.
In an interview, Lax said he wasn't happy with the
verdicts because he had argued for manslaughter. He said that as soon as Juror
No. 1 was removed from the jury that pretty much ended his case to get a
verdict on a lesser felony, saying that the removal was unfair.
Chavira will be sentenced on Nov. 28.
