Defense lawyer in deadly Metrolink crash is dismissed
Court Alerts
The Los Angeles County district attorney is seeking the death penalty against Juan Manuel Alvarez, who allegedly left his vehicle on the railroad tracks, where a commuter train crashed into it. The train derailed, causing a second crash with an oncoming train.
Alvarez allegedly has contended he was trying to commit suicide and didn't mean to hurt anyone. Witnesses reportedly said he poured gasoline on the vehicle, suggesting he was trying to ensure that it would catch fire or explode.
Pounders said lawyer Norman Kallen was already committed to two other death penalty defenses and could not devote enough time to the Alvarez case. The judge told defense lawyers that he didn't think it would be fair to "sit and wait until you're ready."
Neither side asked for the change, and Pounders noted that Alvarez had not expressed dissatisfaction with Kallen. The judge told the remaining defense lawyer, Michael R. Belter, to press ahead. A second lawyer will be appointed to help Belter.
Belter declined to say whether his client would plead not guilty by reason of insanity. Previous defense lawyers suggested that such a plea might by justified.
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Grounds for Divorce in Ohio - Sylkatis Law, LLC
A divorce in Ohio is filed when there is typically “fault” by one of the parties and party not at “fault” seeks to end the marriage. A court in Ohio may grant a divorce for the following reasons:
• Willful absence of the adverse party for one year
• Adultery
• Extreme cruelty
• Fraudulent contract
• Any gross neglect of duty
• Habitual drunkenness
• Imprisonment in a correctional institution at the time of filing the complaint
• Procurement of a divorce outside this state by the other party
Additionally, there are two “no-fault” basis for which a court may grant a divorce:
• When the parties have, without interruption for one year, lived separate and apart without cohabitation
• Incompatibility, unless denied by either party
However, whether or not the the court grants the divorce for “fault” or not, in Ohio the party not at “fault” will not get a bigger slice of the marital property.