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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Case # 12ZF0137 Date: October 30, 2015 COURT FINDS PUBLIC DEFENDER’S ACCUSATION OF MISCONDUCT BY OCDA TO BE UNTRUE *Multiple motions filed in People v. Daniel Wozniak denied including “Motion to Dismiss the Death Penalty” SANTA ANA, Calif. – The Honorable John D. Conley found today that the accusations of outrageous governmental conduct by the Orange County District Attorney’s Office (OCDA) were untrue. Several other motions filed by the Deputy Public Defender Scott Sanders in People v. Daniel Wozniak, including the “Motion to Dismiss the Death Penalty” were also denied. Decision on Motion to Dismiss the Death Penalty The court issued a 14-page written opinion. The following bullet points are direct quotes from the ruling:
Case Facts Wozniak was indicted on May 3, 2012, by the Orange County Grand Jury for using a firearm to murder his neighbor for financial gain and murdering the victim’s friend in an effort to derail the investigation by framing the first victim. Wozniak was charged May 28, 2010, with two felony counts of special circumstances murder with special circumstance sentencing enhancements for committing multiple murders, murder for financial gain, and a sentencing enhancement for the personal discharge of a firearm causing death. The OCDA special circumstances committee met June 10, 2010, and decided to seek the death penalty in this case. Prior to May 21, 2010, Wozniak is accused of plotting the murder of his neighbor, 26-year-old, decorated military veteran Samuel Herr, who lived in the same apartment complex with the intention of stealing the victim’s substantial savings he earned for serving his country. On the afternoon of May 21, 2010, Wozniak is accused of luring Herr from their Costa Mesa apartment complex and driving him to the theater facility at the Los Alamitos Joint Forces Training Base. Once inside the theater, Wozniak is accused of murdering Herr by shooting him twice in the head, leaving Herr’s body in the theater, and stealing the victim’s ATM card, wallet, and cell phone. Later that evening, Wozniak is accused of using Herr’s cell phone to text message Herr’s friend, 23-year-old Juri “Julie” Kibuishi. Wozniak is accused of pretending to be Herr in the text messages and arranging with Kibuishi to come to Herr’s Costa Mesa apartment. Wozniak is accused of meeting her at the door of Herr’s apartment and luring her inside into the bedroom, where he murdered her by shooting her twice in the head. Wozniak is accused of then partially removing Kibuishi’s clothing to stage the crime scene to appear as though the victim had been sexually assaulted. On the afternoon of May 22, 2010, Wozniak is accused of returning to the theater, cutting off Herr’s clothes and dismembering the victim’s body by removing his head, left arm, and the lower portion of his right arm. He is accused of leaving the victim’s torso and legs in the theater and taking the dismembered body parts to discard them in El Dorado Park Nature Center in Long Beach. Following the two murders, Wozniak is accused of giving Herr’s ATM card to a 17-year-old acquaintance and instructing the minor to withdraw money from the victim’s account at various ATMs in Long Beach. This case was investigated by the Costa Mesa Police Department (CMPD) and is being prosecuted by Senior Deputy District Attorney Matt Murphy of the OCDA’s Homicide Unit. A jury trial date was scheduled numerous times by the Honorable James A. Stotler to proceed as early as Oct. 4, 2013, and most recently by Judge Conley for Oct. 2, 2015. Motions Filed by Defense Counsel – All Denied by Court of Appeal and California Supreme Court In January 2015, Sanders filed a motion to recuse the OCDA from litigating the Wozniak case. On Jan. 27, 2015, Judge Stotler recused himself, citing he could no longer be impartial due to Sanders’ accusations of misconduct for the last four years and inciting the OCDA, who merely responds. On Jan. 29, 2015, Judge Conley is appointed to preside over the Wozniak case. On Feb. 5, 2015, Sanders filed a motion of disqualification against Judge Conley. On Feb. 11, 2015, Judge Conley denied the motion and found no basis for his disqualification. On Feb. 24, 2015, the matter was sent to the Honorable Kevin Brazile in Los Angeles County Superior Court to determine the motion. Judge Brazile denied the motion on March 9, 2015, and found no grounds to recuse Judge Conley. On April 3, 2015, the District Court of Appeals (DCA) summarily denied the writ filed by Sanders to appeal Judge Brazile’s ruling and refused to hear the motion. On April 13, 2015, Sanders filed for a petition for review of the DCA denial to the California Supreme Court. The petition was denied July 4, 2015. On July 31, 2015, the January motion to recuse the OCDA was denied by Judge Conley. On Aug. 7, 2015, Sanders’ motion to compel discovery from MSNBC for the Lockup episode featuring Wozniak was denied, and MSNBC’s motion to quash subpoenas by Sanders was granted by Judge Conley. In Sanders’ motion, he accused an MSNBC producer of colluding with the prosecution and the Orange County Sheriff’s Department (OCSD) to violate Wozniak’s 6th Amendment right. On Aug. 26, 2015, Sanders filed a motion to dismiss the death penalty due to outrageous governmental conduct motion against the OCDA. On Sept. 11, 2015, Sanders filed a second motion to reconsider recusal of the OCDA and Murphy. On Sept. 15, 2015, Judge Conley and the Honorable Walt Schwarm filed motions to quash the subpoenas, which were sent to the Honorable Gregg L. Prickett on Sept. 18, 2015. On Sept. 22, 2015, Sanders filed a motion of disqualification against Judge Prickett, and two days later, filed another motion of disqualification against Judge Conley. On Sept. 25, 2015, Judge Prickett denied the motion finding no basis for his disqualification. On Oct. 2, 2015, the DCA summarily denied the writ filed by Sanders to appeal Judge Prickett’s denial of his disqualification. That same day, Judge Conley denied the motion and found no basis for his disqualification. On Oct. 6, 2015, Sanders filed for a petition for review of Judge Prickett’s denial to recuse himself to the California Supreme Court. The petition was outright refused Oct 14, 2015. On Oct. 6, 2015, Judge Conley and Judge Schwarm’s motion to quash the subpoenas filed by Sanders were granted by Judge Prickett. On Oct. 13, 2015, the DCA summarily denied the writ filed by Sanders to appeal Judge Conley’s denial of his disqualification. On Oct. 27, 2015, the September motion to recuse the OCDA was denied by Judge Conley. On Oct. 29, 2015, the California Supreme Court denied Sanders’ petition for review of DCA’s denial to appeal Judge Conley’s denial of his disqualification. Today, Oct. 30, 2015, Judge Conley ruled on the August motion to dismiss the death penalty due to outrageous governmental conduct. Judge Conley denied the motion and found that the OCDA committed no misconduct in People v. Wozniak. |