Brandon Hein

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Brandon Hein is a convicted felon in the United States, currently serving a sentence of life imprisonment without possibility of parole for his presence during the 1995 stabbing murder of 16 year-old Jimmy Farris, the son of a Los Angeles County Sheriff, committed by Jason Holland during a fight over a drug transaction. Hein's conviction has courted much controversy, as some feel that the life sentence was overly harsh and politically motivated, while others feel that Brandon's presence during the murder justified his sentence.

1 The Trial
2 Supporters
3 Current status
4 External links
5 Sources

[edit] The Trial

The murder and trial that followed shocked and polarized the small town of Agoura Hills, an otherwise peaceful suburb northwest of Los Angeles, California, and attracted international attention.

A California state law permitted Hein to be charged with murder in the first degree with special circumstances, although he was not directly involved with the crime. A jury in the county criminal court in Malibu found Hein, as well as several other bystanders, guilty. Judge Lawrence Mira presided over the trial.

[edit] Supporters

Brandon's case has attracted international attention and support, due largely to media coverage and what some feel was a violation of international law, as Brandon was only 17 at the time of the murder. Filmmaker William Gazecki has made a documentary called "Reckless Indifference" about his situation, and Charles Grodin has produced a play on the subject entitled "The Prosecution of Brandon Hein". Many others have written letters to Judge Mira and California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger (who has the power to commute or pardon the sentence) to persuade them to pursue a lesser sentence, including former Los Angeles Police Chief Willie Williams.[1]

[edit] Current status

Hein remains incarcerated at California Correctional Instution in Tehachapi, California, about 50 miles north of Los Angeles. He has been imprisoned for 10 years.