Inmate Dennis Bratton may face death penalty following conviction Wednesday in stomping death of his cellmate
By Jason Kotowski
The Bakersfield Californian
Defense counsel for Dennis Bratton told jurors he fought for his life and acted in self-defense when he killed his cellmate four years ago.
The prosecution derided that argument, saying Bratton's "ridiculous" claim of self-defense didn't explain why he continued to stomp on his cellmate's head after the man was unconscious lying on the concrete floor of their cell. He wore prison work boots during the killing.
A jury of 10 women and two men deliberated for two days before finding Bratton guilty Wednesday afternoon of assault by a life prisoner with force causing death. Bratton, 47, showed no reaction as the verdict was read.
The assault charge is similar to a murder charge, but specific to Bratton's circumstances since he was already serving a life sentence when the killing occurred.
Jurors will return to court May 30 to begin the penalty phase of the trial. They can either recommend death or life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Bratton killed 27-year-old Andrew Keel the morning of May 16, 2013, in the cell they shared at Delano's Kern Valley State Prison.
Prosecutor Andi Bridges said Bratton repeatedly stomped on Keel's head before strangling him with string to make sure he was dead. Photographs showed the only injuries Bratton suffered were bruising to his heels caused by the stomping.
In her closing argument Monday, Bridges said Bratton was "unusually calm" after the killing, and later bragged about it to other inmates. Another inmate, James Fortini, testified Bratton made a comment about hurting Keel just days before the killing.
Deputy Public Defenders Pam Singh and Paul Cadman don't dispute Bratton killed Keel.
Singh, however, told jurors Bratton was in a brutal fight for his life. She said Keel told him, "You need to sleep sometime," and Bratton believed Keel was going to cut his throat.
Earlier, Keel had told Bratton he slashed the face or neck of another inmate who refused to participate in a race riot while he was incarcerated at Corcoran State Prison, Singh said.
She argued Fortini and other inmates who testified for the prosecution could not be trusted. She noted Fortini had admitted to lying to investigators before telling them about Bratton's comment to hurt Keel.
Both Bratton and Keel were affiliated with white racist prison gangs.
Bratton was serving a life sentence for a 1997 conviction in San Diego County on charges of attempted murder and multiple accounts of assault with a deadly weapon.
http://www.bakersfield.com/news/inma...afd7e4d29.html
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