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Thread: Pedro Cortez Valles, Jr. - California Death Row

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    Pedro Cortez Valles, Jr. - California Death Row


    Pedro Cortez Valles, Jr.


    March 2, 2010

    Death penalty murder trial under way

    An audio clip played in front of the courtroom: "Yeah, I killed that [expletive]. I shot that fool." The voice belonged to Pedro Valles, a Bakersfield man on trial in Kings County Superior Court for the 2004 murder of Eddie Cervantes. Valles was recorded on the phone as he talked with different people at the Kern County Jail soon after his arrest six years ago.

    "I feel OK about what I did," he said in the recording. "I do what I do and it doesn't matter who I do it to. I don't give a (expletive)."

    On the other end of the line, a woman asked what he would plead to the charges.
    "Not guilty," he said, laughing. "They gonna spend money on my (expletive) if they want to get me."

    As the recording played, 37-year-old Valles shook his head in disbelief or irritation. He has already been convicted of a previous Kern County murder, for which he is now serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole. The Kings County District Attorney's Office is seeking the death penalty against him.

    "I executed him," Valles said in another recording. "They had a video of me. I shot him point blank right in the head. They asked me why I laughed after I executed him."

    It happened just before midnight on June 12, 2004. Cervantes, a 23-year-old beef packer and a longtime resident of Lemoore, was heading into the Lemoore Fastrip convenience store on Lemoore Avenue. As he entered, he ran into another man and got into an argument. This man pulled out a .38-caliber snub-nosed revolver and shot him. Witnesses said at least four rounds were fired.

    Different reports suggest Valles then walked over, aimed his gun at the fallen man and pulled the trigger again.

    Two bullets were taken from Cervantes' body and sent to the Kern County Sheriff's Crime Lab.

    Days later, Valles was spotted in Bakersfield walking down the street drunk. Kern County Sheriff's Deputy Marvin Gomez said he tried to talk to Valles, but the man took a fighting stance as if to attack him. Gomez and another deputy subdued him and found a fully loaded .38-caliber revolver in his pocket.

    In court on Thursday, Senior Criminalist Gregory Laskowski -- a forensic scientist who specializes in identifying firearms -- said a bullet comparison revealed that the gun found in Valles' pocket was used to kill Cervantes.

    The attack was likely fueled by gang associations. Valles has "Los Primos" tattooed across the back of his shaved head, a reference to a Bakersfield gang he is associated with. He also has the numbers one and three tattooed on either cheek, to show his affiliation with the Surenos gang.

    When Cervantes was shot, he was wearing a red shirt, which is commonly worn by the Surenos' rivals, the Nortenos.

    It was not immediately clear from testimony if Cervantes and Valles had interacted at any point prior to the June 12 attack.

    Court proceedings came to an early close on Thursday at 3:30 p.m. The prosecution is expected to continue calling witnesses today starting at 9 a.m. in Department 1 of the Kings County Superior Court.

    http://www.hanfordsentinel.com/artic...3568799713.txt

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    April 5, 2010

    Hung jury in murder case

    The choice of life or death proved too much for a jury to decide this week.

    A mistrial was declared during the penalty phase of Pedro Valles' court case on Wednesday, just days after he was found guilty of first-degree murder.

    "As we understand it, the jury just could not come to a decision," said Michael Reinhart, Kings County Chief Deputy District Attorney. "Therefore, the judge has declared a mistrial, but only for the penalty phase of the trial."

    Reinhart explained that the guilty verdict still stands for Valles, who shot and killed 23-year-old Eddie Cervantes on June 12, 2004. A new jury will be called to decide on whether Valles should be convicted of the death penalty or sentenced to life without the possibility of parole.

    The matter will return to court on April 26 to determine future hearing dates and when the new jury will be called.

    Testimony was heard for the better part of two weeks before the guilty verdict was read the morning of March 18. Deliberations lasted little more than two days before that verdict was reached, but the jury was then asked to listen to additional testimony to rule on Valles' ultimate fate.

    Rosa Cervantes, mother of the victim, took the stand to describe the horrific night that changed her life.

    "He was just lying in the middle of the road," she said. "The police wouldn't let me near him. I couldn't breathe and I wanted to die. His body wasn't covered and I kept telling them he was going to be cold."

    Eddie Cervantes was shot three times outside of the Lemoore Fastrip gas station. He was a member of the Nortenos gang and was likely targeted because of his distinct red gang colors. Valles, the shooter, was wearing Sureno blue and started a confrontation with Cervantes, who he'd never met.

    When Eddie Cervantes approached him, Valles shot him once in the chest. Another man with Cervantes turned to run and Valles fired twice more after him, missing both times. Then he walked over, leaned down and shot the fallen man twice in the head.

    Investigators testified that the gun was so close to Cervantes' face that the gunshots actually burned his skin.

    Valles was arrested days later in Bakersfield, when he was found intoxicated carrying a loaded .38-caliber snub-nosed revolver. This weapon was eventually linked to the killing of Cervantes.

    Valles was previously sentenced to life without the possibility of parole for a murder in Kern County, committed shortly before he killed Cervantes.

    The jury debated for three days this week before they informed Judge Thomas DeSantos that a decision could not be reached.

    http://www.hanfordsentinel.com/artic...c428138726.txt

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    October 13, 2010

    Shooter gets death for 2004 killing

    When he was given the death penalty Tuesday, Pedro Valles clasped his hands together, shook his head knowingly and grinned like a champion.

    The reaction didn't surprise a jury of Kings County men and women, who earlier heard the defendant testify matter-of-factly to the grisly crime. It took them just one hour to come to their decision.

    The case concerned the death of Eddie Cervantes, a 23-year-old gang member who confronted Valles at the Lemoore Fastrip gas station six years ago. Valles, a rival from Bakersfield, saw the other man approach and shot him once in the chest with a snub-nosed revolver he always kept cocked and ready.

    "Eddie's on the ground, you know, he's still alive," prosecutor Adam Nelson said in court days before the ruling. "He's got his arms crossed. You told Investigator Cramer he was gasping for air. His eyes were open. Why did you feel the need to kill him then?"

    "He just had to die," Valles said. "No reason for him to live, right? That's the rule of gang-banging. Never leave nobody alive to come after you later. If I'm going to shoot somebody, I'm not going to let him live."

    A jury found Valles guilty of first-degree murder earlier this year, but could not reach a verdict when asked if he should face the death penalty.

    The case then resumed Oct. 4 with a new group of 12 jurors to decide Valles' fate.

    Unlike the March proceedings, Valles himself decided to take the stand and frankly admitted to the June 12, 2004 murder as well as others.

    "I was a two-striker, you know," Valles said when asked why he was so willing to kill. "If I go in there and just fight with a guy, what, I'm going to be sitting in prison for some three strikes? If I'm going to go to prison, I'm going to go to prison for a reason."

    Corcoran Deputy Police Chief Gary Cramer said the jury was horrified to hear that someone so brazen about killing could walk among them.

    Valles also described another time when he killed a man in broad daylight who had threatened his sister and nephew.

    "I called him up and said, ‘Look I'm going to tell you one time, one time only. I'm coming. I'm going to kill you.' Straight out," Valles said. "I'm a man of my word. I found who I was looking for and killed him. Shot him in the head, chest, hand. About five, six times. Just because he laughed at me on the phone like it was a joke."

    When asked how many times he's killed, Valles was vague, but agreed that it might be "more than five, less than 10."

    "It was almost surreal to hear Mr. Valles describe these killings in such a cold-blooded way," Nelson said. "The courtroom was just dead quiet. He said he felt no remorse and would do it all over again if given the chance. It was the most cold-blooded thing I've ever heard."

    Nelson described the defendant as a man to whom "respect is everything." When someone disrespected him, Valles would kill them, or "do what he had to do" to ensure it never happened again.

    "I wouldn't say I'm happy about him getting the death sentence, but it is certainly appropriate," Nelson said. "I don't want to celebrate this. He's been sentenced for a brutal killing, so justice was definitely served."

    The case will return to court on Nov. 9 for sentencing, but Nelson said it is merely a formality at this point.

    "This is the one time where a jury decides the defendant's fate, because it is a capital murder case," Nelson said. "It's the only time that happens."

    Cramer, who headed up investigations for the Lemoore Police Department when the murder happened, said this case highlights the tragic consequences of being involved in gangs.

    "Two lives were destroyed, all because of the gang culture," He said. "[Valles] bought into the gang culture so much that he sat on the stand and told a jury he had no regrets about killing a man. It's really sad that a criminal street gang could get such a hold on somebody."

    But Valles showed little regret for a life of crime. He said "it's what I've always known. I think there is better out there. Just some of us chose this."

    The only pity he showed was to the mother of the victim, who was not in court that day to hear his words.

    "I don't regret killing him, but I do feel for her, for her little pain," Valles said on the stand. "She's a mom. Every mom cries for their kids. Whether they're doing wrong or not, they won't believe it."

    http://www.hanfordsentinel.com/news/...cc4c03286.html

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    Valles sentenced to die for 2004 murder

    The saga of Pedro Cortez Valles came to a close on Tuesday, his official death sentence a mere formality six years after he murdered another man at a Lemoore gas station.

    He entered the Kings County Superior Courtroom with a confident smile, decked out in an orange prison jumpsuit, sporting gang tattoos across his cheeks and along the back of his head. He nodded to his attorneys and sat down, flanked by bailiffs, to await the judge's ruling.

    Valles horrified a jury in mid-October when he took the stand to testify about the death of 23-year-old Eddie Cervantes. He spoke frankly about the shooting, sparked when he entered rival gang territory wearing the colors of his Bakersfield gang, Los Primos.

    Cervantes and another man - both known Norteņos - allegedly walked up behind him, so Valles turned and fired a snub-nosed revolver he always kept ready in his pocket.

    The bullet hit Cervantes in the collarbone and knocked him to the ground.

    Even though Cervantes was incapacitated, Judge Thomas DeSantos said Valles chose to administer a "close-range kill shot" to finish him off.

    "That's the rule of gang-banging," Valles said in October. "Never leave nobody alive to come after you later. If I'm going to shoot somebody, I'm not going to let him live."

    DeSantos listed many factors Tuesday that he would weigh in deciding whether to support the jury's verdict that Valles deserved the death penalty.

    Among them was Valles' great gang pride and loyalty, his bravado about his criminal ambitions and admitting in open court that he told his kids not to follow his gang lifestyle, even while continuing to practice it.

    DeSantos then retired to his chambers for 10 minutes to review the county Probation Department report about the sentencing and debate the decision before emerging in agreement.

    The judge then told the court he supported the jury's finding and said Valles will now be housed briefly at California State Prison Corcoran before being transferred Friday to San Quentin, where he will live out the rest of his sentence.

    "It was almost surreal to hear Mr. Valles describe these killings in such a cold-blooded way," prosecutor Adam Nelson said weeks ago when the jury reached a decision. "The courtroom was just dead quiet. He said he felt no remorse and would do it all over again if given the chance. It was the most cold-blooded thing I've ever heard."

    No statements were made on Valles' behalf Tuesday. No victims came forward to speak out against him. Not even the defendant himself chose to speak, instead watching the proceedings with thinly-veiled amusement.

    He was found guilty of first-degree murder March 18, with a special circumstance of being pronounced guilty of another murder four years before.

    The earlier proceedings came to a halt after the verdict was reached and the jury was asked to decide if Valles should face the death penalty. The jury hung and was unable to reach a conclusion, prompting the case's penalty phase to be retried on Oct. 4.

    DeSantos said Tuesday that Valles will have to give $10,000 to the state restitution fund, which will be paid to Cervantes' family.

    "Good luck to you," DeSantos said as Valles, still smiling, was led out of court.

    http://www.hanfordsentinel.com/news/...cc4c03286.html

  5. #5
    Administrator Moh's Avatar
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    On May 27, 2014, counsel was appointed for Valles' direct appeal before the California Supreme Court.

    http://appellatecases.courtinfo.ca.g...JRICAgCg%3D%3D

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    Senior Member CnCP Legend JLR's Avatar
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    On the 18th of June 2018, Valles filed his initial brief.

    http://appellatecases.courtinfo.ca.g...JRICAgCg%3D%3D

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    Senior Member CnCP Legend JLR's Avatar
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    The prosecution filed its response on the 25th of November 2019.

    https://appellatecases.courtinfo.ca....JRICAgCg%3D%3D

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    Administrator Moh's Avatar
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    Valles' direct appeal has been fully briefed before the California Supreme Court since November 23, 2020.

    https://appellatecases.courtinfo.ca....JRICAgCg%3D%3D

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