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Thread: Jeremy Valdes Sentenced to Minimum 30 Years in 2009 UT Murders of Pamela Jeffries and Matthew Roddy

  1. #11
    Administrator Heidi's Avatar
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    Judge rejects Valdes' motions, including one on death penalty

    A 2nd District judge has ruled the death penalty constitutional, neither a violation of rights to life and dignity nor cruel and unusual punishment.

    Judge Mark DeCaria’s rulings on a bevy of defense motions clears most of the final hurdles to the start of trial next month for Jeremy Valdes in the 2009 murders of Matthew Roddy, 30, and his mother, Pamela Jeffries, 56, in Roy.

    In 36 pages of findings, DeCaria resolved the final 15 defense motions pending in the case, denying all but one.

    Four other defense motions on procedural details were stipulated to with prosecutors. The 19 motions were filed in August by defense attorneys Gary Barr and Randall Marshall.

    “Defendant fails to provide any cogent argument that the right to life and dignity is absolute,” DeCaria wrote in denying a motion to declare the death penalty a violation of rights to life and liberty.

    “Both state and federal constitutional provisions clearly allow that a person may be deprived of his or her life where principles of due process are satisfied.”

    In finding consistently the death penalty does not violate the Eighth Amendment ban on cruel and unusual punishment, DeCaria said, “by implication the U.S. Supreme Court also necessarily concluded that the death penalty does not, when constitutional standards are satisfied, violate a person’s rights to life and dignity.”

    The defense had argued that individuals had an “unenumerated” natural and fundamental right to life and dignity under the Declaration of Independence and the Ninth Amendment, which states that rights enumerated in the Constitution “shall not be construed to deny or disparage those retained by the people.”

    DeCaria wrote that “Defendant has not satisfied his burden of demonstrating that he possesses a ‘retained’ absolute right to life and dignity that requires the court to declare the death penalty unconstitutional.”

    In finding the death penalty is not cruel and unusual, DeCaria quoted the U.S. Supreme Court’s statement that executions are not cruel and unusual if “the practice is accepted among our people.”

    “Currently the democratically elected legislators in 33 states have enacted statutes that permit the death penalty,” DeCaria wrote, citing the Death Penalty Information Center, a group opposed to the death penalty, which tracks executions and runs an online clearinghouse of information on capital homicide.

    Among the states abolishing the death penalty, he noted three of those states did so in the 1800s, while seven have banned it in the last 47 years.

    The judge also rejected arguments that Utah’s death penalty statute violates a constitutional requirement that jury decisions in criminal cases be unanimous. The law allows a jury to opt for a sentence of life in prison without parole by at least a 10-2 vote.

    DeCaria ruled that the ban on less-than-unanimous jury votes applies only to verdicts, not sentencing.

    In the successful defense motion, Valdes, if convicted, would be allowed to make a statement, known as allocution, to the jury without being sworn in or cross-examined.

    DeCaria ruled allocution is allowed as long as it is limited to asking for lenience “or understanding” at sentencing. Cross-examination would follow if the allocution strayed into areas “contesting or advancing the evidence.”

    Trial is set for seven days between Jan. 8 and Feb. 15. A penalty phase would follow if Valdes is convicted.

    Still pending before DeCaria is Valdes’ request this week to represent himself at trial because of his dissatisfaction with his court-appointed defense team. The judge set a Dec. 13 hearing date to announce if he would allow Valdes to do so.

    Jeffries and Roddy were found dead in a closet in their home on Nov. 30, 2009, five days after they died.

    Police say Valdes killed the two after they reported to police that prescription drugs had been stolen from their home and that Valdes and his girlfriend, Miranda Statler, may have taken them.

    Statler pleaded guilty to lesser charges as an accomplice and has been sentenced to prison. She has testified against Valdes.

    http://www.standard.net/stories/2012...-death-penalty
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  2. #12
    Administrator Heidi's Avatar
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    Trial for Utah man accused of double murder delayed

    A September trial for a man accused of killing a Roy mother and son more than three years ago has been postponed until next year as defense attorneys explore possible mental issues.

    Jeremy Lee Valdes, 36, is charged in 2nd District Court with two counts of capital murder for the deaths of Matthew Roddy, 30, and Pamela Knight Jeffries, 53. He is also charged with second-degree felony obstructing justice, and joyriding and two counts of abuse or desecration of a human body, all third-degree felonies.

    On Thursday, 2nd District Judge Mark DeCaria granted a continuance of next month’s setting, and rescheduled the seven-week trial to begin June 3, 2014.

    In the Valdes case, defense attorney Randall Marshall told a judge Tuesday they have three concerns they want to address: whether Valdes’ confession to police was voluntary, whether he has a diminished mental capacity, and whether a mental defect may have resulted in a "false confession" by Valdes.

    After an MRI and other tests, a defense expert concluded that Valdes has "frontal lobe executive dysfunction," which impairs Valdes’ ability to plan, organize or execute a goal. This may allow Valdes to raise a "diminished mental capacity defense," his attorneys wrote in a motion asking for the trial delay.

    Weber County Attorney Dee Smith told the judge on Tuesday that prosecutors have issues with the expert and may try to disqualify him.

    Also Tuesday, Deputy Weber County Attorney Branden Miles objected to the delay and read aloud from letters written by the victims’ families.

    "I really need some kind of closure," Miles read from a letter written by Roddy’s father, Christopher Roddy. "It’s like a slap in the face to keep this going on."

    But on Thursday, Smith told the judge that while the victims’ families were not happy about the continuance, they understand why more time is needed. "They want it done right, and they want it done once," Smith said.

    Before postponing the trial, DeCaria asked Valdes directly if he accepted that he would sit in the Weber County jail at least until next June. Valdes said he understood, and waived his right to a speedy trial.

    "I feel for Matt and Pam’s family," Valdes told the judge. "I feel for everyone in this case. I don’t want to further their pain in any way, but I do want a fair trial."

    On Nov. 25, 2009, Valdes allegedly fatally stabbed Roddy during an argument about stolen prescription drugs. Police believe Valdes then beat Jeffries, Roddy’s mother, before leaving her unconscious with a plastic trash bag around her head, and stuffing her and Roddy into a closet.

    Miranda Statler, Valdes’ girlfriend, was charged with moving the bodies, stealing Matthew Roddy’s car and lying to police. She pleaded guilty in 2010 to obstructing justice and was sentenced to prison for up to 15 years.

    Weber County prosecutors are seeking the death penalty for Valdes.

    http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/news/56...ounty.html.csp
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  3. #13
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    March 6, 2014

    False-confession expert allowed at Ogden murder trial

    Jeremy Valdes is accused of killing a mother and son in 2009.


    By Jessica MIller
    The Salt Lake Tribune

    A false-confession expert will be allowed to testify at a June trial for a man accused of killing a Roy mother and son, a judge ruled this week.

    Jeremy Lee Valdes, 37, is charged in 2nd District Court with two counts of capital murder for the 2009 deaths of Matthew Roddy, 30, and Pamela Knight Jeffries, 53. He is also charged with second-degree felony obstructing justice, along with joyriding and two counts of abuse or desecration of a human body, all third-degree felonies.

    On Monday, Judge Mark DeCaria ruled that Valdes’ defense attorney can put a false-confession expert on the stand during trial, if Valdes’ confession to police is admitted as evidence. The expert, Deborah Davis, can testify about "factors that may lead to false confessions," DeCaria wrote in the order, but cannot say whether she feels Valdes’ confession is more likely true or false.

    DeCaria wrote in his order that attorneys came to the stipulation agreement, in part, due to a recent Utah Supreme Court decision in another Ogden murder case.

    In March 2010, a jury convicted Riqo Perea of two counts of aggravated murder for killing Sabrina Prieto, 22, and Rosendo Nevarez, 29, while firing into a crowd during a wedding party the night of August 4, 2007.

    The high court found that Perea’s trial judge erred by excluding testimony from a false-confession expert, but the justices upheld the conviction, concluding the error was harmless and did not undermine their confidence in the guilty verdict "when viewed against the backdrop of Mr. Perea’s overwhelming guilt."

    Valdes’ seven-week trial will come nearly five years after he allegedly fatally stabbed Roddy during an argument about stolen prescription drugs on Nov. 25, 2009. Police believe Valdes then beat Jeffries, Roddy’s mother, before leaving her unconscious with a plastic trash bag around her head, and stuffing her and Roddy into a closet.

    Miranda Statler, Valdes’ girlfriend, was charged with moving the bodies, stealing Matthew Roddy’s car and lying to police. She pleaded guilty in 2010 to obstructing justice and was sentenced to prison for up to 15 years.

    Weber County prosecutors are seeking the death penalty for Valdes.

    Valdes will be back in court on March 28 for further oral arguments.

    http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/news/57...xpert.html.csp

  4. #14
    Administrator Heidi's Avatar
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    Utah double-murder trial re-set for 2015

    A trial for a man accused of killing a Roy mother and son more than three years ago has been postponed until 2015.

    Jeremy Lee Valdes, 36, is charged in Ogden’s 2nd District Court with two counts of capital murder for the 2009 deaths of Matthew Roddy, 30, and Pamela Knight Jeffries, 53. He is also charged with second-degree felony obstructing justice, and joyriding and two counts of abuse or desecration of a human body, all third-degree felonies.

    Valdes’ trial was cancelled last September after his defense attorneys told a judge they needed more time to explore possible mental issues. The seven-week trial was rescheduled to begin in June.

    However, on Tuesday, one of Valdes’ public defenders, Gary Barr, asked Judge Mark DeCaria if he could be taken off the case, citing health issues, according to court records.

    DeCaria granted Barr’s request, which leaves Randall Marshall as Valdes’ only attorney. Because another attorney is required for cases where prosecutors are seeking the death penalty, attorneys asked for the June trial to be stricken so another qualified defense attorney can be appointed.

    DeCaria rescheduled the trial dates, with the trial now set to begin on Jan. 20, 2015.

    On Nov. 25, 2009, Valdes allegedly fatally stabbed Roddy during an argument about stolen prescription drugs. Police believe Valdes then beat Jeffries, Roddy’s mother, before leaving her unconscious with a plastic trash bag around her head, and stuffing her and Roddy into a closet.

    Miranda Statler, Valdes’ girlfriend, was charged with moving the bodies, stealing Matthew Roddy’s car and lying to police. She pleaded guilty in 2010 to obstructing justice and was sentenced to prison for up to 15 years.

    http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/news/57...-2015.html.csp
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  5. #15
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    Utah judge rules that MRI experts can’t testify in 2015 murder trial

    By Jessica Miller
    The Salt Lake Tribune

    Two medical experts will not be allowed to testify on behalf of accused killer Jeremy Lee Valdes’ 2015 trial, an Ogden judge ruled Tuesday.

    Valdes, 37, is charged in 2nd District Court with two counts of capital murder for the 2009 deaths of Matthew Roddy, 30, and Roddy’s mother, Pamela Knight Jeffries, 53. Valdes is also charged with second-degree felony obstructing justice, and joyriding and two counts of abuse or desecration of a human body, all third-degree felonies.

    On Tuesday, Judge Mark DeCaria granted prosecutor’s requests to prohibit two experts from testifying about the results of an fMRI during Valdes’ January 2015 trial.

    According to court records, the experts would have testified that the fMRI — a procedure similar to an MRI that measures brain activity by detecting changes in blood flow — showed that Valdes has abnormality in his brain activation patterns, and that his "free will and ability to control and inhibit his behavior" are affected by "neuropathological dysfunction stemming from long-term use/abuse of opioid drugs."

    Defense attorneys said they would use testimony from the experts as building blocks to establish a diminished mental capacity defense. But prosecutors argued that the testimony should be inadmissible because it does not show that Valdes suffers from a mental illness that prevents him from being responsible for the murders.

    DeCaria wrote in his ruling that he was concerned with the fMRI protocol, saying that it has not been studied and reviewed "by an independent third party," and that it is not typically used in a criminal case. DeCaria noted that fMRIs are generally used to detect "mild concussive injuries," not for mapping the effects of chronic drug use on the brain.

    DeCaria also wrote that the fMRI results did not show Valdes’ mental state at the time of the alleged crimes — a requirement to support a diminished mental state defense.

    Valdes’ seven-week trial is scheduled to start on Jan. 20, 2015. The trial was supposed to begin last month, but one of Valdes’ public defenders, Gary Barr, asked to be taken off the case in April, citing health issues.

    Valdes was in court Tuesday, where another attorney, Haylee Mills, was assigned to the case. Valdes will be back in court again on Aug. 19 for a status conference.

    Weber County prosecutors are seeking the death penalty for Valdes.

    http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/news/58...trial.html.csp

  6. #16
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    ‘Gruesome’ photos subject of pre-trial arguments in Utah double-murder

    With just under a month before his capital murder trial is set to begin, Jeremy Valdes — accused of killing a Roy mother and son — was in court Tuesday as attorneys argued which photographs of the bloody 2009 crime scene can be shown to a jury.

    Jeremy Lee Valdes, 36, is charged in Ogden’s 2nd District Court with two counts of capital murder for the November 2009 deaths of Matthew Roddy, 30, and Pamela Knight Jeffries, 53. He is also charged with second-degree felony obstructing justice, and joyriding and two counts of abuse or desecration of a human body, all third-degree felonies.

    On Tuesday, attorneys spent several hours arguing whether 23 photographs — which depicted the dead bodies of Roddy and Jeffries at their Roy trailer home and at a later autopsy — were considered "gruesome" and should be barred at trial.

    Deputy Weber County Attorney Branden Miles asked Judge Mark DeCaria to allow the photos, saying that while some were bloody or unpleasant to look at, they help the state prove their case: that Valdes knocked Roddy to the ground, sat on top of him and stabbed him 31 times. As for the graphic photos of Jeffries, Miles said they will be used to show the jury her injuries after Valdes allegedly kicked her several times in the head.

    Defense attorney Randall Marshall argued that the photos did little more than show a lot of blood, and could possibly prejudice a jury.

    "I’ve dealt with a lot of this stuff, but to be honest, they gross me out," Marshall told the judge about a certain group of particularly bloody photos. "I just think they will literally sicken the jurors."

    DeCaria did rule that several of the photos would be admissible during Monday’s hearing, but he also reserved ruling on others so he could take more time to decide whether they would be appropriate at trial.

    Valdes will be in court next on Jan. 6, when attorneys are expected to discuss jury selection and instructions. His seven-week trial is scheduled to begin Jan. 20.

    If convicted, he could face the death penalty.

    On Nov. 25, 2009, Valdes allegedly fatally stabbed Roddy during an argument about stolen prescription drugs. Police believe Valdes then beat Jeffries, Roddy’s mother, before leaving her unconscious with a plastic trash bag around her head. Both victims were then stuffed into a closet.

    Miranda Statler, Valdes’ girlfriend, was charged with moving the bodies, stealing Matthew Roddy’s car and lying to police. She pleaded guilty in 2010 to obstructing justice and was sentenced to prison for up to 15 years. She was released from prison in July.

    http://www.sltrib.com/news/1984312-1...rial-arguments
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    "Y'all be makin shit up" ~ Markeith Loyd

  7. #17
    Administrator Helen's Avatar
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    Man sentenced to at least 30 years in Utah double murder

    OGDEN — A Utah man will serve back to back sentences after pleading guilty to killing a woman and her son and stuffing their bodies in a closet.

    The Standard-Examiner of Ogden reports (http://bit.ly/1EA8hRh) that 38-year-old Jeremy Valdes was ordered on Wednesday to serve two sentences of 15 years to life consecutively.

    Prosecutors say he attacked Matthew Roddy and Pamela Jeffries in 2009 because he had stolen prescription drugs from them and they were threatening to tell his probation officer.

    Authorities say Roddy was stabbed 32 times and his mother was beaten unconscious and suffocated with a plastic bag.

    Their bodies were found a week later.

    http://www.heraldextra.com/news/loca...a96aff90b.html
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