Since the Merced Sun-Star later moves their stories and break all the links I have set up back to their website, I have copied the two stories here. Each header links back to the Sun-Star story…until the Sun-Star moves them…and break my links:
Friday, Nov. 06, 2009
Attempted murder trial concluding
Jurors hear closing arguments about shooting.
Jurors heard closing arguments Thursday in the trial of a 58-year-old man accused of shooting a woman at a 16th Street motel in Merced last year.
Louis Clifton Trimble was arrested Nov. 5 for the shooting, which happened in a room at the Siesta Motel, located at 1347 W. 16th St.
The prosecution in the case claims Trimble lured the 24-year-old victim into the room intending to kill her, shooting her four times.
On the flip side, while Trimble's attorney doesn't deny his client shot the woman, he called it a crime of passion that happened in the heat of the moment.
Merced police arrested Trimble within three hours of the shooting, which was reported at 7:30 p.m.
Based on statements that Trimble made, police believe he had accused the victim of being intimate with one of his relatives. The victim survived the shooting, which happened after an argument between Trimble and the victim.
Prior to the shooting, Trimble and the victim had shared a close relationship, police said.
Deputy District Attorney Steve Slocum, the prosecutor in the case, told jurors Trimble had lured the victim into the room, offering to smoke crack cocaine with her.
Inside the room, Slocum said the defendant pulled a revolver from his waistband and fired four times. While firing, Slocum said Trimble told the victim "I'm going to kill you, I told you I would."
The woman was shot three times in the torso, and once in the leg. Trimble then pointed the revolver to the woman's head, according to the prosecution, and clicked the trigger several times. "That's an intent to kill," Slocum said.
When police arrested Trimble, he put his arms up and stated "I'm Trimble. I'm the one you're looking for," Slocum told jurors.
Police also found residue on Trimble's hands from firing the gun.
Chief Public Defender Eric Dumars said while his client shot the victim, he did it after going to the motel room and discovering the woman was involved in prostitution, and using drugs and alcohol. Dumars said Trimble was in an "elevated state" and as a result "he reacted poorly."
Dumars said while his client may be guilty of attempted voluntary manslaughter, he's not guilty of attempted murder. "What he found would make any reasonable person upset and concerned," Dumars said.
Slocum called the defense's explanation "absurd."
"Nobody has a right to go into a motel room and then, because they don't like what they see, shoot that person," Slocum said.
Trimble is charged with attempted felony premeditated murder and attempted robbery of a dwelling. Both counts have an enhancement attached for alleged use of a gun.
If convicted, Trimble could be sentenced to life in prison.
Reporter Victor A. Patton can be reached at (209) 385-2431 or vpatton@mercedsun-star.com.
Saturday, Nov. 07, 2009
Man guilty of attempted murder in 2008 shooting
The defendant could get 39 years in prison because of an old conviction.
By SCOTT JASON
A Merced County jury Friday convicted a 58-year-old man of attempted murder after he shot a woman at a 16th Street motel last year.
Louis Clifton Trimble, wearing a tan suit and a blue tie, sat silent while the court clerk read the two guilty verdicts for attempted murder and attempted robbery. Afterward, he exhaled and leaned back in his chair.
He faces 39 years to life in prison. He'll be sentenced Dec. 4. The sentence is more severe because of a felony assault conviction from 1985.
The seven-man, five-woman jury began deliberations late Thursday and returned with the verdict Friday morning.
Trimble's public defender didn't deny his client last year shot a 24-year-old woman inside the Siesta Motel. He dubbed it a crime of passion and argued Trimble reacted poorly when he learned the woman involved in prostitution and used drugs.
Prosecutor Steve Slocum told jurors Trimble lured the victim into the room offering to smoke crack cocaine with her. After an argument, he pulled out a revolver and shot her four times, three times in the torso and once in the leg.
While firing, Slocum said, Trimble told the victim "I'm going to kill you, I told you I would."
The victim survived the shooting. She was not present in court when the verdict was read, nor were any relatives of Trimble.
Merced police arrested Trimble within three hours of the shooting, which was reported at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 5.
He put his arms up and stated "I'm Trimble. I'm the one you're looking for," Slocum told jurors.
Police also found residue on Trimble's hands from firing the gun.
Chief Public Defender Eric Dumars declined to comment on the verdict. "Mr. Trimble looks forward to his appeal," he said.
During the trial, Dumars argued his client should only be guilty of attempted manslaughter, not murder.
Slocum called the defense's explanation "absurd."
Reporter Scott Jason can be reached at (209) 385-2453 or sjason@mercedsun-star.com.
As an alternate juror, I was released from jury service after closing arguments so cannot tell you what went on in jury deliberations. I wish I could have been there to discuss the law and which evidence fit with the charge of attempted murder versus the lesser charge of attempted manslaughter, etc. Fascinating. FASCINATING.
I can tell you the “felony assault conviction from 1985” was a surprise to the jury. It was not disclosed until after the jury returned the guilty verdicts on the attempted murder and attempted robbery charges, both with gun enhancements. They were then sent back to deliberate on another enhancement having to do with the prior crime. I missed all of that Friday drama. I was at work performing accounting tasks and feeling left out as I wondered if juror #6* brought more awesome coffee cake to the jury room.
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*I actually have no idea what her juror number was. I just didn’t want to use her first name in case she wishes to remain anonymous. But damn, she brought goodies every day!
