Huckaby pleads guilty, avoids death penalty
by Justin Lafferty
May 10, 2010
This is the weekly newspaper that won awards for its reporting on this case. Jennifer Wadsworth's interview with Huckaby, when heard by the police is basically what led to her arrest.
In this article today, it talks about:
"San Joaquin County Superior Court Judge Linda Lofthus asked Huckaby if shes had time to talk with her attorneys and if she really planned to plead guilty, giving up the right to a jury trial, to which she answered yes.
After Lofthus finished most of her questioning of Huckaby, Testa wanted the judge to make sure Huckaby was in the right state of mind to make the plea. He noted that her behavior in prison, such as trying to hurt herself at one point, was odd.
She appears extremely coherent today, but I just worry down the road, Testa said, worrying that Huckaby might change her plea.
Lofthus told Testa that she appears fine to me, but asked Huckaby anyway if she understood what was going on.
She asked if there has been a change in her medication recently, something Huckaby declined.
No, I am currently stable on medication, thank you, Huckaby said.
After the questioning, Lofthus said she accepted Huckabys plea. Her attorneys and Testa spoke with members of the Huckaby and Cantu families before coming up with the June 14 date for sentencing.
While Lofthus said shed allow one camera at the sentencing, she said the gag order, preventing anyone related to the case from speaking to the media, is still in effect. Testa brought up the notion of lifting it and Behar and Huckabys attorney, Michael Burt, said they had no objection.
Lofthus said she worried that things were moving too quickly and wanted some time to think about the gag order."
raying:
