Found Deceased CA - Blaze Bernstein, 19, Lake Forest, 2 Jan 2018 #6 *Arrest*

[Gussified]

Can you imagine all the teenage drama they have to sift thru? Not diminishing the murder, of course, or the possible motive and what led up to the murder, but they’ll have to review a lot of stuff that’s completely unrelated to find and ascertain the stuff that is related.

 

[epiphany]

Did anyone ask about where the crime was committed? Do we know it was at the park?

He stated that the Time & Location of the murder was not known yet

 

[Cherry]

http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2018/01/17/charges-samuel-woodward-blaze-bernstein-murder/
news conference live on facebook page later today.

 

[LAhiker]

Arraignment press conference summary...

Charged with murder - not yet evidence of Special Circumstances but still searching

Time and place of murder not yet known

No more info to be revealed until preliminary hearing

Premeditation - no determination at this time

Surveillance of SW was a big part of the investigation

Can't say yet whether it was a hate crime - still trying to determine this - will not rule it out

Surveillance revealed that SW was cleaning a vehicle

No details disclosed of prior relationship - they went to the same high school - still developing evidence

Investigating communication between BB, SW, and others

Affidavit questions - why can't we have all the details?
- Still investigating - have a duty not to go into too much detail
- Much might be revealed at prelim hearing

Motive - still developing this - still need more evidence

Bail hearing will be later today - DA thinks he should be denied bail - concerned about neighbor safety
- Likelihood of bail being set - not yet a special circumstance case
- Bail schedule says 1M - DA will ask for more - reasons to be disclosed at bail hearing

Did SW confess? DA not at liberty to discuss SW statements to LE

Act of rage? Cannot discuss

Process to amend charges - raise or lower - depends on additional evidence - no anticipation of downgrading

Cannot discuss detail of SW background

Investigating all forms of digital communication for evidence

Cannot discuss whether murder weapon has been found

Victim's DNA was on property in control of SW

Thanks for the awesome summary, stlrfninca! I wonder when the preliminary hearing will be. I have the feeling that this case will be a long road a-winding.

 

[Gussified]

So I gotta say, the OC DA sounds like a decent fellow, doesn't seem like he was trying to score political points and is going to treat this case fairly.

He seemed to get a little emotional when someone asked about BB’s family.

 

[Coquette]

After watching live I think it’s lead the DA wants to do everything possible to keep SW off the streets. It’s also clear that a Hate Crime charge is still possible and there is little chance the charges will be downgraded. MOO.

 

[Mica]

Re possible hate crime:

- this is ongoing investigation

- looking through all manners of communication

- we are trying to determine that

Hasn’t been ruled out as of yet.

 

[stlrfninca]

If anyone sees or read about the bail hearing - and IF, and that's a BIG IF - they give a prelim hearing date - please post! I'm following this one.

Thanks for the cliff notes on the PC stlrfninca! Found it when the last two questions were asked.

YW Niner. I'm very interested to know when the prelim date is as well. Is this something that is typically set at the bail hearing?

Also is the bail hearing the same as the arraignment? I'm unclear if the arraignment actually already happened or if it was just that formal charges were filed. I thought the defendant has to plead 'guilty' or 'not guilty' at the arraignment and there was no mention of that at the PC

 

[stlrfninca]

After watching live I think it’s lead the DA wants to do everything possible to keep SW off the streets. It’s also clear that a Hate Crime charge is still possible and there is little chance the charges will be downgraded. MOO.

Yes, I got that as well. DA indicated he will prosecute to the "fullest extent that the evidence supports".

He made it very clear that they still have much to do in terms of gathering, reviewing, and deciphering evidence.

 

[Niner]

property that belonged to SW had BB dna on it (ie the knife?)

I think he meant the sleeping bag - as that's all we have heard that had BB's DNA on it.... :dunno: your guess is as good as mine!

 

[oceanblueeyes]

I wonder how Blaze and SW met since I just read they weren't friends while in high school. That explains why no students have talked about SW and Blaze being friends when they went to the same school. At least I haven't seen any prior students who have commented to the media that they even knew each other in HS.

IMO

 

[SleuthDr]

property that belonged to SW had BB dna on it (ie the knife?) This is how I interpreted that statement.

Best guess is the sleeping bag, which was at SW's home.

 

[Niner]

YW Niner. I'm very interested to know when the prelim date is as well. Is this something that is typically set at the bail hearing?

Also is the bail hearing the same as the arraignment? I'm unclear if the arraignment actually already happened or if it was just that formal charges were filed. I thought the defendant has to plead 'guilty' or 'not guilty' at the arraignment and there was no mention of that at the PC

Usually I find the prelim hearing date in a news article. Sometimes they do mention the next hearing date at the arraignment - which this is. They will read the charges, set bail, he'll enter his plea, and HOPEFULLY they'll say - next hearing is.....

 

[Deleted member 278]

What, exactly, was said about SW returning to the park after the murder?

 

[stlrfninca]

Can you imagine all the teenage drama they have to sift thru? Not diminishing the murder, of course, or the possible motive and what led up to the murder, but they’ll have to review a lot of stuff that’s completely unrelated to find and ascertain the stuff that is related.

Absolutely, and they have to be very deliberate about documenting how the different pieces fit together, credibility of witnesses, etc.

They can't make snap judgments like we do here - the wheels of justice sometimes turn slowly

 

[stlrfninca]

What, exactly, was said about SW returning to the park after the murder?

Nothing... other than it happened... no details as to when or why

 

[stlrfninca]

I wonder how Blaze and SW met since I just read they weren't friends while in high school. That explains why no students have talked about SW and Blaze being friends when they went to the same school. At least I haven't seen any prior students who have commented to the media that they even knew each other in HS.

IMO

They were friends in high school - where did you read that?

 

[Deleted member 158085]

As a 9th grade girl driving a 9th grade boy to his home on the way to her house in a golf cart, as boy exits golf cart, unexpectedly boy grabs head starts kissing..girl pushes boy says.. "you ." The boy is technical a , parents are not married. Boy committed offense, girl defense offensive word.

Based on BB's texts "rumor closeted" & "wanting to have sex with rumor closeted" & SW words to LE, BB offensive kissing SW defense offensive word does "one" word equal planned hate crime.

Apples and oranges. is not an entirely derogatory term, whereas the F word's entire meaning is offensive. Part of its definition is NOT a gay man without derogatory meaning.

bas·tard

\ˈbas-tərd\

noun

1*:*an*illegitimate*child

2*:*something*that*is*spurious,*irregular,*inferior, or of*questionableorigin

3 a*:*an*offensive*or*disagreeableperson*—*used*as a*generalized*termof*abuse*
b*:*man,*fellow

·got

\ˈfa-gət\

noun

offensive*—used*as an*insulting*and*contemptuous*term*for a*malehomosexual





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[Niner]

So, if I have this right - all he has been charged with right now is "Murder", correct?

I wonder if there will be any tweeters in the court room, or jail courtroom..... I hope so! AND that they follow this trial to the end.

Anyone find any tweeters out there yet? TIA!

 

[clearskies1]

My understanding is that a felony defendant has a right to a preliminary hearing within 10 court days of the arraignment/not guilty plea. If the defendant waives that right, he still has a right to have the preliminary hearing within 60 calendar days of the arraignment.