Lamar Warren | Homicide Watch Trentonhttp://trenton.homicidewatch.org/suspects/lamar-warren/Latest news about Lamar Warrenen-usSun, 31 Aug 2014 19:40:19 -0400State courts to review sentencing of Tamrah Leonard’s killerhttp://trenton.homicidewatch.org/2014/08/31/state-courts-to-review-sentencing-of-tamrah-leonards-killer/<p>New Jersey’s “excessive punishment panel’’ of learned judges couldn’t get <a href="http://trenton.homicidewatch.org/victims/tamrah-leonard/" >Tamrah Leonard</a>’s killer, <a href="http://trenton.homicidewatch.org/suspects/lamar-warren/" >Lamar Warren</a>, a break on his 39-year sentence.</p> <p>Superior Court appeals judges Paulette Sapp-Peterson, Trenton’s own, and Jack Sabatino sent the Warren case back to Mercer County Superior Court Judge Mark Fleming for “reconsideration.’’ <span id="more-1992"></span></p> <p>The panel affirmed the judgment of the trial court. “However, we remand to the trial court for reconsideration of whether the conviction for possession of a weapon for unlawful purpose merges with the aggravated manslaughter conviction.’’</p> <p>In other words, maybe the charge for possession of the handgun that killed 13-year-old Leonard in a drive-by gang shooting on June 7, 2009, shouldn’t have been counted for sentencing purposes in this case.</p> <p>“There are no free crimes,’’ Fleming said, adding that his reading of sentencing rules permitted him to give Warren 30 years for the reduced murder charge, plus another nine for the weapons offense.</p> <p>The judge also noted that 30 years on aggravated manslaughter plus nine more for the gun was the deal worked out between the Mercer prosecutor and Warren lawyer Frank Gleason, whose client could get out by age 55 with good behavior.</p> <p>Across America, most states have “excessive punishment’’ panels intended to reverse, typically, terms of life or near life given to non-violent, if repeat, offenders. Jersey’s was set up in 1987.</p> <p>In Jersey, any convict can appeal saying the punishment was too harsh and the appeals-court judges assigned to the panel will give them a hearing.</p> <p>Jersey convicts also are entitled to “post-conviction relief’’ on a variety of grounds other than the sentence was too severe.</p> <p>A recent ACLU report said “thousands of prisoners are serving life without parole sentences in the United States for nonviolent drug and property crimes.’’</p> <p>But the judge and Assistant Mercer Prosecutor Doris Galuchie decided Warren was no poster boy for the campaign against excessive judicial punishment.</p> Paul MickleSun, 31 Aug 2014 19:40:19 -0400http://trenton.homicidewatch.org/2014/08/31/state-courts-to-review-sentencing-of-tamrah-leonards-killer/Tamrah LeonardLamar WarrenJudge rejects plea to reduce sentence for Tamrah Leonard’s killerhttp://trenton.homicidewatch.org/2014/08/26/judge-rejects-plea-to-reduce-sentence-for-tamrah-leonards-killer/<p>A judge rejected a plea Tuesday to take nine years off the 39 the admitted triggerman got for the drive-by killing of 13-year-old <a href="http://trenton.homicidewatch.org/victims/tamrah-leonard/" >Tamrah Leonard</a> on June 7, 2009.</p> <p>Mercer County Superior Court Judge Mark Fleming said an appeals court panel might have mistakenly ruled that the gun charge <a href="http://trenton.homicidewatch.org/suspects/lamar-warren/" >Lamar Warren</a> also pleaded guilty to should have been merged with the murder for sentencing purposes.</p> <p>“There are no free crimes,’’ said Fleming. <span id="more-1988"></span></p> <a href="http://wordpress.homicidewatch.org/trenton/files/2013/01/Lamar-Warren.jpg" ><img src="http://wordpress.homicidewatch.org/trenton/files/2013/01/Lamar-Warren-213x300.jpg" alt="Lamar Warren" width="213" height="300" class="size-medium wp-image-560" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Lamar Warren</p> <p>He said his reading of the law permitted him to approve a plea deal giving Warren 30 years for the aggravated manslaughter of the girl, plus an additional nine years on the weapon charge.</p> <p>He noted that Warren agreed to the plea deal before he was formally sentenced on Oct. 22 amid screams from Leonard’s family that 39 years wasn’t nearly enough for “animal” Warren, who is now 23.</p> <p>Fleming said he was asked to review the sentence after the “excessive sentencing panel’’ of the New Jersey Supreme Court sent it back to him for possible resentencing.</p> <p>Assistant Mercer Prosecutor Doris Galuchie called it a technicality that shouldn’t shorten the 39-year term, despite defense lawyer Frank Gleason’s argument that the gun case should have been merged into a manslaughter charge downgraded from murder.</p> <p>With the judge’s rejection of Gleason’s appeals-court-inspired plea, shackled Warren jangled out of the courtroom under escort for the trip back to prison, where he’s slated to stay until about age 48.</p> Paul MickleTue, 26 Aug 2014 20:21:22 -0400http://trenton.homicidewatch.org/2014/08/26/judge-rejects-plea-to-reduce-sentence-for-tamrah-leonards-killer/Tamrah LeonardLamar WarrenTrial for 13-year-old’s murder postponedhttp://trenton.homicidewatch.org/2013/01/22/trial-for-13-year-olds-murder-postponed/<p>The trial for Lamar Warren, the seventh and final defendant in the murder of 13-year-old Tamrah Leonard, has been postponed as Warren will be changing attorneys.<br /> <a href="http://wordpress.homicidewatch.org/trenton/2013/01/10/accused-killer-of-13-year-old-tamrah-leonard-due-in-court-friday/lamar-warren/" rel="attachment wp-att-560"><img src="http://wordpress.homicidewatch.org/trenton/files/2013/01/Lamar-Warren-213x300.jpg" alt="Lamar Warren" width="213" height="300" class="size-medium wp-image-560" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Lamar Warren</p><br /> Jury selection was to start on Tuesday, but instead Judge Mark Fleming met with prosecutors and Warren’s public defender, Ronald Garzio, behind closed doors.<br /> It had come to light that Garzio had impermissible contact with two of the state’s witnesses. Fleming did not reveal who Garzio had contacted or what the nature of the communication was, but did have Garzio step down as Warren’s lawyer.<br /> <span id="more-636"></span><br /> Frank Gleason was appointed as Warren’s attorney. To give him time to get caught up on the case, Fleming set a conference date for next Tuesday.<br /> Leonard was killed in 2009 when Warren and six others allegedly drove by a block party on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard in two vehicles firing numerous shots.<br /> Warren and his accomplices were members of the gang Sex Money Murder and they were looking to kill Gangster Killer Bloods.<br /> Leonard, who was a bystander of the shooting, died from a gunshot wound to the back.<br /> <a href="http://wordpress.homicidewatch.org/trenton/2013/01/10/accused-killer-of-13-year-old-tamrah-leonard-due-in-court-friday/tamrah-leonard/" rel="attachment wp-att-561"><img src="http://wordpress.homicidewatch.org/trenton/files/2013/01/Tamrah-Leonard-205x300.jpg" alt="Tamrah Leonard" width="205" height="300" class="size-medium wp-image-561" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Tamrah Leonard</p><br /> The other six defendents — Rasheed Miller, Robert Humphrey, James James, Michael Jennings, Keith Warren and Bernard Baines — have all accepted some form of a plea agreement.</p> Brian DzenisTue, 22 Jan 2013 18:55:13 -0500http://trenton.homicidewatch.org/2013/01/22/trial-for-13-year-olds-murder-postponed/Tamrah LeonardLamar WarrenFinal defendant in Leonard slaying rejects plea deal, wants a trialhttp://trenton.homicidewatch.org/2013/01/11/final-defendant-in-leonard-slaying-rejects-plea-deal-wants-a-trial/<p>Judge Mark Fleming wanted to make sure Lamar Warren knew exactly what he was doing.<br /> Warren, <a href="http://www.trentonian.com/article/20090623/NEWS/306239980/0/SEARCH/cops-7-gangbangers-busted-(and-counting)-in-senseless-murder-of-13-year-old" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','http://www.trentonian.com']);">one of seven men</a> implicated in the murder of 13-year-old Tamrah Leonard in 2009, turned down a deal of 50 years in prison to bring the case to trial.<br /> <a href="http://wordpress.homicidewatch.org/trenton/2013/01/10/accused-killer-of-13-year-old-tamrah-leonard-due-in-court-friday/lamar-warren/" rel="attachment wp-att-560"><img src="http://wordpress.homicidewatch.org/trenton/files/2013/01/Lamar-Warren-213x300.jpg" alt="Lamar Warren" width="213" height="300" class="size-medium wp-image-560" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Lamar Warren</p><br /> The other six men — Rasheed Miller, Robert Humphrey, James James, Michael Jennings, Keith Warren and Bernard Baines — have all accepted some form of a plea agreement.<br /> <span id="more-569"></span><br /> Fleming asked Warren if he knew he could face 85 years-to-life if the case went to trial, if he has seen the evidence against him, if he was aware that <a href="http://www.trentonian.com/article/20120518/NEWS01/120519737/0/SEARCH/four-plead-guilty-in-tamrah-leonard-slaying" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','http://www.trentonian.com']);">his alleged accomplices took plea deals</a> and that their cooperation with authorities would “substantially” implicate him in Leonard’s murder.<br /> Standing up in a orange Mercer County Corrections uniform in handcuffs and shackles, Warren answered yes to every single question.</p> <blockquote><p>“This is about as clear as a murder can be,” prosecutors said.</p></blockquote> <p><a href="http://www.trentonian.com/article/20090609/NEWS/306099987/0/SEARCH/surveillance-tape-could-help-solve-murder-of-13-year-old" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','http://www.trentonian.com']);">Leonard died from a gunshot wound</a> to the back when the suspects in two vehicles sprayed a block party on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard with bullets.<br /> <a href="http://wordpress.homicidewatch.org/trenton/2013/01/10/accused-killer-of-13-year-old-tamrah-leonard-due-in-court-friday/tamrah-leonard/" rel="attachment wp-att-561"><img src="http://wordpress.homicidewatch.org/trenton/files/2013/01/Tamrah-Leonard-205x300.jpg" alt="Tamrah Leonard" width="205" height="300" class="size-medium wp-image-561" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Tamrah Leonard</p><br /> The crew was part of the gang Sex Money Murder and they were looking to kill members of the Gangster Killer Bloods. Leonard was a bystander in the shooting.<br /> The case will go to trial on Jan. 22.</p> Brian DzenisFri, 11 Jan 2013 18:27:53 -0500http://trenton.homicidewatch.org/2013/01/11/final-defendant-in-leonard-slaying-rejects-plea-deal-wants-a-trial/Tamrah LeonardLamar Warren