Local News in Brief : Galanter Case Verdicts In
Jurors reached a decision Friday in the trial of a former gang member charged with stabbing City Councilwoman Ruth Galanter during a burglary at her Venice home, but the verdicts were sealed until next week.
The Los Angeles Superior Court jury in the one-week trial reached its verdicts about three hours after beginning deliberations.
Judge Raymond Mireles ordered the verdicts sealed until Monday because defense attorney James Epstein could not get back to the courthouse in time for the verdicts to be announced Friday.
In closing arguments, Deputy Dist. Atty. Dale Davidson told jurors that defendant Mark Allen Olds deliberately tried to stab Galanter to death and therefore should be convicted of attempted murder with premeditation.
But Epstein, while conceding that Olds stabbed Galanter twice in the neck during a nighttime burglary at her Venice home May 6, said there is no evidence that the attack was premeditated.
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