Thornton Jury Not Tainted, Judge Rules
Extensive background checks on grand jurors did not create a biased panel or taint an indictment against Mark Scott Thornton, who is accused of killing a Westlake woman, a judge ruled Friday.
Ventura County Superior Court Judge Charles R. McGrath rejected a motion by defense attorneys that prosecutors had unfair influence over the grand jury because of background checks performed by investigators with the district attorney’s office.
Authorities say Thornton, 19, of Thousand Oaks kidnaped and fatally shot Westlake nurse Kellie O’Sullivan during a carjacking. The Ventura County grand jury indicted him Dec. 6 on a variety of charges, including a special circumstance that makes him eligible for the death penalty.
Deputy Public Defender Susan R. Olson argued that the background checks violated the principal of separation of powers between prosecutors and judges.
But McGrath rejected Olson’s argument and said the background checks were necessary to help judges choose a qualified panel of grand jurors.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
