Mother Urges Lenient Sentence in Han Murder Conspiracy Case

The mother of a woman scheduled to be sentenced to prison next week for conspiring to kill her twin sister is hoping the judge will show mercy in the case.

“I want [the judge] to give her one more chance for her life,” Boo I. Kim said of her daughter Jeen Han. “She could stay in jail for 25 years, and I’m very scared for her. I’m her mom.”

Superior Court Judge Eileen C. Moore could sentence Han to 25 years to life in prison, a prospect her mother dreads. Kim’s daughter, along with two teenage boys, were convicted of two counts each of conspiracy to commit murder and several other charges.

Kim, 49, said she feels largely responsible for her daughter’s troubles because she sent her and her twin sister, Sunny, to live with relatives when they were teenagers. “I’m a mother just like any mother,” she said. “I want my daughter to come out of jail as soon as possible.”

Last week, Kim sent a letter to the judge indicating that she believes she should be sent to jail instead of her daughter because of her shortcomings as a parent.

She also has turned to members of the Korean American Federation of Orange County for help. In response, the organization has mounted a petition drive in support of Jeen Han and amassed 800 signatures, said Koo Oh, president of the federation.

“We are not trying to say that Jeen is innocent, but we are asking for leniency,” Kim said. “We’re trying to say, ‘Bring down the sentence.’ ”

Deputy Public Defender Roger Alexander, Han’s attorney, said Tuesday that he first learned of the petition drive last week. He does not know what kind of effect it will have on the judge’s ultimate decision, but he thanked federation members Tuesday for their efforts.

“It can’t hurt,” Alexander said. “I know Jeen appreciates the support. She felt very much alone.”

Alexander said the judge could set aside the most serious charge and sentence his client on lesser charges. He said now that Han’s mother has come forward, he hopes to present to the judge a better understanding of Han’s childhood, including some perspective on the Korean culture.

“I’m learning for the first time details I didn’t know about,” Alexander said. “I just hope it’s not too late.”

Deputy Dist. Atty. Bruce Moore, who prosecuted the case, said he was not aware of the petition drive. But the prosecutor pointed out that the legislatively mandated term for a conspiracy to commit murder is 25 years to life.

“I don’t think that’s inappropriate,” he said of the potential sentence. “If you believe she’s innocent, then the penalty is too harsh, but the jury found otherwise.”

Jurors agreed with the prosecution’s assertion that Jeen Han plotted with 17-year-old Archie Bryant and 16-year-old John Sayarath to kill her sister.

Sunny Han, along with her roommate, Helen Kim, were tied up at gunpoint in November 1996 inside their Irvine apartment, but police arrived before anyone was harmed. Helen Kim is not related Boo Kim.

The case has attracted international media attention and was shown daily on the Court TV cable network. Kim attended her daughter’s preliminary hearing but said she found it too difficult to attend the trial.

Jeen Han, Bryant and Sayarath, all of San Diego, are scheduled to be sentenced Jan. 30.