Trial Is Delayed by Hit Man’s Silence
A judge postponed the murder trial involving the former owner of several nude clubs Wednesday after a prosecutor revealed that the hit man at the center of the case will not testify.
The disclosure came moments after a jury was selected in the case of Michael Woods, a retired CHP officer accused of ordering the 1989 murder of his former partner in a battle over a chain of strip clubs.
Woods’ lawyers said they planned to base their defense on the testimony of John Patrick Sheridan, who has admitted to the machine-gun slaying of Horace “Big Mac” McKenna. The lawyers said Sheridan has made numerous inconsistent statements about the slayings, evidence that Woods might not have been involved.
Sheridan, who wore a hidden recording wire last year while gathering evidence against Woods and a third suspect, has agreed to plead guilty to manslaughter and receive a sentence of 20 years, according to court records.
Because he has yet to plead guilty, he can decline to testify to avoid incriminating himself, attorneys said.
One of Woods’ attorneys, Vicki Podberesky, accused prosecutors of delaying Sheridan’s guilty plea to prevent him from testifying.
Deputy Dist. Atty. Bruce Moore declined comment.
Judge Kazuharu Makino, who said he could consider a mistrial, scheduled a hearing for Friday.
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