2 months ago
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TULARE COUNTY, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) – A antheral who was jailed pursuing the shooting decease of an unarmed 18-year-old successful Tulare County has received clemency from Governor Newsom, according to the Tulare County DA's office.
Governor Gavin Newsom accepted a plea for clemency and commuted the condemnation of 39-year-old Richard Miguel Garcia, who was recovered blameworthy of participating successful the pack sidesplitting of an 18-year-old antheral successful 2009 successful Tulare County, according to the Tulare County District Attorney’s Office.
Richard Miguel Garcia was recovered blameworthy successful 2011 of execution successful the 2nd grade and conspiracy, on with the peculiar allegations of main usage of a firearm successful a pack lawsuit causing large bodily injury, and the peculiar allegation that the crimes were committed for the payment of a transgression thoroughfare gang.
Garcia was sentenced to 50 years to beingness successful prison.
According to the DA, connected August 28, 2009, Garcia and 3 different pack members equipped themselves with a weapon and drove astir looking for rival pack members. The 18-year-old unfortunate was with a person walking connected the broadside of the roadworthy adjacent Orosi wearing a bluish shirt. Garcia and his friends saw the unfortunate and decided to halt the car.
Officials accidental Garcia’s co-defendant got retired of the conveyance and fired respective shots, sidesplitting 1 unfortunate and injuring different successful the leg. Garcia confessed to instrumentality enforcement that helium was alert his co-defendant had a gun, and that the weapon was intended for seeking retired rival pack members.
On appeal, Garcia’s condemnation was reduced to 40 years-to-life for an instructional mistake fixed astatine proceedings regarding the conspiracy charge, according to the DA.
Since his conviction, the DA said Garcia has filed 3 petitions for re-sentencing. In each instance, a Tulare County justice denied his petition. The politician took nary enactment erstwhile Garcia archetypal filed for clemency successful 2023. The plea for clemency was signed by Governor Newsom connected April 18, 2025.
“With the swipe of a pen, the politician voided the determination of the assemblage and the aggregate decisions of Tulare County judges, jurists who presided wherever the transgression took place, heard witnesser testimony, and understood the interaction to the community,” said District Attorney Tim Ward. “The suspect is lone one-third of the mode into a 40-year-to-life condemnation for a cold-blooded convulsive crime. By his ain admission, helium and his co-defendants went looking to inflict unit that evening successful 2009. They were virtually hunting different quality beings. This bureau volition beryllium contiguous and reason against this defendant’s merchandise astatine immoderate aboriginal parole hearing.”
Garcia is instantly eligible for a parole proceeding and, if recovered suitable, volition beryllium released from prison.
Garcia is presently serving his beingness condemnation astatine the California Substance Abuse Treatment Facility successful Corcoran.
