Ghost Ship Trial: Max Harris acquitted, mistrial declared for Derick Almena

[Eugene]

Source: KRON-TV

OAKLAND (KRON) — Defendant Max Harris was acquitted Thursday on all counts in the Oakland Ghost Ship Trial, while jurors were deadlocked on a verdict for the second defendant Derick Almena.

The two men were accused in the deadly warehouse fire in Oakland that killed 36 people in December of 2016.

The jury was deadlocked 10-2, with the majority favoring a guilty verdict for Almena, causing a mistrial.

Almena will return to Alameda County Superior Court on Oct. 4.

-snip-

by: Kayla Galloway
Posted: Sep 5, 2019 / 02:45 PM PDT / Updated: Sep 5, 2019 / 04:17 PM PDT


Read more: https://www.kron4.com/news/ghost-ship/ghost-ship-trial-harris-acquitted-jurors-hung-on-almena/

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Source: The Guardian

Oakland’s Ghost Ship fire: mistrial declared in manslaughter case after 36 killed

Jury hung in case of master tenant as his alleged right-hand man acquitted

Vivian Ho in Oakland
Thu 5 Sep 2019 22.51 BSTLast modified on Fri 6 Sep 2019 01.06 BST

Almost three years after a fire tore through the “Ghost Ship” warehouse in Oakland, killing 36 people, a jury has acquitted one man of involuntary manslaughter but was unable to reach a verdict on the master tenant.

Jurors were “hopelessly deadlocked” in the case against Derick Almena, 49, who illegally rented out the space and developed it as an artists’ commune, said the superior court judge Trina Thompson on Thursday. “I must declare a mistrial.”

Almena had faced up to 39 years in prison for the 2 December 2016 fire.

Max Harris, 29, Almena’s purported right-hand man, was found not guilty on all charges.

-snip-

Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/sep/05/oaklands-ghost-ship-fire-mistrial-declared-in-manslaughter-case-after-36-killed

[emmaverybo]

1. Do not understand how the city not responsible in that inspectors failed to do their due diligence

inspecting and how distant property owner gets a pass when it seems she made no effort to ensure her property was used safely. Maybe culpability on the part of those entities will be civil matters.

A heartbreaking and avoidable tragedy.

[3Hotdogs]

2. Written about in N.Y.Times.

My feeling, after reading, not guilty.

Sad, but not guilty.

[RandySF]

3. Un-fucking-believable

They got away with 36 murders.

[jberryhill]

4. Yep

[Mr.Bill]

6. They weren't even charged with murder.

Murder in the first or second degree in California requires malice.

They were charged with Manslaughter.

[MicaelS]

7. The city is just as at fault.

Why did inspectors not prevent this from occuring?

[RockRaven]

5. At one point Harris had pleaded guilty in exchange for a 6 year sentence...

Now he walks.

I must assume the DA will re-try Almena.