Woman convicted of killing Marine husband gets new trial, but no bail

[sasquatch]

Source: court tv news

SAN DIEGO — A new trial, a new judge, but no bail for Cynthia Sommer. The 34-year-old, who was convicted of killing her husband, will spend her third Christmas behind bars while her defense prepares to retry her case this spring.

"I'm going to continue to deny bail," Judge Peter Deddeh ruled Wednesday at Sommer's bail hearing.

Deddeh, who presided over Sommer's first trial, said that new judicial responsibilities have made it impossible for him to remain on the case.

A Dec. 19 hearing was set to discuss reassignment to a new judge.

Sommer's defense attorney, Allen Bloom, will request that trial begin by May.


Read more: http://www.courttv.com/trials/sommer/121207_ctv.html

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Laura Gunn needs to go to jail like Mike Nifong did.

[Zorro]

1. Charges being dropped against widow in Marine's fatal poisoning

Hot off the press:

<snip>

SAN DIEGO – Murder charges against Cynthia Sommer are in the process of being dropped after District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis filed a motion Thursday in Superior Court to dismiss the case, according to a statement from her office.

The Florida woman was accused of fatally poisoning her Marine husband, Sgt. Todd Sommer, 23, who collapsed Feb. 18, 2002, in the couple's bedroom at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar. He later died at a hospital.

On Jan. 30, 2007, a jury convicted Sommer, 34, of murdering her husband with the poison arsenic for financial gain. The conviction carries a maximum sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole.

<snip>

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/metro/20080417-1705-bn17sommer.html

[sasquatch]

2. I hope they sue Laura Gunn's ass off!

She put that family in economic distruction so she could show off to her collegues that she could convict someone without evidence. This women needs to be placed in prison now!

[Thothmes]

3. On the News this moning

She is a free woman anow. No new trial, DA dropped all charges. A recent test of the deceaseds tissues failed to show the presence of any arsenic.

[sasquatch]

5. Which means the Deputy DA probably had the test corrupted to prove a case

It's also physiologically impossible for someone to have that amount of arsenic in a tissue sample.

[proud2BlibKansan]

4. I smell a lawsuit for wrongful prosecution

In preparation for the bail hearing, Bloom presented 16 letters to the judge in support of Sommer. He also told Deddeh that Sommer was indigent, her family was bankrupt, and her mother had been forced to sell the furniture out of her home.

"The risk of flight is virtually non-existent, she has no means of flight and she has four kids," Bloom said.

Sommer's three boys — ages 7, 11 and 13 — are living with Sommer's brother in Michigan. Her 16-year-old daughter resides with her mother.

If Sommer had been granted bail, anonymous advocates were poised to post their homes as bond. Bloom cited an offer from a woman in Oregon. Deddeh said he received a letter Tuesday from a woman in Arizona who was willing to put up her house.

The judge stated for a second time that he finds personal letters to the court inappropriate and they do not affect his decisions.

The family has raised nearly $14,000 in donations to help defray legal bills that are expected to tally to about half a million dollars, according to Sommer's cousin Todd Tice.

[sasquatch]

6. Also have the prosecuter charged with evidence contamination

[Luna_C_06]

7. I remember a thread that was posted after she had been convicted.

And the word bitch was used of course. This (and other stories like it) makes me wonder how many other Innocent people are behind bars.