A judge accepted not guilty pleas Tuesday from the two suspects
police said took part in a drive-by shooting last month to avenge
the death of their fellow gang member.
A judge accepted not guilty pleas Tuesday from the two suspects police said took part in a drive-by shooting last month to avenge the death of their fellow gang member.
Police are still searching for the three suspects who shot and killed 18-year-old Larry Martinez Jr. in broad daylight Nov. 11, but two days after the young man’s death, police arrested Israel Juarez and Joshua Williams. Officers said Juarez, 18, was a fellow Norteño gang member who allegedly fired a .380 caliber handgun multiple times to avenge Martinez’s death at an SUV driven by an unknown man. Police reports claim he did so from the passenger seat of a black Honda Civic driven by Joshua Williams, 18.
After his client’s brief appearance Tuesday afternoon at the Santa Clara County Superior Courthouse in San Martin, Juarez’s lawyer, James Leininger, sounded matter-of-fact in regard to his client’s and William’s not guilty pleas.
“Of course that’s how they pleaded. It’s the American Constitution,” Leininger said.
Williams’ public defense attorney, Deputy Public Defender Louella Tsai, has been struggling with her client. Williams has insisted to the judges at his last two appearances that a conflict of interest exists between himself and Tsai. A private hearing sometime before Dec. 10 will evaluate his claim, but in the meantime, Judge Teresa Guerrero-Daley scheduled preliminary examinations for both defendants at 9 a.m. Dec. 10 in Department 92.
Click here to read the previous story about the drive-by shooting.
