Thread: NC: Driver involved in fatal wreck also in U.S. illegally

Well martinez had to be taken to another prison here in NC the prisoners was threating him . A guard from the high prison where he was told me that as soon as the prisoners where he is finds out what he did they will be out to get him thier too . He said he will ever be safe in the NC prisons. I am minnie_girl65 i could not gte my password to work right so i made a new nick i like this 1 better later all .

Thanks for the update! I hope he gets what's he deserves. Just like the rest of the scum who have done these things.

martinez will be in court July 9 , 2007 to set up court dates and times . I will keep u all infor about it .Thanks Leeannas aunt

Sat, Sep 1, 2007

Letter: Program would help detain illegal aliens
In response to the Aug. 26 editorial "Sheriffs have hands full":

My family understands the necessity of the 287-g program. Leeanna Newman, my cousin, was killed Feb. 6 in an accident caused by Carlos Alfonso Guillen Martinez, an illegal alien, as he fled Kannapolis police through downtown Landis. Martinez had been arrested numerous times using six aliases. Had the 287-g program been in place, Martinez would not have been able to slip through cracks using these aliases because he would have been identified by his fingerprints. Instead, Martinez was able to use these aliases because no method of positive identification was available. The police departments trusted the information given by this criminal because the technology was unavailable to obtain the factual information.

The editorial's concern is that this program will make local officials responsible for enforcing federal immigration laws. With approximately 300,000 illegals living in North Carolina, this is a local problem that needs be addressed in our county and neighborhoods. Leeanna's life was taken in downtown Landis; how much closer to home does this have to happen before we take action? This program will not "chip away at local authorities' ability to perform their main crime-fighting duties." As an illegal alien, these individuals are the criminals from which our local authorities need to protect us. Estimates indicate that nearly 5 percent of all prisoners are deportable. Bed space would be created in our jails through this program and allow our justice system to more quickly process the criminals our own country produces.

In closing, this program was initially included in the current sheriff's budget, but was cut by our commissioners during the budget review process. Please contact the county commissioners and tell them you support the 287-g program.

Illegal aliens in our county need to be identified, detained and then sent home.

— Jennifer Raper


http://www.salisburypost.com/opinion/31 ... 916473.php

Originally Posted by jean

Sat, Sep 1, 2007

Letter: Program would help detain illegal aliens
In response to the Aug. 26 editorial "Sheriffs have hands full":

My family understands the necessity of the 287-g program. Leeanna Newman, my cousin, was killed Feb. 6 in an accident caused by Carlos Alfonso Guillen Martinez, an illegal alien, as he fled Kannapolis police through downtown Landis. Martinez had been arrested numerous times using six aliases. Had the 287-g program been in place, Martinez would not have been able to slip through cracks using these aliases because he would have been identified by his fingerprints. Instead, Martinez was able to use these aliases because no method of positive identification was available. The police departments trusted the information given by this criminal because the technology was unavailable to obtain the factual information.

The editorial's concern is that this program will make local officials responsible for enforcing federal immigration laws. With approximately 300,000 illegals living in North Carolina, this is a local problem that needs be addressed in our county and neighborhoods. Leeanna's life was taken in downtown Landis; how much closer to home does this have to happen before we take action? This program will not "chip away at local authorities' ability to perform their main crime-fighting duties." As an illegal alien, these individuals are the criminals from which our local authorities need to protect us. Estimates indicate that nearly 5 percent of all prisoners are deportable. Bed space would be created in our jails through this program and allow our justice system to more quickly process the criminals our own country produces.

In closing, this program was initially included in the current sheriff's budget, but was cut by our commissioners during the budget review process. Please contact the county commissioners and tell them you support the 287-g program.

Illegal aliens in our county need to be identified, detained and then sent home.

— Jennifer Raper


http://www.salisburypost.com/opinion/31 ... 916473.php

Excellent letter!

Why is it so difficult for county commisioners (not just in Rowan County, but EVERYWHERE) to see how much we need the 287g program? Even when people are dying they don't get their heads out of the sand!! It will have to happen to a member of their own families before they'll take action. (shaking head)

Jury selection begins in Martinez case
Updated: 09/17/2007 01:18 PM
By: Jennifer Moxley

Martinez Trial
News 14 Carolina's Jennifer Moxley has more on jury selection from the Rowan County courthouse.

SALISBURY, N.C. -- Jury selection got under way Monday in the trial against an illegal immigrant charged in the death of a pregnant Rowan County woman.

Rigo Martinez is accused of driving drunk and causing the crash in February that killed 20-year-old Leanna Newman and her unborn child. The accident happened on South Main Street in Landis.


Rigo Martinez

Jury selection is expected to take about a day and a half. The Rowan County district attorney started by asking potential jurors if they had heard about the crash, and out of the first 12 jurors polled, only three had not heard anything about the case.

The clerk of court has two interpreters who will be in court to make sure Martinez understands what is going on in the trial since he doesn't speak English. Martinez is charged with second-degree murder and driving while impaired.

News 14 Carolina will have a camera in the courtroom once the trial starts and will have updates each day. The trial is only expected to last a few days.

http://news14.com/content/headlines/587 ... fault.aspx

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Fri, Sep 21, 2007
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Martinez gets maximum sentence

Rigo Verto Guillen-Martinez stands up during a court recess during his sentencing Thursday.Photo by Jon C. Lakey, Salisbury Post.
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Man convicted of second-degree murder in fatal crash will serve at least 23 years

By Shavonne Potts

Salisbury Post

A judge granted the pleas of a family and sentenced a man to 30 years for killing a young pregnant mother in a crash earlier this year.

Judge John L. Holshouser Jr. sentenced Rigo Verto Guillen-Martinez Thursday in Superior Court for causing the head-on collision that killed Leeanna Newman and her unborn baby in a February crash. Newman's family, including her aunts and husband, , spoke at Thursday's sentencing hearing, asking Holshouser to give him the maximum allowable sentence.

Holshouser ordered Martinez to serve the maximum possible — 28 1/2 years — for second-degree murder by vehicle, then two years for driving while impaired and then 45 days for hit and run/ failure to stop for property damage.

State sentencing guidelines gave Holshouser a range of sentence on the murder conviction of 23 to 281/2 years, but the judge said he wanted Martinez to serve the most.

Police said Martinez, driving a red Jeep Cherokee, struck another vehicle before he careened into Newman's Saturn in Landis. Martinez, driving an estimated 75 mph in a 35 mph zone, was attempting to turn as he fled from a Kannapolis police officer.

His blood alcohol level of .27 was more that three times the legal .08 limit. A paramedic said Tuesday that Martinez admitted after the crash that he'd had 20 beers.

Newman's aunt, Jean , described her night at the hospital with Leeanna and other family the night the 20-year-old died.

said she could not recognize Leeanna, who was swollen because of her injuries. She begged Leeanna to squeeze her hand back if she recognized her. tried to console her niece, running her hands through Leeanna's still bloody hair.

Only it was too late, Leeanna had already died.

It's difficult, watching Leeanna's daughter, 2-year-old Mallory, "try to brush her mother's teeth and feed her mommy's picture,".

Tina , Newman's older sister, said Leeanna is just a name to strangers, but in reality, she was "a mother, sister, aunt, niece, cousin, wife."

Tina recalled seeing her sister "broken" in the hospital. "I'll never be able to get that out of my head," she said.

Kathy, another aunt, said she watches old family videos of Newman "just to hear her talk."

"Thank the good Lord, at 4:45 p.m. I got to tell her I loved her," said shelby , another of Newman's aunts.

The day of the crash, Newman was on her way to pick up her husband, , at her house in charlotte. shelby spoke to her before the accident.

"It's like a disease with no medicine and no cure. We'll have it for the rest of our lives," aunt said.
Newman
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Newman's husband, said Martinez's lack of emotion disturbed him.

"To see you up and walking. To see you alive today is the worst thing I've ever had to face," told Martinez from the witness chair.

"Most people spend their whole lives trying to find that person whose perfect for them. I found mine at 17."

He and Leeanna had only been married for six months. They shared a daughter, , and were awaiting the daughter they would name Bianca Cheyenne.

was in the back seat of her mother's car. She escaped the wreck with minor injuries.

"I come home, and it's empty. There's nothing there for me anymore," Newman said.

He then addressed Martinez again, "You took that and nobody else, just you."

Before rejoining his family, he said to Martinez: "I pray to God every day you feel the pain I feel and the hate I feel toward you."

After court, Newman's family said they will continue to push for legislation that would allow a person charged with murder or manslaughter of a pregnant woman to also be charged with causing the death of the unborn child.

North Carolina is one of the few states that doesn't have such a law.

Carlyle Sherrill, Martinez's attorney, told the court his client came from El Salvador and had lived in the United States since he was 18. Martinez is a painter by trade and has been in the Carolinas for eight years, Sherrill said.

Martinez, 34, has two children in El Salvador, Sherrill said.

Sherrill said his client has sought alcohol treatment while incarcerated, although not in time to help Newman or her relatives, who scoffed at the idea.

Martinez, who never took the witness stand, said through his attorney, "He is sorry and this was not on purpose," Sherrill said.

Following the court proceedings, Sherrill said he believes Martinez understood what was happening even though he doesn't speak English.

Was he remorseful?

Sherrill thought for a long moment and said it was not to his client's benefit that he answer.

Before sentencing Martinez, Judge Holshouser told him his conduct could be best described as "intolerable."

The judge ordered Martinez to pay restitution to Newman's husband for medical bills and funeral home expenses, compensate his attorney for services and pay any other fines and fees.

Martinez has been convicted twice previously of driving while impaired, three times of driving with a revoked license and assault charges. He's used at least half a dozen aliases and has already been deported from the U.S. twice.

As for deportation, Martinez faces a series of hearings to determine his status.

Rowan County District Attorney Bill Kenerly explained later Thursday he didn't know much about the deportation process, but he knows Martinez is entitled to a hearing.
Missing Leeanna: Family members of Leeanna Newman speak to the media outside the Rowan County Courthouse after the closing of the trial of Rigo Verto Guillen-Martinez. Photo by Jon C. Lakey; Salisbury Post.
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Asked if Martinez might serve less than his 28 years for murder, Kenerly said the law in 20-something years is unknown.

"He'll have to serve 100 percent of his minimum 276 months (23 years). After that, it's up to the Department of Correction," Kenerly said.

Martinez will then serve his two years for drunken driving.

If Martinez was serving his time now for the DWI conviction, he'd realistically only serve half his time, Kenerly said. In 23 years, there's no telling what the laws will dictate.

Contact Shavonne Potts at 704-797-4253 or spotts@salisburypost.com.

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Rigo Verto Guillen-Martinez stands up during a court recess during his sentencing Thursday.Photo by Jon C. Lakey, Salisbury Post.
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