People v. Michael Chia

So as previously mentioned, jury duty ended in the case of the People of the State of California v. Michael Chia. It was rough. I think that the most tense moments of my life were during the reading of the verdict: guilty on two counts of first degree murder, attempted murder, robbery, and conspiracy. The defendant, Michael Chia, was involved in a plan to rob a couple of drug dealers, and then kill them. Turns out the drug dealers were undercover DEA agents. Out of three DEA agents, only one survived. He even testified at the trial.

It was amazing to see so many people in a court room--silent, except for the crying as the verdicts were read. I was expecting more sound--more noise. Perhaps celebration on the part of the prosecution, the amassed DEA agents, everyone? No.

Obviously, Chia's family was upset. The defense attorney was, as well. The jury requested both attorneys meet with us afterwords, and the defense attorney looked like he was waking up to a nightmare. We asked if he was satisfied with the decision, and he said he wasn't at all. He said he was devastated.

It was rough because the defendant didn't pull the trigger. He wasn't even at the shooting. By the time of the shooting, he was probably a few miles away. But he was part of a semi-organized rip-off plan. The guy was only 20 years old when he did it. It was a retrial, too. The events (and the original trial) happened in 1988 here in Pasadena. Even though he didn't pull the trigger, and it's been 17 years, it was established he had an active role in the plan. He had, at the very least, a minor part. Defense tried establishing that he was only there to protect his friend, William Wang. Wang actually was one of the two people to shoot the DEA agents. However, Chia knew he was providing protection for Wang, and he knew the plan. Chia had several roles in the plan (including countersurveillance).

RYAN'S CRIME TIP:
If you plan on taking part in a robbery--perhaps providing a getaway car, or providing countersurveillance--DON'T use a flashy car. Mike Chia (defendant) used a little, shiny black sports car. It stood out, and was entirely easy to spot.

Read about the case here from the LA Times.