Jury convicts on lesser charges
By Elissa Harrington and KVAL Web StaffEUGENE, Ore. - A jury found the president of a motorcycle club guilty of five misdmeanors but acquitted him on eight felony charges. A jury heard the case against Justin DeLoretto this week. DeLoretto and two other members of the Mongols Motorcycle Club were accused of forcing two police officers off the road. James Packard, a special agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, and Detective Dave Burroughs of the Eugene Police Department were returning to Eugene from investigative work in the northern Willamette Valley around 6 p.m. when their car was surrounded by vehicles driven by members or associates of the Mongols Motorcycle Club, according to Eugene police. "I think the jury saw the case for what it was," said defense attorney Kelly Beckley. "I don't think the jury found agent Packard or Detective Burroughs credible when they said they felt great fear out on I-5." The jury took more than five hours today to find the 26-year-old defendant not guilty on all felony charges. The jury found him guilty of five misdemeanors. The jury found DeLoretto guilty on two counts of menacing, two counts of recklessly endangering another person, and one count of reckless driving. The jury found him not guilty on two counts of conspiring to commit coercision, coercison, conspiring in the unlawful use of a weapon, and the unlawful use of a weapon. "It's difficult for us to understand how the jury found that Mr. DeLoretto was guilty of menacing but did not use the vehicle in the process," said Alex Gardner, the chief deputy district attorney, "because the vehicle was the weapon that was involved." Friends and family of the defendent -- and just as many if not more law enforcement officials requested by the judge -- were in the hall outside the courtroom. DeLoretto has been in custody since April 23, accused of running an undercover police car off the road in what the prosecution called a cat and mouse chase down Interstate 5. Beckley wants his client out of custody. And while Gardner said he doesn't want to speculate on what the prosecution wants, the maximum penalty for each misdemeanor could be up to one year. |
Upload directly from your mobile device. Learn howYouNews
This content requires the latest Adobe Flash Player and a browser with JavaScript enabled.
Click here for a free download of the latest Adobe Flash Player.
Stay Connected |
Connect with KVALViewer PollMost Popular
|
KVAL, 4575 Blanton Road,