Trend Furniture Trial: Defense Requests Mistrial, Serrano Denies Plea Bargain

 

Mark Anthony Serrano kept his head hung down as he waited for attorneys to enter Judge Walther’s courtroom Wednesday morning; an expressionless stare setting in the 40-year-old defendant’s face.

Following a day-long recess after new evidence was submitted by the state Tuesday morning, defense council Shawntell McKillop stood before the court before the jury was seated and requested Judge Walther grant her a mistrial based on prosecutorial misconduct.

Five CDs were turned over to state prosecutor John Best on Monday evening containing recordings of interviews conducted by Tom Green County Sheriff’s Office (TGCSO) Detectives while Serrano was in custody.

Acording to McKillop, the recordings were in the Sheriff’s Office the whole time, meaning the state had access to the interviews long before the case came to trial.

“I obviously would have had a different trial strategy with regards to my opening statement [if they CDs had been submitted into evidence before the trial began],” McKillop stated.

In response to McKillop’s argument, Best stated that the interviews were saved on a file on a recording device that Detective Ray Mellas and the Sheriff’s Office both believed to have been deleted until Mellas discovered them Monday evening. He then immediately put them on discs and submitted them to the prosecution, Best said.

“We turned it over immediately,” Best explained to Judge Walther. “We don’t believe there’s been any intended misconduct on behalf of Detective Mellas. We don’t think that there’s anything on the recordings that isn’t in Mr. Mellas’ report, which was provided to Ms. McKillop.”

After Best had presented his arguments, McKillop stood up and stated an alternative. She asked that if a mistrial not be granted that the recordings be excluded from the trial.

On the recordings, McKillop asserted, are two contradictory statements given by Serrano that if she had known would be submitted as evidence, would have changed her overall strategy in the trial. There were also statements from co-defendants that could have been beneficial to her client, she said.

“I’d like to hear those audios too,” Serrano said to Judge Walther after she’d ruled to exclude them from the proceedings.

Walther looked at Serrano with a stern gaze and asked whether he’d listened to the recordings Tuesday during the recess.

“I thought we had a couple of days to hear them,” Serrano said. “I didn’t think I had to do it all in one day. I thought she was going to call me.”

The excuse was lost on the tenured Judge, who appeared unimpressed and stated that clear instructions had been given the day before. Serrano had chosen to not listen to the recordings.

After the business of the mistrial was done, Judge Walther asked if a new plea bargain had been offered. McKillop stated that the state had offered 12 years confinement in exchange for a guilty plea, but, against her advice, Serrano had denied the offer.

“Mr. Serrano was under the illusion that he would be granted a mistrial,” McKillop said. She further stated that his decision to deny the bargain was strongly against her advice, which she repeated multiple times.

Due to Serrano’s previous felony convictions, the punishment range for the trend Furniture theft charge lies between 25-99 years. Even if he’s not convicted of the crime, McKillop explained, the District Attorney may choosed to indict him on other offenses, such as organized crime and burglary, which with his priors, both would carry longer terms than the offer in the plea bargain.

Having explained the terms and various possibilities with her client, McKillop stated that he rejected all offers and countered with a suggestion of a year in county jail.

“Mr. Serrano, do you understand your options?” Judge Walther asked after McKillop’s detailed explanation.

“It’s kind of hard for me to understand. She didn’t—“ he paused in silence for several moments. “Yes.”

After Serrano’s position and the ruling on the mistrial and audio recordings had been clarified, the jury was seated at around just before 10 a.m. For the next hour and a half, Detective Ray Mellas testified from the witness stand, describing the findings of four searches conducted at different residences and buildings in San Angelo and pointing out items of stolen furniture on photos.

Mellas’ testimony on the searches proved to be a sticking point on Monday, which halted the proceedings until Judge Walther ruled that the information could be heard. At around 11:30 Wednesday, both attorneys finished their questioning and the court broke for lunch until 2:00 p.m.

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Comments

jdgt, Wed, 06/18/2014 - 14:35
We're wasting money prosecuting a guy for stealing $30k in furniture? (which I assume was recovered?) Don't we waste that much in water on the golf course greens during any given month?
bebop, Wed, 06/18/2014 - 15:21
This is a career felon. Leads organized crime. You're cool with NOT PROSECUTING people like that? Screw law and order and prison time? Maybe when it's your business, it'll matter to you. It's not the amount of the goods (which were NOT all recovered) It's the judicial process, which separates us from the barbarians. Break the law, face prosecution. That's how it's done, here, when things work correctly. I am no fan of Trend Furniture's stock or practices, but I do support the prosecution of those stealing from them and anyone else. If your comment was sarcasm, you missed the mark.
jdgt, Wed, 06/18/2014 - 15:49
Let's prosecute all the people who drive over 65 on the loop... That is the POSTED speed limit, after all.
Hey, JD, I bet if your house got broken into and $30,000 worth of your "stuff" was stolen, or maybe just vandalized, you would be screaming for justice...I know I would be.
jdgt, Wed, 06/18/2014 - 18:22
Hey Becky - wrong. I'm insured. If my stuff ends up stolen, I'll just file a claim and go buy some better stuff :)
bebop, Wed, 06/18/2014 - 21:39
Crimes require prosecution in a lawful society. There are misdemeanors (speeding tickets) and felonies (five-figure theft of property, again and again and again) Speaking for myself, I obey all laws. Even speed limits. Because, big square goody-two-shoes that I am. -- I don't want punishment, trials, imprisonment from whatever my breaking a law might cause. But - other people pick and choose their crimes...
I agree with J.D. as well as Nina. The prosecution is costly as well as necessary, though Nina I'd personally prefer repeat felons be dealt with by those far removed barbarians u mentioned -- even those felons who play the "I'm too stupid to know better" card when the stuff hits the fan. Islamic penal law prescribes effective methods for permanently disabling thievery, usually by disabling thieves. The Bible also suggests the elimination of "offending" body parts (MATTHEW 5:29-30). I'm not at all a follower of either belief system, however as most of the devout know, religious doctrine a la carte can be quite useful. Penalize like you mean it. A society which is soft on crime, deserves to (and ultimately does) crumble under the weight of it's own apathy.
Let me start by saying that I believe stealing is wrong, immoral, and against what I believe in, no matter what the circumstances are. With that being said, Trend Furniture should not be surprised with employees feeling that they aren't treated fairly. I learned first hand at a very young age not to associate with this local establishment.
I'm shocked this guy is trying to play the "I'm too dumb to know better" card. I'm guessing when he was stashing furniture all over town & even opening his mom up to legal trouble - he just didn't now better?? Yes, this trial is a waste of money - in the sense it should take about an hour to find this guy guilty and sentence him. Having watched Barbara Walthall in action and loving how she operates though, I doubt it will take very long. She doesn't suffer ignorance too well.

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