An unusually high number of potential jurors – up to 400 – will be called next month for jury selection in the trial of a man accused of killing a Denver police officer last year.
Jury selection will begin Aug. 31 in the highly publicized case against Raul Gomez-Garcia, accused of killing Denver detective Donald Young and injuring detective Jack Bishop.
Larry Naves, the chief judge of Denver District Court, announced the schedule today as he met with prosecutors and defense attorneys.
Gomez-Garcia, 21, is accused of ambushing the detectives on May 8, 2005, as they provided security at the Salon Ocampo social hall, 1733 W. Mississippi Ave.
Opening statements in the case could begin as early as Sept. 6 in a trial expected to last up to two weeks.
During today’s pre-trial hearing, defense attorney Fernando Freyre asked the judge to delay the trial for two months because he has yet to review various videotaped interviews.
Naves declined, saying the tapes were “peripheral and collateral” to the trial, and might never be played for the jury. They are tapes of interviews conducted in Los Angeles and Mexico as investigators tried to find Gomez-Garcia.
Gomez-Garcia fled Denver with the help of a friend, Jaime Arana-Del Angel, 28. Gomez-Garcia traveled to Los Angeles and eventually crossed the border into Mexico. Mexican authorities captured him on June 4, 2005, and he was returned to Denver six months later.
On June 17, Arana Del-Angel received the maximum prison sentenced of 12 years for helping Gomez-Garcia bury evidence and for acting as a “scout” for Gomez-Garcia as they fled in separate vehicles west on Interstate 70 to the area of Grand Junction. There, he told Gomez-Garcia how to reach Las Vegas.
In return for Arana-Del Angel agreeing to testify against Gomez-Garcia, prosecutors dropped a number of charges against him.
Freyre told the judge today he believed that prosecutors might seek to reduce Arana-Del Angel’s sentence after he testifies at Gomez-Garcia’s trial.
But prosecutor Bruce Levin said there was no agreement that prosecutors would seek a sentence reduction after the testimony. And Levin said he got what he wanted for Arana-Del Angel: the longest prison term possible.
Naves also denied the defense’s request to preclude the testimony of an eyewitness who prosecutors say claims to have seen Gomez-Garcia actually firing at the officers. The witness, discovered about a year after the shooting, according to Levin, did not view a lineup or a photo lineup.
Freyre said the witness should be prohibited from testifying because his testimony would be “tainted” because of seeing Gomez-Garcia’s picture in the newspapers and on television.
Naves said defense lawyers will have the opportunity to question the witness about any pictures he’s seen when he is cross-examined.
Staff writer Howard Pankratz can be reached at 303-820-1939 or hpankratz@denverpost.com.
