Prosecutors say Martinez was caught on a wiretap threatening to have someone shot in the head and boasting of several murders. Sentenced to 26 years to life in prison, Martinez spent the next three decades filing writs, appeals and petitions as a self-taught jailhouse lawyer. AdvertisementAfter the state Legislature raised the standard of proof required to prove a murder, a judge reduced Martinez’s conviction to misdemeanor assault. “I might be a gangster,” Martinez told Cooper in a wiretapped call, “but I’m also a f—ing Christian, you know? “Now don’t think for one second,” Martinez told the friend, “that I couldn’t have that done to you.”

Source: Los Angeles Times May 18, 2024 22:38 UTC