A Fresno man who killed a man, cut out his heart and put it in his pocket in 1984 will get another chance at freedom today, and a state Supreme Court ruling could help his case.
Theodore Allen LeLeaux Jr., who is serving 16 years to life in prison for killing 25-year-old Kenneth Carlock, was granted parole last year, but Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger blocked his release.
LeLeaux, now 48, will try again at a hearing inside the California Men's Colony, San Luis Obispo.
This time there's a difference: the California Supreme Court in August 2008 set a new standard for determining whether to grant parole. Now heinousness of the crime is not enough to deny parole; "current danger" to the community also must be considered.
Legal experts say that even with that standard, the governor can still reverse a parole board decision and keep an inmate in prison.
Read the complete story at fresnobee.com
Comments