ianstone
09-02-2010, 06:36 PM
The death penalty is on the table for Christopher Monfort, charged with killing a Seattle police officer, wounding another and attempting to kill others.
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http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/art/ui/zoom_photo.gif (http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/ABPub/zoom/html/2012789815.html) MIKE SIEGEL / THE SEATTLE TIMES
Christopher Monfort attended the hearing in King County Superior Court on Thursday morning.
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/ABPub/2010/07/23/2010212330.jpg
Officer Timothy Brenton
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/ABPub/2010/07/23/2012430830.jpg
Officer Britt Sweeney
King County prosecutor's statement (PDF) (http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/ABPub/2010/09/02/2012789567.pdf)
The King County prosecutor announced Thursday morning that he will seek the death penalty for Christopher Monfort, the man charged with killing one Seattle police officer and wounding another.
Senior Deputy Prosecutor John Castleton read Prosecutor Dan Satterberg's notice during a previously scheduled hearing. When the announcement was read, Monfort, 41, cast his gaze downward while his mother sat up straight and stared toward the judge.
"The magnitude of the crimes with which the defendant is charged, and the absence of significant mitigating factors, convinced me that we should submit this case to the jury with the full range of applicable punishments, including the possibility of the death penalty," Satterberg wrote in a prepared statement released after the hearing.
Monfort, in a pair of interviews with The Seattle Times earlier this year, suggested that he expected to be sentenced to death, but said he was more likely to die because of the gunshot wounds he sustained during his arrest. He is paralyzed from the waist down and a bullet is still lodged near his spine.
"There's two paths out of here," Monfort said. Asked if he expected to be acquitted, he said no.
Monfort is charged with aggravated murder for the fatal shooting of Officer Timothy Brenton and attempted first-degree murder for the wounding of Britt Sweeney on Oct. 31 last year. Brenton, 39, and officer-trainee Sweeney were seated in their parked patrol car in the Leschi neighborhood shortly after 10 p.m. when police say Monfort drove up next to them and opened fire. Brenton was killed immediately, and Sweeney suffered minor injuries.
Monfort's defense team was notified about Satterberg's decision on Wednesday and handed out a prepared statement after Thursday's hearing.
"Seeking the death sentence against Mr. Monfort will not ease the pain and grief caused by the death of Officer Brenton," the defense statement said.
Monfort, who has used several of the hearings in his case as a platform to air his personal opinions regarding allegations of brutality lodged against Seattle police and the King County Sheriff's Office, announced in court that "we cannot be upstanding citizens unless we are willing to stand up."
Monfort did not explain what he meant by the statement.
Monfort is also alleged to have firebombed four police vehicles at a city maintenance yard on Oct 22. Police said one of the makeshift bombs was set to go off as police and firefighters arrived to investigate the initial blasts. Nobody was hurt in the attack.
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After Brenton's slaying, a massive manhunt ensued and on Nov. 6, the day of Brenton's memorial service, a team of detectives were directed to a Tukwila apartment complex where a tipster reported seeing a car believed to have been in the area where the officer was slain.
As detectives approached the car, Monfort appeared, pulled out a handgun and pointed it at Sgt. Gary Nelson. When he pulled the trigger and the gun failed to go off, Monfort ran and detectives chased him. When Monfort turned again, detectives fired, hitting him in the cheek and abdomen.
When police later searched Monfort's apartment, they say they found an arsenal of guns, explosives and a manifesto on police brutality.
Monfort is also charged with firebombings and two additional counts of attempted first-degree murder — for pointing a gun at Nelson and another count for allegedly trying to kill officers at the scene of the firebombings.
Sweeney, 33, Brenton's widow, Lisa, and Monfort's mother, Suzan, have attended many of Monfort's King County Superior Court hearings. Both Lisa Brenton and Suzan Monfort declined to comment after Thursday's hearing.
A member of Brenton's family told The Times that they support Satterberg in his decision to seek the death penalty.
As part of the death-penalty decision, Satterberg is required by law to consider any mitigating circumstances — reasons why a defendant should not be considered for the death penalty — as he carries out an examination of the case and Monfort's background.
Satterberg made the decision to seek the death penalty without receiving mitigation materials from the defense.
In court last week, defense attorney Julie Lawry said they were not ready to submit the materials to Satterberg's office. Lawry asked Superior Court Judge Ronald Kessler to have Satterberg delay announcing his decision, but Kessler said that he didn't believe he had the authority to intervene.
In the prepared defense statement, Lawry said "the state is needlessly rushing to judgment in this case."
"There is a great deal of information about Mr. Monfort and his background that merit leniency and weigh heavily against the death penalty."
The statement did not delve into what the potential mitigating factors ar
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http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/art/ui/zoom_photo.gif (http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/ABPub/zoom/html/2012789815.html) MIKE SIEGEL / THE SEATTLE TIMES
Christopher Monfort attended the hearing in King County Superior Court on Thursday morning.
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/ABPub/2010/07/23/2010212330.jpg
Officer Timothy Brenton
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/ABPub/2010/07/23/2012430830.jpg
Officer Britt Sweeney
King County prosecutor's statement (PDF) (http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/ABPub/2010/09/02/2012789567.pdf)
The King County prosecutor announced Thursday morning that he will seek the death penalty for Christopher Monfort, the man charged with killing one Seattle police officer and wounding another.
Senior Deputy Prosecutor John Castleton read Prosecutor Dan Satterberg's notice during a previously scheduled hearing. When the announcement was read, Monfort, 41, cast his gaze downward while his mother sat up straight and stared toward the judge.
"The magnitude of the crimes with which the defendant is charged, and the absence of significant mitigating factors, convinced me that we should submit this case to the jury with the full range of applicable punishments, including the possibility of the death penalty," Satterberg wrote in a prepared statement released after the hearing.
Monfort, in a pair of interviews with The Seattle Times earlier this year, suggested that he expected to be sentenced to death, but said he was more likely to die because of the gunshot wounds he sustained during his arrest. He is paralyzed from the waist down and a bullet is still lodged near his spine.
"There's two paths out of here," Monfort said. Asked if he expected to be acquitted, he said no.
Monfort is charged with aggravated murder for the fatal shooting of Officer Timothy Brenton and attempted first-degree murder for the wounding of Britt Sweeney on Oct. 31 last year. Brenton, 39, and officer-trainee Sweeney were seated in their parked patrol car in the Leschi neighborhood shortly after 10 p.m. when police say Monfort drove up next to them and opened fire. Brenton was killed immediately, and Sweeney suffered minor injuries.
Monfort's defense team was notified about Satterberg's decision on Wednesday and handed out a prepared statement after Thursday's hearing.
"Seeking the death sentence against Mr. Monfort will not ease the pain and grief caused by the death of Officer Brenton," the defense statement said.
Monfort, who has used several of the hearings in his case as a platform to air his personal opinions regarding allegations of brutality lodged against Seattle police and the King County Sheriff's Office, announced in court that "we cannot be upstanding citizens unless we are willing to stand up."
Monfort did not explain what he meant by the statement.
Monfort is also alleged to have firebombed four police vehicles at a city maintenance yard on Oct 22. Police said one of the makeshift bombs was set to go off as police and firefighters arrived to investigate the initial blasts. Nobody was hurt in the attack.
http://speed.pointroll.com/PointRoll/Media/banners/trans.gif?PRAd=1380024&PRCID=1380024&PRplcmt=1091429&PRPID=1091429
After Brenton's slaying, a massive manhunt ensued and on Nov. 6, the day of Brenton's memorial service, a team of detectives were directed to a Tukwila apartment complex where a tipster reported seeing a car believed to have been in the area where the officer was slain.
As detectives approached the car, Monfort appeared, pulled out a handgun and pointed it at Sgt. Gary Nelson. When he pulled the trigger and the gun failed to go off, Monfort ran and detectives chased him. When Monfort turned again, detectives fired, hitting him in the cheek and abdomen.
When police later searched Monfort's apartment, they say they found an arsenal of guns, explosives and a manifesto on police brutality.
Monfort is also charged with firebombings and two additional counts of attempted first-degree murder — for pointing a gun at Nelson and another count for allegedly trying to kill officers at the scene of the firebombings.
Sweeney, 33, Brenton's widow, Lisa, and Monfort's mother, Suzan, have attended many of Monfort's King County Superior Court hearings. Both Lisa Brenton and Suzan Monfort declined to comment after Thursday's hearing.
A member of Brenton's family told The Times that they support Satterberg in his decision to seek the death penalty.
As part of the death-penalty decision, Satterberg is required by law to consider any mitigating circumstances — reasons why a defendant should not be considered for the death penalty — as he carries out an examination of the case and Monfort's background.
Satterberg made the decision to seek the death penalty without receiving mitigation materials from the defense.
In court last week, defense attorney Julie Lawry said they were not ready to submit the materials to Satterberg's office. Lawry asked Superior Court Judge Ronald Kessler to have Satterberg delay announcing his decision, but Kessler said that he didn't believe he had the authority to intervene.
In the prepared defense statement, Lawry said "the state is needlessly rushing to judgment in this case."
"There is a great deal of information about Mr. Monfort and his background that merit leniency and weigh heavily against the death penalty."
The statement did not delve into what the potential mitigating factors ar