It wasn't me

[Three Fingered Willie]

I was recently reading the local paper on a skiing trip out west and came across this story. While many campers lived in fear of Three Fingered Willie roaming the bunk lines, the real culprit lived in the bunks-

Accused murderer asks for reduced charge
Joel Orris, the man accused of killing auto mechanic Scott Clark in June, has asked a judge to reduce the first-degree murder charge against him.

In court documents, the defense contends that prosecutors did not present evidence to the grand jury that proves Orris shot Clark, a 34-year-old mechanic at Gene's Chrysler, with the intention of killing him.

Instead, Orris, should be charged with second-degree murder because Clark was killed during a robbery, defense attorney Robert Downes asserted in court documents.

"There is no evidence presented that Joel Orris intentionally killed Scott Clark. The evidence was, in fact, that Orris and Clark were friends and that there was no motive for the killing except for the robbery of Clark's house," Downes wrote.

First-degree murder is punishable by a jail term between 20 and 99 years. A second-degree murder conviction carries a minimum of five years in jail and a maximum of 99.

The defense also hopes to convince Superior Court Judge Jay Hodges to dismiss an attempted murder count against Orris for a drive-by shooting into a Quonset hut the same night. Downes argued that while bullets were fired into the hut where Gary Holladay and Zack Bergen were watching television, there was no evidence presented to the grand jury that indicated Orris was trying to kill Holladay.

"There were shots fired into a dwelling but it was early in the morning and there was no reason to believe that the individuals were other than sleeping somewhere in the dwelling," Downes wrote.

Orris' trial was supposed to start next week but has been postponed for a month to give the defense more time to prepare. He is being held at Fairbanks Correctional Center on $1 million bail.

Clark was shot once in the head in his Sunset Drive home either late June 12 or early June 13. Clark and Orris had apparently spent part of June 12 drinking and doing mechanical work together.

Orris, driving Clark's Ram Charger, stopped by the home with a friend later that night to get some money, according to court documents.

--By Lin Gale

[Gary Scharoff]

Sure!!! <IMG SRC="smile.gif" BORDER=0 ALT=":)"> <IMG SRC="biggrin.gif" BORDER=0 ALT=":D">

Now that Johnnie Cochran is finished getting Puff Daddy off here in NY he is available to defend you. Remember..."if it doesn't fit you must acquit"

Gary Scharoff

gms@pipeline.com