DA Summer Stephan seeks to take over alleged cop killer case from LA
Courtesy
and last updated 2021-01-08 19:36:11-05
SAN DIEGO (CNS) San Diego District Attorney Summer Stephan is trying to take over a case from Los Angeles County s District Attorney.
Stephan is accusing the newly elected top prosecutor of watering down the case by dropping sentence-enhancing allegations. Sh is asking to take over prosecution of an alleged cop killer for a series of armed robberies he s accused of committing in San Diego County.
The move is the latest criticism leveled at Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascon, who was elected on a platform of reforming the prosecution system and quickly issued directives to eliminate sentencing enhancements and other allegations that can lead to higher prison terms for defendants.
In Los Angeles, Nelson is charged with two counts of murder for allegedly shooting off-duty Los Angeles County sheriff s Deputy Joseph Gilbert Solano, 50, in Alhambra and 31-year-old Dmitry Alekseyevich Koltsov in downtown Los Angeles. The shootings occurred hours apart from each other on June 10, 2019.
Nelson a former St. George, Utah, resident is also charged with attempted murder and robbery for separate incidents in L.A. County.
In Stephan s letter, she wrote that her office agreed early last year to let the L.A. County district attorney prosecute Nelson for the San Diego County robberies with the understanding that he would face a maximum possible sentence of life imprisonment without the possibility of parole if convicted.