Old trial so. And we also heard from the Defense Attorneys from derek alumn and they say that derek is on happy today, but they do say that there is another trial that deal with it. They and i want to mention the prospect that it would have. But mark by 2, not by 2. You that just the why you know the whole of the from my the reasonable doubt. Im painting im and moist. Frustrated, but god dammit we will win next time. In Defense Attorneys for max harris also spoke to us they said the biggest tragedy out of all of this is that city officials i did not tell the truth on that witness stand they also say that none of us would be he today if there wasnt such a huge housing crisis in oakland they say max heres today is very emotional and i wanted to let us know that he is kept to the victims and their family members in his prayers, this entire time. First i want to say im sorry as somebody whos lost a child. I understand the pain. And i know that day. Likely will never be able to. Find peace
Grand jury investigated oaklands Fire Inspection Bureau and reported an alarming needed to be sounded over deficiency in the building inspection bureau. The department was understaffed underfunded and the city wasnt inspecting about one third of the over 1200 warehouses and commercial properties that it was to be looking at. We want to call of the city of oakland. And Alameda County to use this as an opportunity to clean house. This isnt a time to celebrate for max harris. Because this community is sick. It is sick because the leadership is sick. Overtime oakland mayor libby schaaf get more inspectors on the streets. But it came too late. And the fire chief at the time when on leave and then retired. While oakland was in and deceit for the criminal trial. The family still have the option of suing the city for what it did and did not do. To prevent one of the deadliest fires in california history. In a way this outcome actually helps the victims families and their civil cases. To go civ
Court. We saw mixed emotions for the to go ship defendants. Derick almena appeared sad. He will remain locked up as prosecutors decide what to do after the hung jury. Codefendant max harris was happy. The jury found him not guilty. After his attorneys patted him on the back he had to comfort his attorney who started crying. He tried to stop me from crying. He was emotional. We were all emotional. Reporter the prosecutor say they respect the jurys decision on max harris. They are noncommittal about a retrial for Derick Almena. Out of the 12 jurors 10 found him guilty. 2 found him not guilty. We are going to take into account discussions that any jurors might have had with our trial lawyers. And we will evaluate that and go forward. Reporter Derick Almenas defense attorney said he and Derick Almena will not take a plea deal. He is ready for a retrial. Im anguish. Im frustrated. But we will win next time. Reporter october 4 is when Derick Almena will be back in court. That is when the pro
Evening. Maureen kelly is at the Alameda County courthouse with the reaction from daraa come in as attorney and we begin with kron fours michelle kingston she has been following this trial from the very beginning michelle. The emotional day for everyone involved here in oakland max harris, hes a free man tonight Derick Almena the Master Tenant of that go ship warehouse where he remains in his santa rita jail cell tonight now we spoke to his attorneys they say that he is on a happy tonight, he is thinking about that fire. The party and all the victims involved. I just had a conversation with derick before they took him back the holding cell and he said that while he was. Really not to have been convicted. He has not and will not. Lose sight of the terrible tragedy. That occurred. The fact that he was somehow involved in it the fact that 36 families were shattered. The fact that there was the most. Unspeakable. While hes happy. In a sense to be on convicted. Hes very unhappy. When he thi
Innocent young client has spent in jail. I think this is a time to thank the community, thank all of the community for their tremendous outpouring of support for max harris throughout this process. And what we both look forward to is the next trial. And in the next trial we will do better. You know it may hang again, it may be acquitted, but were not going to lose. Now we know what their witnesses have said. We now know our strengths and our weaknesses. Reporter a little more about how this went down inside the courtroom. After max harris was found not guilty on those 36 counts, he and his attorneys were excused by the judge. Then Derick Almenas verdict or lack of a verdict, was announced. The judge asked the jurors if there was any chance that if they deliberated some more, they might reach a verdict. She asked them what the count was, 102 in favor of guilt, but then she declared a mistrial saying at this point it appeared this jury was hopelessly dead locked. A little more about the