Second Mistrial for Vicente Ruiz
PASCO -- A mistrial again was declared for the man accused of murdering five people in Pasco. Vicente Ruiz was on trial for the deaths inside a Pasco auto body shop in the late '80's.
Judge Cameron Mitchell declared the mistrial Tuesday. He says the prosecution didn't turn over vital information to Ruiz's attorneys.
Franklin County Prosecutor Steve Lowe sent Action News a statement, saying his office has assisted the defense in all information required by the state. But the judge doesn't agree.
This is yet another hurdle for the prosecution in this 23 year old murder case that can't seem to go forward.
Ruiz was arrested in the fall of 2006, almost 20 years after the murders.
It took almost two years to get it to trial, before the first mistrial was declared in 2008. The defense argued it needed time for DNA testing.
You'll remember, no sooner had this latest trial started that the defense called for a mistrial claiming the jury was tainted. That put the trial on hold for weeks.
When it finally got underway, another mistrial was declared to provide the defense enough time to investigate the information it didn't receive.
The case of Vicente Ruiz is by no means over. Both sides head back to court Thursday morning to reset the next trial date.
A whole new jury will have to be selected, and that alone will likely take weeks.
To be fair, Action News did reach out to two of Ruiz's attorneys to get their side of the ruling. As of today, we have not heard back.
Judge Cameron Mitchell declared the mistrial Tuesday. He says the prosecution didn't turn over vital information to Ruiz's attorneys.
Franklin County Prosecutor Steve Lowe sent Action News a statement, saying his office has assisted the defense in all information required by the state. But the judge doesn't agree.
This is yet another hurdle for the prosecution in this 23 year old murder case that can't seem to go forward.
Ruiz was arrested in the fall of 2006, almost 20 years after the murders.
It took almost two years to get it to trial, before the first mistrial was declared in 2008. The defense argued it needed time for DNA testing.
You'll remember, no sooner had this latest trial started that the defense called for a mistrial claiming the jury was tainted. That put the trial on hold for weeks.
When it finally got underway, another mistrial was declared to provide the defense enough time to investigate the information it didn't receive.
The case of Vicente Ruiz is by no means over. Both sides head back to court Thursday morning to reset the next trial date.
A whole new jury will have to be selected, and that alone will likely take weeks.
To be fair, Action News did reach out to two of Ruiz's attorneys to get their side of the ruling. As of today, we have not heard back.
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