Please Scroll Down to See Forums Below 
The Almighty
New member
This happened about 5 miles from where I live. This country is starting to piss me off.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Skateboard killer gets 7½-year term
By Ian Ith
Seattle Times staff reporter
Despite his plea for leniency and a promise to straighten up his life, a 23-year-old man was sentenced yesterday to 7-½ years in prison for beating a man to death with a skateboard last spring in Seattle's University District.
It could have been a lot worse for Timothy R. Strano.
In receiving his sentence for first-degree manslaughter, Strano joins only a handful of recent killers statewide who will gain years of freedom thanks to a controversial state Supreme Court ruling last year that barred them from being charged with second-degree murder.
And the state Legislature's passage this week of a bill fixing the loophole won't matter.
It's a situation that was hard to fathom yesterday for an emotional crowd of family and friends of the man Strano killed, Demetri Andrews, as they gathered in King County Superior Court to eulogize and ask for justice.
"I feel my son has been murdered twice — once by Mr. Strano and once by the justice system," said Andrews' tearful mother, Rothopi Andrews. "To me, this is a travesty of justice."
Strano was originally charged with second-degree murder in the April slaying of Andrews, a real-estate agent, Mercer Island High School graduate, and father of a two sons in a tight Greek-American family.
Strano struck Andrews over the head with his skateboard during an altercation on University Way Northeast.
Strano and another skateboarder had apparently cut off Andrews as he was driving, and Andrews got out of his car to confront the young men. Andrews died two days later, a day shy of his 34th birthday.
Felony-murder ruling
In October, while the case against Strano was pending, the state Supreme Court ruled that state law, as written, doesn't allow second-degree felony-murder charges against people who commit assaults that end in the death of the victim.
The ruling threatened to overturn hundreds of murder cases statewide. The Legislature vowed to fix the problem but didn't have the chance until the session now under way. Strano's prosecutors said they had no choice but to reduce the charge to manslaughter. Because of the timing, they could not pursue a felony-murder charge against him.
His right to a speedy trial meant they only had until Jan. 6 to bring him to trial. Instead of a sentence of 10 to 18 years for murder, Strano faced between 6-½ and 8-½ years.
"We knew there was no way this law would be fixed by Jan. 6, so he pleaded guilty to the highest charge available at the time," said deputy prosecutor Steve Fogg.
"The family (of Andrews) doesn't understand it, and they don't understand it because it doesn't make sense. The timing of this guy's case happened to fall at the time when this misguided decision was on the books. And there was nothing anybody could do about it."
Bill passed to fix loophole
The bill fixing the Supreme Court ruling was passed by the Senate on Jan. 29 and by the House on Wednesday. Gov. Gary Locke has said it will be the first bill he signs this session, sometime in the coming weeks.
But in the meantime, there is so far at least one other killer besides Strano who benefited from the timing.
In Pierce County Superior Court in Tacoma on Thursday, Vaughn Perry Radford, 35, who fatally stabbed a 68-year-old man last May in University Place, was sentenced to 6-½ years behind bars for first-degree manslaughter instead of facing many more years had his original murder charge stood.
It's unclear how many others statewide have also benefited.
In the Seattle courtroom yesterday, Andrews' family told of the beloved father, son, brother and lifelong friend and wondered how the sentence Strano faced could be enough for taking Andrews' life.
"Every day I feel him with me, but he isn't here," said his 29-year-old brother, Vasili Andrews.
Strano spent the hearing with his head bowed, shuffling uncomfortably in his red jail clothes. His attorney asked the judge to give him four years behind bars.
In his first public comments about the crime, Strano said he regretted that Andrews died, but he said he never meant anything other than to stop Andrews from coming at Strano's fellow skater.
"I really did just want Mr. Andrews to get back in his car and for us to be left alone," Strano said. "I just hope one day people will see my true character and forgive me for my ignorance. I'm truly sorry."
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Skateboard killer gets 7½-year term
By Ian Ith
Seattle Times staff reporter
Despite his plea for leniency and a promise to straighten up his life, a 23-year-old man was sentenced yesterday to 7-½ years in prison for beating a man to death with a skateboard last spring in Seattle's University District.
It could have been a lot worse for Timothy R. Strano.
In receiving his sentence for first-degree manslaughter, Strano joins only a handful of recent killers statewide who will gain years of freedom thanks to a controversial state Supreme Court ruling last year that barred them from being charged with second-degree murder.
And the state Legislature's passage this week of a bill fixing the loophole won't matter.
It's a situation that was hard to fathom yesterday for an emotional crowd of family and friends of the man Strano killed, Demetri Andrews, as they gathered in King County Superior Court to eulogize and ask for justice.
"I feel my son has been murdered twice — once by Mr. Strano and once by the justice system," said Andrews' tearful mother, Rothopi Andrews. "To me, this is a travesty of justice."
Strano was originally charged with second-degree murder in the April slaying of Andrews, a real-estate agent, Mercer Island High School graduate, and father of a two sons in a tight Greek-American family.
Strano struck Andrews over the head with his skateboard during an altercation on University Way Northeast.
Strano and another skateboarder had apparently cut off Andrews as he was driving, and Andrews got out of his car to confront the young men. Andrews died two days later, a day shy of his 34th birthday.
Felony-murder ruling
In October, while the case against Strano was pending, the state Supreme Court ruled that state law, as written, doesn't allow second-degree felony-murder charges against people who commit assaults that end in the death of the victim.
The ruling threatened to overturn hundreds of murder cases statewide. The Legislature vowed to fix the problem but didn't have the chance until the session now under way. Strano's prosecutors said they had no choice but to reduce the charge to manslaughter. Because of the timing, they could not pursue a felony-murder charge against him.
His right to a speedy trial meant they only had until Jan. 6 to bring him to trial. Instead of a sentence of 10 to 18 years for murder, Strano faced between 6-½ and 8-½ years.
"We knew there was no way this law would be fixed by Jan. 6, so he pleaded guilty to the highest charge available at the time," said deputy prosecutor Steve Fogg.
"The family (of Andrews) doesn't understand it, and they don't understand it because it doesn't make sense. The timing of this guy's case happened to fall at the time when this misguided decision was on the books. And there was nothing anybody could do about it."
Bill passed to fix loophole
The bill fixing the Supreme Court ruling was passed by the Senate on Jan. 29 and by the House on Wednesday. Gov. Gary Locke has said it will be the first bill he signs this session, sometime in the coming weeks.
But in the meantime, there is so far at least one other killer besides Strano who benefited from the timing.
In Pierce County Superior Court in Tacoma on Thursday, Vaughn Perry Radford, 35, who fatally stabbed a 68-year-old man last May in University Place, was sentenced to 6-½ years behind bars for first-degree manslaughter instead of facing many more years had his original murder charge stood.
It's unclear how many others statewide have also benefited.
In the Seattle courtroom yesterday, Andrews' family told of the beloved father, son, brother and lifelong friend and wondered how the sentence Strano faced could be enough for taking Andrews' life.
"Every day I feel him with me, but he isn't here," said his 29-year-old brother, Vasili Andrews.
Strano spent the hearing with his head bowed, shuffling uncomfortably in his red jail clothes. His attorney asked the judge to give him four years behind bars.
In his first public comments about the crime, Strano said he regretted that Andrews died, but he said he never meant anything other than to stop Andrews from coming at Strano's fellow skater.
"I really did just want Mr. Andrews to get back in his car and for us to be left alone," Strano said. "I just hope one day people will see my true character and forgive me for my ignorance. I'm truly sorry."
