Murder Suspect Gives Up
A woman accused of murdering her two children has requested the death penalty. In September 2013, police in Orange County arrested 42-year-old Marilyn Edge of Scottsdale, Arizona in connection with the murder of her two children, aged 9 and 13. Prosecutors allege that Ms. Edge poisoned her children after she lost a custody battle with their father. Police arrested Ms. Edge after she slammed her car into an electrical pole in Costa Mesa. There was a propane tank in the car, and authorities theorize that Ms. Edge was trying to blow herself up. Ms. Edge struggled with police and first responders as she tried to strangle herself with an electrical cord.
When state District Judge Craig Robinson asked Ms. Edge if she wanted to postpone her arraignment, Ms. Edge responded that she agreed to the postponement “only if you promise me the death penalty.”
Plea Bargaining
Although no competent Southern California defense attorney would ever recommend that a client accept a sentence in which the client is executed, plea bargaining is an important part of the criminal justice system, for reasons that include:
- If the defendant is currently incarcerated, it can be better to work out a plea agreement for a short jail sentence, so the defendant may be released.
- An attorney can often negotiate a reduced sentence or a reduced charged. It may be better to accept the reduced sentence than proceed to trial and hope to be found not guilty, especially if, as in Ms. Edge’s case, the facts are clearly unfavorable.
At the Law Offices of Arash Hashemi, we provide clients with passionate and experienced representation. If you have been charged with murder or any other crime and would like to schedule an initial consultation with a lawyer at our firm, contact us by phone at (310) 448-1529 or contact us online. We promptly return phone calls and emails. Our office is conveniently located in the Westside Towers in West Los Angeles, within minutes of Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, and Westwood. We have flexible and weekend office hours, and we will visit you in jail to discuss your case.