Saturday, November 1, 2014

MARY O'CALLAHGNAN TRIAL- QUICK LINKS

 Mary O'Callaghan, left and counsel Robert Rico,
at a pretrial hearing. Photo courtesy KTLA website.

Case: BA417095
Defendant: Mary O'Callaghan, LAPD Officer
Victim: Alesia Thomas, 35
Prosecution: DDA Shannon Presby
Defense: Robert Rico 
Event: July 22, 2012

Short Synopsis:
Mary O'Callaghan, an LAPD officer with over 18 years on the force and a former marine has been charged with assault under color of authority.

Media reports indicate the victim, Alesia Thomas abandoned her children ages 12 and 3 years old at a police station. Officers tracked Thomas back to her home and arrested her for child abandonment. One media report indicated the children told police that their grandmother would be picking them up.

O'Callaghan is alledged to have kicked a handcuffed Thomas seven times in her lower body area while in the backseat of a police car before she lost conciousness. Thomas died in police custody. The autopsy revealed Thomas had cocaine in her system. The cause of death was ruled "undetermined." The coroner could not rule out the assault as a factor in Thomas' death.

The Police Commission, a civilian oversight board, reviewed the July 22, 2012, incident and issued a report concluding that O'Callaghan used unreasonable force on Alesia Thomas, 35, when she was restrained and in the backseat of a cruiser.

Timeline:
10/10/13 Charges filed on Thursday
10/15/13 Arraignment on Tuesday
02/25/15 Trial begins with jury selection
02/26/15 Judge Bork rules mistrial due to potential new evidence

T&T TRIAL COVERAGE (Initial Trial- case continued)
02/25/15 Mary O'Callaghan Trial - Day 1, Jury Selection
02/26/15 Mary O'Callaghan Trial -  Day 2 Jury Selection Continues

T&T TRIAL COVERAGE  (Second Trial)

06/05/15 Mary O'Callaghan Verdict Reached
07/23/15 Mary O'Callaghan Sentencing 
10/15/15 2.5 Million Settlement Reached With Children of Alesia Thomas

DOCUMENTS
DA's JSID Investigation Report

Twitter
@idabeewells (Ida B. Wells) is live tweeting the trial

Mainstream Media Reports
LAPD Online Incident Report
10/10/13 LA Times - Video of LAPD Officer Kicking Woman should be public
10/11/13 HuffPost - LAPD Officer Charged 10/15/13 KPCC Officer Pleads Not Guilty to Assault 10/10/13 LA Times - LAPD Officer Charged With Assault
02/26/15 LA Times -Mistrial in LAPD Officer Assault Case
05/20/15 LA Times - Trial to Start for LAPD Officer Accused of Kicking Woman who Later Died



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