At The Castillo Law Offices, attorney Ernie Castillo represents clients in a broad range of criminal matters from domestic violence to murder charges. On January 12, 2014, the San Francisco Chronicle published a story on one of attorney Castillo's recent cases involving the murder of 8-year-old Alaysha Carradine.
In the Chronicle, it began by stating how a man accused of murdering 8-year-old Alaysha Carradine, an Oakland girl shot and killed last year while sleeping over at a friend's house, was ordered to stand trial on Monday, but he will be doing so alone after Alameda County prosecutors dropped a murder charge against a second defendant in the case, 27-year-old Joseph Carroll, Castillo's client.
For over three months Alameda County prosecutors had asserted that our client had cased the apartment where the girl was staying hours before the shooting in an effort to locate a rival. However, Alameda prosecutors ultimately decided to drop the murder charge against our client, Joseph Carroll in the murder case.
"At this time, we're not satisfied that we can prove the charge against Carroll beyond a reasonable doubt," said Deputy District Attorney John Brouhard, who declined to explain in further detail.
At a preliminary hearing, Superior Court Judge C. Don Clay said there was enough evidence to pursue a jury trial against the alleged shooter, Darnell Williams.
Williams, 22, allegedly opened fire through the front door of the Diamond neighborhood apartment where Alaysha was visiting. The girl was killed while her playmate and two others were injured in the shooting.
Carroll's defense attorney, Ernie Castillo said in an interview that he had phone records which proved that Carroll was in Antioch at the time of the July 17 shooting. He also said that there was no evidence that his client had cased the apartment, noting that phone and GPS records showed that Carroll had only been driving on a nearby freeway.
"We're extremely happy to have cleared his name in Alaysha's murder," said Castillo. "The murder of Alaysha Carradine is horrific. It's tragic. It was emotionally difficult to listen (to the evidence) at the preliminary hearing. But he was innocent. There was evidence to show he wasn't connected to it at all."
Williams has been accused of going to the Wilson Avenue apartment with the intention of targeting anyone associated with Antiown York, who is a man he believed was responsible for killing Carroll's 26-year-old cousin, Jermaine Davis four hours before the shooting on July 17th.
York's children lived at the apartment with their mother. Last week York was arrested and charged with killing Davis.
Judge Clay ordered Williams to go to trial in connection to another killing that occurred in Berkeley in September. Since Williams is facing committing multiple murders and lying in wait, he is eligible for the death penalty or life in prison without the possibility of parole if he is convicted.
Facing criminal charges? Contact The Castillo Law Office to arrange a free consultation with attorney Castillo by calling (800) 704-8375!