California Criminal Appeals Lawyer Comments on Recent Criminal Justice Headlines

Recently, Attorney Matthew Barhoma, appeared on Court TV to discuss several of the nation’s highest-profile criminal cases.

 Ahmaud Arbery

Earlier this year, three White men who were previously convicted for the February 2020 murder of Ahmaud Arbery were sentenced by a Georgia judge. Shortly after the sentencing, California criminal appeals attorney Matthew Barhoma appeared on Court TV to discuss the court’s sentencing decision in which one defendant was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole after ten years and the other two to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

This case presented some all-too-common concerns in cases involving White defendants who are charged with crimes against People of Color. The commentator notes that it took three DAs from a different part of Georgia to even prosecute the case.

When asked about the case, Attorney Barhoma explained that “the system got it right here” and that he was impressed by the judge’s handling of the case from beginning to end, “he was very fair and very calculated.” Barhoma continues, “Here, he did what was right,” noting that although the “judge looks a lot like the defendants … he handed down a very fair sentence, despite complexion, despite any kind of racism or anything implicated in this case. He focused on the facts.”

 

Ethan Crumley

Attorney Barhoma was also asked to appear on Court TV to discuss the case of Ethan Crumley. Mr. Crumley was arrested at 15 years old for the 2021 Oxford High School shooting in Michigan. Attorney Barhoma was asked about Mr. Crumley’s decision to waive his preliminary hearing. A preliminary hearing is the initial examination of the prosecution’s case by a judge. The purpose of a preliminary hearing is to determine if there is sufficient evidence to warrant a trial or if the case—or specific charges— must be dismissed for lack of evidence.

Attorney Barhoma explained that while the decision to waive a preliminary hearing is a very strategic one, he was not surprised by Mr. Crumley’s decision. “There is a lot that you can benefit from having the prelim but sometimes, in absolutely notorious cases, where there is a massive amount of evidence, you actually to get ahead of that and start to litigate in limine to be able to control what goes into evidence if this goes to trial.”

When asked about the possibility of a plea deal, Attorney Barhoma explained that the fact that his parents are involved increased the likelihood. Additionally, “he was very youthful, and he was impressioned upon by his family, and so there may be some mitigating circumstances that would lead to a plea deal. However, something you need to remember is that this was quite gruesome, and you’ve got four dead victims, so there is a lot to rectify.”

 

Chandler Michael Halderson

Finally, Attorney Barhoma also recently appeared on Court TV to discuss Chandler Michael Halderson, who was arrested for murdering and dismembering his parents. Specifically, Attorney Barhoma was asked to comment on the judge’s decision to publish photos to the jury in a pamphlet that jurors were able to refer to throughout the trial. Barhoma explains that such a decision was “very prejudicial towards the defendant because the jury members can sit there observe it and really take it in. They are taking in all kinds of information about this that is much more than the momentary instance of observing the photos once in court. Certainly, it definitely resonates more with the jury.

However, Attorney Barhoma also raises the possibility that the pamphlets are “overly prejudicial” and that it could turn into an appealable issue. While Attorney Barhoma raised concerns about the judge’s decision to allow the pamphlets, he also noted that the other evidence against Mr. Harrison seemed to be overwhelming and that an appellate court would likely find that the pamphlets did not unduly influence the jury in the event Mr. Halderson was found guilty.

 

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