Judge throws out confession in Angie Zapata case
Filed by: Alex Blaze
March 12, 2009 1:30 PM

http://www.bilerico.com/2009/03/judge_throws_out_confession_in_angie_zap.php

The judge has thrown out the confession of Allen Ray Andrade, who's accused of beating Angie Zapata to death when he found out she was a transwoman.

    In the taped confession, he allegedly told investigators that he grabbed Zapata's crotch area, felt male genitalia and became angry. He told investigators that he took a fire extinguisher off a shelf, struck Zapata twice in the head and thought he "killed it."

    But in a 24 page ruling, Judge Marcelo Kopcow said that Andrade's rights had been violated because he had told police he was finished answering questions, but investigators persisted with questions leading up to the confession.

Damn, wish it was that easy to get confessions out of evidence in Canada. Here, you actually have to exercise your right to remain silent by shutting up.

Dennis

Getting the single most convincing item of evidence tossed in a capital case, well, that's great police work Lou.

I suspect the DA knew from the moment he saw the tape that he had a problem. That particular aspect of questioning and confession has been part of USA legal practice and rulings for 30 years. He hoped it would fly. It didn't.

Nichole

Yeah, nobody to get mad at but the cops when the law is clear and they disobey it. If you're going to get confessions or other evidence, you have to abide by the law. If we allow police to break the law, we open the door to all kinds of stuff.

I saw a great fridge magnet the other day (reflecting Canadian law):

"When someone tells you you have the right to remain silent, SHUT UP and call your lawyer."

Dennis

How do you get in contact with the prosecutors' office?

Ask the neanderthals posting in the comments section how Andrade knew, and they all say he grabbed Angies' crotch, implying that he felt a big, throbbing penis.

I don't think ANYONE outside the trans-woman community understands tucking.

I would hope that Andrade had not touched Angie's crotch, and that the autopsy made note of the arangement/disposition of her penis.

Then ask the dirtbag what he felt on the stand, and get him to describe it in detail.

=K