[dramatic music]
♪ ♪
- Hi, everyone, I'm dan abrams, and this is "courtcam."
- You ready to take your plea?
[group shouting]
- [bleep] you!
- I'm killing all you [bleep] bleep]!
- I hope you die in prison as well.
♪ ♪
- We start things off in racine, wisconsin,
Where convicted felon, sean riker, is in court
For a pre-sentencing hearing.
- You're gonna sentence me to life?
Don't give a [bleep]!
- Riker was recently found guilty of 16 crimes
Against his family,
Including sexual assault and physical abuse of a child
As well as reckless endangerment.
He's already served 12 years in a federal prison
For detonating several pipe bombs in utah.
After his release, he moved his family to wisconsin,
Where his abusive behavior included strangulation,
Beatings, and pointing a shotgun
At his wife and children.
It was his wife who eventually reported him to police.
♪ ♪
Today he's in court to waive his constitutional right
To appear at his sentencing.
And he's got company:
A heavily armed security team.
He's in shackles and a spit mask
Because he's already escaped once from wisconsin jail
And has not been cooperative with court security.
♪ ♪
Once inside, the spit mask may be on,
But the gloves are off as riker wastes no time
Going right after judge wayne marik.
- Fine, you got me looking like a [bleep] clown!
Here we go!
- [hums]
[bleep] you!
[louder] [bleep] you!
♪ ♪
- When verbal abuse doesn't get a rise out of the judge,
Riker ups the ante with full-blown threats.
- I'm killing all you [bleep], wayne.
I got your [bleep] address, wayne marik.
I got your home [bleep] address.
I got the [bleep] address.
I got [bleep] address.
And I'm having you all [bleep] killed.
♪ ♪
- The people he's referring to
Are members of the prosecution team.
- There ain't nothing you're gonna do about either.
You know why?
'cause this is a [bleep] state
That doesn't have the death penalty.
You're gonna sentence me to life?
Don't give a [bleep].
I'm getting mine, you [bleep].
♪ ♪
- Not satisfied with berating the judge,
Riker sends his wrath in the direction of the prosecutor.
- What the [bleep] do you want?
- Later!
- As per his request,
Riker didn't appear at his own sentencing,
Which would have really given him something to scream about.
He was sentenced to 200 years in a state prison.
Riker appealed the sentence,
But it was denied.
♪ ♪
Next, we head back to the archives,
To jacksonville, florida.
It's 1997,
And the defendant is jason "psycho" stephens.
And, yes, his nickname is psycho.
He's been charged with first-degree murder,
Kidnapping, and armed robbery.
Just over a month earlier,
Stephens and at least three accomplices
Allegedly entered the home of robert sparrow
And took cash and marijuana from the family.
Stephens also took sparrow's three-year-old son, robert.
Later that afternoon, he allegedly ditched the car,
Leaving little robert locked inside
During an 80-degree day.
Robert was found dead later that night.
♪ ♪
- Police captured stephens, and he was charged
With first-degree murder and a number of other crimes.
The prosecution argued that
Stephens strangled the child before fleeing,
While the defendant claimed
He left the boy in the car, alive.
He pled not guilty to the murder charge.
Today, stephens is making his first court appearance
Before a gallery packed
With devastated family members of the victim.
As stephens signed some paperwork,
One man sees an opportunity.
[all shouting]
- Get out there right now!
[all shouting]
- That's robert sparrow, the victim's father.
♪ ♪
Apparently, sparrow had become enraged
By stephens' casual demeanor since his arrest.
♪ ♪
Joining sparrow in the attack is the victim's godfather,
Lorenzo houston.
[all shouting]
Bailiffs charge in and quickly remove both men
From the scene.
- Get out there right now!
[all shouting]
♪ ♪
- Meanwhile, tempers continue to flare
Between stephens and family members of the victim.
[all shouting]
♪ ♪
For their surprise attack on stephens,
Both sparrow and houston are arrested
And charged with battery.
Sparrow was released on his own recognizance
And apologized to the court.
Charges against houston were also dropped.
As for stephens, his case goes to trial,
And after hearing the evidence,
The jury returns with a verdict.
- We find the defendant guilty of murder--
Murder in the first degree.
♪ ♪
- He was also found guilty of burglary and kidnapping
And sentenced to death by the electric chair.
♪ ♪
Stephens would later appeal the ruling, but it was denied.
He currently sits on florida's death row.
♪ ♪
- Next, we head to clark county, washington
For a bond hearing.
♪ ♪
The defendant is christopher aleo.
He's charged with second-degree child abuse
And fourth-degree domestic violence.
The defendant allegedly grabbed his 12-year-old son
By the neck until he couldn't breathe
And repeatedly hit him with a closed fist.
The boy's grandmother witnessed the incident,
And when she tried to intervene,
Aleo allegedly threw a playpen,
Hitting her in the face.
♪ ♪
Aleo is no stranger to the courtroom or prison.
Having recently served a five-year term
For vehicular homicide.
In that case, an intoxicated aleo crashed his car
Into a light pole,
Killing his friend, veronica martin.
♪ ♪
Now back in court,
Aleo stands before judge john fairgrief.
When the judge announces bail at $50,000,
Aleo's hit with the reality,
He's going back to jail.
- [breathing heavily] [bleep].
- Sensing aleo's increasing rage,
A deputy steps in.
- The [bleep]? Don't punk me!
- Get the [bleep] off me, man!
- It takes two officers to restrain aleo,
Who receives some advice from a female friend.
- Once in custody, officers take no chances,
Shackling aleo in a wheelchair as they bring him to jail.
♪ ♪
On his way out, he has a few words for the cameras.
- Aleo eventually pleaded guilty
And was sentenced to 30 months in a state prison.
♪ ♪
- All right, please raise your right hand.
Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth,
And nothing but the truth?
- Next, we go to tampa, florida
For the case against louis angel lopez.
♪ ♪
He was charged with burglary and grand theft
After allegedly breaking into a home to steal a tv.
♪ ♪
The case was originally headed for trial,
But lopez agreed to accept a plea deal.
♪ ♪
Instead of a possible prison term of 15 to 20 years,
He's agreed to a maximum sentence
Of five years, plus probation.
The presiding judge is michael williams.
- Mr. Lopez, how are we doing?
- I'm doing good, sir.
- You ready to take your plea?
- Yes, sir. I am ready to take it.
I don't wanna make this any worse.
I'm ready to get it over with
So I can go ahead and start a new life.
Yeah, I got people that love me, so...
- As part of your plea,
If you don't turn yourself in by 5:00 p.M.,
Your guilty plea is gonna stand,
But not the plea agreement.
Do you understand that?
- Yes, sir.
- Things seem to be moving smoothly
As the judge goes over a few questions.
- Did anybody threaten or coerce you to enter this plea
Or promise you anything
Other than what's contained in the plea agreement?
- No.
- Are you under the influence of any drugs
Or alcohol or medication that would prevent you
From understanding today's proceedings?
- [wearily] mm-mm-mm.
I mean, I smokes a little marijuana,
But I understand the procedure.
- Not exactly what a judge wants to hear
From a defendant.
- When was the last time you smoked?
- Maybe, like, 30 minutes ago.
- [sarcastically] wonderful!
♪ ♪
- But, I mean, I can take the plea.
I'm not...
I'm not--I'm in the right state of mind to take--
- Though frustrated,
Judge williams remains calm
And poses another question.
- Is it possible for you not to smoke 30 minutes
Before you take a plea?
- No, I was just nervous that I'm going in,
So, I was just...
You know, smoking.
- The defendant may be feeling mellow,
But the judge is anything but.
- I'm about ready to reject your plea and go to trial,
Just so you know.
You can roll the dice with a jury.
- Buzzkill!
- How do you think it looks to an appellate court
That you smoked marijuana
30 minutes before taking your plea?
- [sadly] bad. - Yeah.
That's the legal term.
- It looks like lopez could be losing his deal.
♪ ♪
But of all people,
The prosecutor, nathaniel mendoza,
Suggests a remedy.
- Your honor, I don't know if you'd be comfortable,
But I know that nhtsa states that marijuana can impair
Driving performance for up to three hours.
I don't know if that would mean that he'd be okay
By this afternoon,
If his head would be clear.
[laughter] that's all I got for you.
- You may be right, mr. Mendoza.
All right.
- Instead, lopez catches a break,
And the judge allows him a second hearing,
But with one minor stipulation.
- All right, I need you to show up for court
And not smoke marijuana right before you get on zoom.
You understand?
- Yeah. Yes, sir.
♪ ♪
- Lopez eventually appeared sober
And accepted the plea deal he was offered,
Five years in prison, plus three years' probation.
He was also required to pay a restitution fee of $300.
♪ ♪
- [coughing]
- It's not good for your lungs.
-- This isn't about being very skinny.
This is about being dead.
♪ ♪
- Next we head to kent county, michigan,
Where the defendants are seth welch
And his wife, tatiana fusari.
The couple are charged
With the murder of their 10-month-old baby.
♪ ♪
The parents found mary in her crib at 10:00 a.M.,
Unresponsive and not breathing.
She'd been out for 19 hours
Before they decided to check on her.
Tatiana attempted cpr, but it was no use.
Instead of calling paramedics,
Seth called his attorney.
He also went online to try... Selling a goat?
It was 90 minutes later when he finally called 911.
♪ ♪
- An autopsy revealed that mary died
From dehydration and malnourishment,
And at the time of her death,
The 10-month-old weighed just 8 pounds.
The infant was underweight for some time,
But the couple refused to take mary to a pediatrician
Because they didn't trust the medical profession.
And it went against their religious beliefs.
Here's one of the many videos welch posted on the internet,
Sharing his beliefs and theories.
- I'm not opposed to medicine or doctors.
I'm opposed to bad medicine
And doctors that are just--
Well, they're not really doctors.
They're priests of the medical call.
You know, they have a certificate
From some training camp somewhere that says,
You know, they got this test score,
But that doesn't mean that they know, like,
About the human body and stuff like that.
♪ ♪
- The couple were both charged in mary's death,
And at this preliminary hearing,
They learned the potential consequences of their actions.
- You're both charged with what they call felony murder.
While in the perpetration or attempted perpetration
Of child abuse in the first degree,
They're alleging that you murdered one mary welch.
That is a charge called a homicide felony murder.
It is life without parole.
♪ ♪
The second offense that you're both charged with
Is called child abuse in the first degree.
♪ ♪
It is life without parole.
♪ ♪
- Both defendants appear stunned
By the severe potential penalties they could face.
Later at their probable cause hearing,
Seth's cold and callous 911 call
Was played for judge sarah smolenski.
- Welch's attorney argued that while her clients
May be responsible for mary's death,
It was not intentional.
- The child was skinny, but not sickly.
They were breastfeeding the child.
These two young people are not nutritionists,
They're not dietitians.
- But the judge ruled there was enough evidence
To send the case to trial.
- This baby did not die because of one missed meal.
This is weeks and weeks.
This isn't about being very skinny.
This is about being dead.
♪ ♪
- Welch pursued an insanity defense,
But it took the jury only one hour to reach a verdict.
- On the count of felony murder count one,
Guilty of felony murder, as charged.
And count two,
Guilty of first-degree child abuse, as charged.
Was this, and is this your verdict?
All: Yes.
- Seth welch was sentenced to life in prison
With no chance of parole.
♪ ♪
As for tatiana fusari,
She initially pleaded no contest,
But then withdrew the plea.
She's sitting in jail, awaiting trial,
But if found guilty,
She could also receive life in prison
With no chance of parole.
♪ ♪
- I would ask the court to give me enough time
To finish my...Argument
And not to cut me off.
- That's former brigham young university professor
Tom lowery in a district courtroom
In salt lake city, utah.
He's representing himself today
In a suit against his former employer, byu,
Claiming that the university wrongfully terminated him
And slandered him,
Causing his stress-induced mental illness.
♪ ♪
The university claims lowery was let go
When a part-time vocational program he was leading failed.
Byu countered with a motion to dismiss the lawsuit,
But lowery won't be ignored.
...Renders this case closely analogous
To the complaint in my hands,
Which is [bleep] [bleep]--
- All right. That's enough.
- I am almost finished, and please don't interrupt me!
- I'm gonna--take this man into custody and cool him off.
- I'm cooled off.
- Put your hands behind your back.
- I deserve to be heard!
I deserve to be heard, your honor!
And you are violating my access to due process
At this very moment!
And this better be on the record!
- It's on-- - I am not violent.
But this-- [taser zapping]
- And, boy, we're gonna take you into the holding cell.
- [screaming]
Ah! No!
Stop!
♪ ♪
- Take this man into custody and cool him off.
- I'm cooled off.
- Lowery's behavior, however, suggests
He's anything but cooled off.
And judge anthony quinn sends in the deputies.
- And this better be on the record.
- It's on-- - I am not violent.
But this-- - and boy...
♪ ♪
- Before he can finish his sentence,
A deputy with a handheld taser shocks him in the back.
- We're gonna take you into the holding cell.
- [screaming]
Ah! No!
Stop! - Your honor!
- Put your hands on your belly! - I am!
- Put 'em on your belly! - I am!
Stop! - Okay! Do not move!
- [screaming] - do not move!
Put 'em down! Do not move!
- Put your hands behind your head.
- Your hands behind your back! - Yes, sir!
- Don't move again! - Oh, god! It hurts!
- End of story, buddy. You're out of here.
You do this again, you're gonna get more.
You understand me?
- Lowery is eventually helped up from the floor
And dragged out of the courtroom.
♪ ♪
- We'll be in recess.
♪ ♪
- Lowery's lawsuit against brigham young university
Was later dismissed.
He would later go on to file a federal lawsuit
Against judge quinn,
The utah 3rd district court, and the state of utah
For what he claimed were discriminatory proceedings
Under the americans with disabilities act.
That suit was also dismissed.
♪ ♪
That's it for this edition of "courtcam."
I'm dan abrams. Thanks for watching.
♪ ♪