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Monday, Nov. 02, 2009
Jail officers guilty of beating inmate
BAKERSFIELD -- A jury has convicted two Kern County jail deputies in the beating death of an inmate.
Ralph Contreras and Daniel Lindini both initially were charged with second-degree murder. On Thursday, jurors found Contreras guilty of that but found Lindini guilty of involuntary manslaughter.
Prosecutors say the two were among more than 20 officers who were involved in the struggle with 30-year-old James Moore in August 2005.
Authorities say Moore was combative when he was arrested on criminal threat charges. The inmate was punched, choked, hit with a baton and pepper-sprayed, and eventually died of head trauma.
A third deputy, Roxanne Fowler, pleaded guilty in September to a misdemeanor assault charge.
Contreras faces 15 years to life in prison and Lindini faces up to five years when they're sentenced Dec. 1.
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