SAVE Keith Zon Doolin in California
NEWS
11 December 2019
NEW VIDEO ON THE INNOCENCE CASE OF KEITH DOOLIN
BASED ON A 4-PARTS DOCUMENTARY SERIES, THE FOLLOWING TRAILER PRESENTS AN OVERVIEW OF THE FLAWS IN THE CASE.
DO YOU HOLD ANY INFORMATION YOURSELVES REGARDING THIS CASE?
IF SO, PLEASE CONTACT US
Video based on A. Buthion's documentary series, '20 years on death row'
We are releasing this video with the hope that some members of the public, who may have information regarding this case, will come forward and contact us.
This request comes at a time when Keith Doolin's legal team is separately requesting that the Court direct the District Attorney to provide ALL MATERIALS regarding the case. They say:
This request comes at a time when Keith Doolin's legal team is separately requesting that the Court direct the District Attorney to provide ALL MATERIALS regarding the case. They say:
In a complex capital case of this size, involving two separate incidents of murder and four separate attempted murders,
there would be logically be significantly more boxes of discovery furnished than what was provided in the caveat hand by the District Attorney. Indeed, a review of the discovery suggests materials were clearly missing. For example, there were no files for some key prosecution witnesses who testified.
Moreover, it is evident that files had been removed from some of the boxes as they were partially empty.
The Prosecution ('The People') has opposed this request.
| 2019_5-13_-_mot_re_withheld_discovery_ex_a_b.pdf |
| 2019_10-29_-_da_opp_to_in_camera_inspection_of_discovery.pdf |
Who is Keith Zon Doolin?
Keith Doolin, a former long distance truck driver with no criminal record, is on death row at San Quentin Prison, California. He has been fighting fiercely for over two decades to prove his innocence. Keith, represented by Robert R. Bryan and Pamala Sayasane of San Francisco. He says:
I am a Factual Innocent Man On Death Row and I do not want to be executed (...)
My trial lawyer paid himself $71 323 i.e. 91.3% of the total U.S funds that should have been allocated for this multi-death penalty trial. I have instructed my federal lawyers to file here and now for a Full Evidentiary Hearing due to my U.S Constitutional rights and Ca. Constitutional Rights have been repeatedly violated. (...)
Case summary
Keith Doolin was convicted of murdering two prostitutes (Inez Cantu Espinoza and Peggy Ann Tucker) during separate shootings and attempting to murder four others during separate shootings. Prosecutors were able to seek the death penalty because the case involved multiple murders.
However, on May 4, 2016 his attorneys filed in the California Supreme Court a new Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus that presents astounding new evidence which exonerates him. More recently they filed a motion seeking the files of the attorney for one of the actual killers, who was convicted in a separate murder case and then committed suicide.
Keith Doolin was convicted of murdering two prostitutes (Inez Cantu Espinoza and Peggy Ann Tucker) during separate shootings and attempting to murder four others during separate shootings. Prosecutors were able to seek the death penalty because the case involved multiple murders.
However, on May 4, 2016 his attorneys filed in the California Supreme Court a new Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus that presents astounding new evidence which exonerates him. More recently they filed a motion seeking the files of the attorney for one of the actual killers, who was convicted in a separate murder case and then committed suicide.
Newly-discovered evidence establishes that Petitioner is actually innocent of murdering Peggy Tucker and is thus entitled to a new trial.
Petitioner was represented at trial by Rudy Petilla, an attorney who was prejudicially ineffective. (...) Petilla was suspended from the practice of law on November 9, 2001. On November 19, 2004, he resigned from the Bar with charges pending. Had the lawyer conducted a semblance of a reasonable investigation on behalf of Petitioner, it would have been established that his client did not kill Ms. Tucker (...)
Petitioner’s present counsel have recently discovered new evidence that Josefina Sonia Saldana, aka Josefina Sonia Hernandez, a prosecution
witness in Petitioner’s trial (RT 1662-1670), murdered Peggy Tucker whom Petitioner was convicted of killing.
Supplement to Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus, February 2016 (see below)
by Robert Bryan
| 2016_6-25_-_mot._for_saldana_files.pdf |
| 2016_02_08_doolin_supp._habeas.pdf |
Keith Doolin's legal teams have historically and repeatedly pointed to the issue of his representation at trial:
[Keith Doolin's trial lawyer] was a compulsive gambler at the time he was representing Keith Zon Doolin". (...)
His urgent personal need for funds adversely affected his performance, in that he chose to spend on gambling the case funding which an unconflicted and competent defense attorney in a capital homicide case would unquestionably have spent on investigation and experts.
Here are the figures communicated by Keith Doolin in respect to his legal representation at trial
Original provision Final accounting
. Total Case compensation: $ 80 000 $ 80 000
(for the legal representation)
including:
. Lawyer fee: $ 20 000 $ 71 323,85
. Investigations, experts, in-lab testing, in-courts experts: $ 60 000 $ 8 676,15
(Source: Claim and order for compensation, 1996)
As a result of his gambling addiction, Keith Doolins' trial lawyer refused to make basic and necessary expenditures, in this complex case involving many victims and witnesses. According to Keith Doolin's lawyers, this includes:
. Failure to hire a capable expert in eye witness identification
. Failure to have the DNA evidence tested before the conviction of Keith Doolin
. Failures to hire professionally qualified tire tread and ballistic experts to examine forensic evidence
. Failure to have an investigator interview penalty witnesses whose name had been provided to him
. Failure to retain mental health experts.
. Failure to adduce testimony from 29 willing and available family members, teachers, pediatricians, psychotherapists, social workers, family friends, school friends, former girl friends, former supervisors and co-workers who could have enlightened the jury about M. Doolin's human qualities.
. Failure to investigate a third party suspect and who had been identified by two surviving victims (see below)
Doolin's lawyer has argued:
"[Trial attorney]'s failure to investigate was critical because it involved a third party suspect
who almost certainly committed one or more of the crimes for which Doolin was convicted". However, the State's assertion was that the third party suspect was in custody (when it appeared later that he was in fact out of custody). Most importantly, 2 surviving victims had identified the shooter as having blue eyes, when Keith Doolin has brown eyes. No further investigation was made by the trial attorney.
What the detective reports say (Petition Vol 2 p 508)
"8-25-95 -- Victim K. was brought to police headquarters to view mug photos . Victim viewed in excess of 2000 photos.(...) At the conclusion she selected a photo with event No 217309. Her statement to detective S. and myself was that if it was not him, it would be someone that looks a lot like him.
10-17-95 -- Received the information on suspect Doolin (...) The photo the victim had selected No 217309 was compared with the CDL belonging to suspect Doolin. The difference was that suspect Doolin's photo had a mustache, and the mug photo didn't."
On August 29, 2011, a surviving victim once again identified the photograph of the original suspect (below, left) as strongly resembling the person who shot her: on a scale of 1 to 10 with respect to the certainty of her identification, she replied "9.1."
"8-25-95 -- Victim K. was brought to police headquarters to view mug photos . Victim viewed in excess of 2000 photos.(...) At the conclusion she selected a photo with event No 217309. Her statement to detective S. and myself was that if it was not him, it would be someone that looks a lot like him.
10-17-95 -- Received the information on suspect Doolin (...) The photo the victim had selected No 217309 was compared with the CDL belonging to suspect Doolin. The difference was that suspect Doolin's photo had a mustache, and the mug photo didn't."
On August 29, 2011, a surviving victim once again identified the photograph of the original suspect (below, left) as strongly resembling the person who shot her: on a scale of 1 to 10 with respect to the certainty of her identification, she replied "9.1."
Picture of original suspect.
Picked up out of 2000 mug photos presented by a surviving victim (Victim K) 2 surviving victims declared that the criminal had blue eyes. |
Keith Doolin (today)
Picked up in a six-pack photo line up which did not contain the photo of the original suspect. |
Keith Zon Doolin from age 13-14 till age 19 or 20 -- He says: [At the time of the crime]"I was 22 years old in the Year 1995 with a Mustache that I have had since the grade 07th or 8th grade at school. My eyes are Brown/Hzl".
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What other attorneys have said
Michael R. Levine, lead Counsel, 2012
"Petitioner on trial for his life and charged with two counts of murder and four counts of attempted murder was represented at trial by a charlatan, a liar, a pathological gambler, a person who was unfit to practice law, and who does no longer practice law, and who siphoned off funds for the defense to his own pocket." (...) Keith Doolin's trial attorney's cumulative trial errors and omissions created a miscarriage of justice; absent his failures, no reasonable jury would have imposed a sentence of death".
Sara Wilson Stander, 1998
I have been following the case of People v. Keith Doolin for a number of years and it is one which troubles me greatly. There are a number of things about this case which demand attention.
Mr. Doolin makes a claim of actual innocence. Mr. Doolin's family and friends have worked tirelessly to uncover new exculpatory evidence. Had this work been done at the time of the trial, we would not be in this position today.
Mr. Doolin was the first person prosecuted under the local "flat fee" program. The attorney believed he was limited to the stated amount of funds and any money paid to investigators or experts would be money out of his pocket.
Please, I urge you to read these materials. When the government obtains a conviction against a citizen in this way every American is harmed. Please do what you can to bring justice to this case.
"Petitioner on trial for his life and charged with two counts of murder and four counts of attempted murder was represented at trial by a charlatan, a liar, a pathological gambler, a person who was unfit to practice law, and who does no longer practice law, and who siphoned off funds for the defense to his own pocket." (...) Keith Doolin's trial attorney's cumulative trial errors and omissions created a miscarriage of justice; absent his failures, no reasonable jury would have imposed a sentence of death".
Sara Wilson Stander, 1998
I have been following the case of People v. Keith Doolin for a number of years and it is one which troubles me greatly. There are a number of things about this case which demand attention.
Mr. Doolin makes a claim of actual innocence. Mr. Doolin's family and friends have worked tirelessly to uncover new exculpatory evidence. Had this work been done at the time of the trial, we would not be in this position today.
Mr. Doolin was the first person prosecuted under the local "flat fee" program. The attorney believed he was limited to the stated amount of funds and any money paid to investigators or experts would be money out of his pocket.
Please, I urge you to read these materials. When the government obtains a conviction against a citizen in this way every American is harmed. Please do what you can to bring justice to this case.
What a former prosecutor has said
Charles Dreiling, a former prosecutor and then head of the Fresno Public Defender's Office considered Keith Doolin's trial lawyer as a "charlatan, all show and no substance" who was "not qualified to handle a complex case" like Doolin's.
Charles Dreiling, a former prosecutor and then head of the Fresno Public Defender's Office considered Keith Doolin's trial lawyer as a "charlatan, all show and no substance" who was "not qualified to handle a complex case" like Doolin's.
What his supporters say
Sally, former para legal, Californian citizen
Sally, former para legal, Californian citizen
When you spend 2 1/2 hours a week in a cage with another human being as I do with Keith, and there is nothing to do but communicate, it is amazing what you can learn about that person. After visiting Keith weekly for over four years, (...) I have watched Keith get one disappointment from the courts after another and have heard him go on about the "bonus" in his favor through that disappointment. He always sees the good side of everything through it all. I don't think I could do it. After all he's been through, he is positive, uplifting, giving, supportive, kind, accepting, funny, open... For me, that makes Keith extraordinary!
Find out more
California death row inmate's story of innocence will be shown in an unlikely place, by Pablo Lopez, Fresno Bee, 18 February 2018
Donna Doolin-Larsen: le combat d'une mère pour sortir son fils du couloir de la mort, by Sylvia De Habreu, Telestar (France) 13 February 2018
Fresno lawyer’s secret could lead to new trial for death row inmate, by Pablo Lopez, Fresno Bee, March 2016
Convicted Killer seeks DNA testing, The Fresno Bee, Yahoo group, May 2003
Keith Doolin #K13400
CSP -- San Quentin
4 EB -- 25
San Quentin, CA 94974
CSP -- San Quentin
4 EB -- 25
San Quentin, CA 94974
