Trial Delay For 7 Charged In Murder Of Mom Who Died Trying To Shield Her Children
OAKLAND (CBS SF) -- The long-awaited preliminary hearing for seven people charged with murder for the fatal shooting of a West Oakland mother struck by crossfire as she tried to help two of her children to safety last year was delayed for a day Wednesday because of scheduling problems.
The hearing, which will determine if there's enough evidence for the seven murder defendants to be ordered to stand trial on charges stemming from the shooting of Chyemil Pierce, 30, outside her home in the 2800 block of Chestnut Street at about 4:45 p.m. on March 9, 2015, had been scheduled to begin Wednesday morning.
But defense attorneys for two of the defendants weren't available Wednesday because they're finishing up other murder cases.
Alameda County Superior Court Judge Jeffrey Horner, who is presiding over the hearing, scheduled the hearing to begin on Thursday afternoon and continue all day on Friday.
Because there are other scheduling conflicts for some of the attorneys involved in the case, the hearing will then have to adjourn until late August, Horner said.
Charged with murder for the death of Pierce, who worked as a human resources specialist at Kaiser Permanente, are Joneria Reed, 38, Julian Ambrose, 18, Jerry Harbin, 31, Alex Davis, 26, Shelton McDaniels, 30, Michael Stills, 22, and Anthony Sims, 21.
In addition, Ambrose and Sims face an attempted murder charge for allegedly shooting at Harbin.
An eighth defendant, Dijon Ward, 22, who is Reed's son, is charged with being an accessory after the fact.
The shooting occurred after two groups of women got into a fight on Chestnut Street and two groups of men came to the scene and became involved in the confrontation.
Prosecutors allege that Reed made a phone call to Ward, her son, and another man that triggered the shooting.
Prosecutors say Sims, Harbin, McDaniels, Davis and Ambrose all opened fire in the shootout that killed Pierce, who was hit by a bullet in the back of her head. Investigators haven't said who they believe fired the shot that killed her.
Stills is not charged with firing a gun during the incident but is accused of being armed with one and prosecutors allege that he's also legally responsible for the killing.
Ambrose suffered multiple gunshot wounds in the incident and spent more than a month at Highland Hospital in Oakland. He was arrested when he was released from the hospital on April 14, 2015.
Horner told the lawyers in the case Wednesday that he will have to be "relatively draconian in my scheduling" to try to complete the preliminary hearing as quickly as possible.
Most of the attorneys in the case have busy schedules but Horner said they will have to put other matters on the back burner except for the case of one attorney, who's already involved in a murder trial whose jury has been selected.
About 20 family members and friends of the eight defendants and Pierce came to court for the brief hearing Wednesday and seven bailiffs provided security.
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