Courtroom News
A press release picked up by several papers:
"Trial begins this week in the case of Louis Ramirez. Ramirez is the alleged perpetrator in the killing of a downtown shopkeeper last year, arrested after seven months of investigation by the Seattle police. Ramirez's case drew much attention from civil rights groups who declared that Ramirez was the victim of racial profiling, and moved for a mistrial citing mishandled evidence and misconduct in the arrest.
The case grew enough in notoriety to be taken up by the firm of Graves and Pettigrew. Lucas Graves, the well-known defense attorney, will be representing Ramirez in the trial. Graves, known for taking on civil rights cases, and as a defender of the urban poor, is defending Ramirez pro bono. Representing the state will be a team led by attorney Kayla Michaels.
Graves and Pettigrew have issued a short public statement in the days leading up to trial. "We hope that this trial will be speedy and to the point. It is unfortunate that this case has even led to trial, but we will demonstrate without a doubt that our client, Louis Ramirez, is a scapegoat. Perhaps with the trial finished the authorities can resume the search for the true perpetrator in this tragic murder."