The Texas Board of Pardon and Parole is reviewing the Laura Hall case for possible early release.
In August, a Travis County jury found Hall guilty of felony tampering with evidence and a misdemeanor charge of hindering apprehension in connection with the death of Jennifer Cave.
In 2005, Cave was found dead in an apartment near the UT Campus. She had been shot, stabbed, and dismembered. UT student Colton Pitonyak, 22, was convicted of her murder.
Cave was convicted of helping to dismembering the body and helping Pitonyak escape to Mexico. She received a five year sentence on the felony charge.
A spokesman for the Parole Board told CBS 42's Keith Elkins a decision of Hall's release could come as early as Dec. 1.
The Travis County District Attorney's Office and Cave's mother, Sharon, were not notified of the Board's review.
Assistant District Attorney Bill Bishop said he was surprised to find out Hall was coming up for early release. He said his office strongly opposes it.
Pardon and Parole Board members were not available to explain why Hall was up for parole only three months after her conviction.
[Hey, isn't this one of those "nonviolent" third degree felonies that got a reduced period of supervision by the Leg?]
Well, the parole was denied. But, today, the Third Court of Appeals granted Laura Hall a new trial as to punishment only. Was that a smart thing for her to request? She only got 5 years out of 10. How can she possible do better on retrial, especially considering that she has already served most of that sentence?
Anyone want to bet that she gets 10 if there is a retrial? After all, the jury will only focus on punishment and take guilt as a given.
For the appellate case that details the facts, click here.
Pitonyak's appeal includes sworn statements from two former Travis County Jail inmates who say that Hall, 26, confessed to the murder in a group therapy session shortly after her 2005 arrest, evidence that was not raised at the trials of Pitonyak or Hall, his friend and former lover.
[Perhaps this is an example of why asking for a new punishment hearing, after getting only 5 years for dismembering a body, is not always a good idea.]
State District Judge Wilford Flowers today ordered Laura Hall jailed and said a new sentencing trial in her case would begin March 8.
When a sheriff's deputy began to escort Hall into custody, she grabbed the arm of her lawyer, Joe James Sawyer, and yelled, "Please get me out of this." As the deputy pulled her toward the holding cell, Hall yelled, "Your honor, I am not guilty. You need to let me go home. You need to let me go home." Several minutes after the door from the courtroom to the secured holding area was closed, Hall could still be heard yelling from the courtroom.
Anyone want to bet that she gets 10 if there is a retrial? After all, the jury will only focus on punishment and take guilt as a given.
[This message was edited by JB on 02-19-09 at .]
You correctly called this one, JB.
Let's hope TDCJ gives her a "serve all".
I, like everyone else in the universe except for Ms. Hall's limited supporters, feels so sorry for the Cave family having to endure this mess all over again.
In the comments section of the Statesman was the following remark, which I think sums up how everyone feels about this case and defendant:
kenman 8:35 AM on July 3, 2010
Asked to comment following the verdict, the jury foreman replied: "Hey, ... that's how we roll".
Laura Ashley Hall, serving a 10-year sentence for evidence tampering in the mutilation of a West Campus murder victim, was denied parole in a recent review by the Board of Pardons and Parole.
In 2007, a jury convicted appellant Laura Hall of offenses that included tampering with physical evidence--namely, mutilating the body of a homicide victim. See Tex. Penal Code Ann. Sec. 37.09 (West 2011). For the evidence-tampering offense, the jury imposed a five-year sentence. Hall v. State, 283 S.W.3d 137, 142 (Tex. App.--Austin 2009, pet. ref'd). Hall appealed, and this Court affirmed the judgments of conviction. See id. at 179. However, based on Brady violations (1) that we concluded had unconstitutionally impacted Hall's punishment hearing, we reversed and remanded for a new trial on punishment only. See id. On remand, a different jury, hearing some evidence not presented during Hall's first trial (including additional accounts of self-incriminating and rather disturbing statements made by Hall regarding her offenses and the victim (2)), imposed a ten-year sentence, plus a fine of $10,000. Hall again appeals. In six issues, Hall asserts that she was denied counsel during the 30-day period for filing a motion for new trial, that she was denied the effective assistance of counsel during that same period, and that the district court abused its discretion when it failed to grant Hall a new trial on the basis of alleged Brady violations. We will affirm the judgment.
The Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles has denied parole to Laura Ashley Hall, who is serving a 10-year sentence for evidence tampering in the 2005 West Campus murder and mutilation of 21-year-old Jennifer Cave.
