Former Youth of the Cadet Corps, survives arson charge
Glenn Murrillo
Glenn Murrillo was only fifteen years old and was enlisted in the Youth Cadet Service Corp when he was accused of arson in February, 2009. The charges were in connection with a fire inside the bathroom at the Cadet Corp. Trial against the now eighteen year old man started on Wednesday. After calling four witnesses, Crown Counsel for the D.P.P.’s Office, Thalia Megan Francis realized that no one gave compelling or pertinent evidence to link Murrillo to the crime. She closed her case today and admitted to the court that while her intention was to prove that Murrillo committed the arson, she failed to meet the threshold for the charge. With that, Judge Troadio Gonzalez directed the nine member jury to find Murillo not guilty. Back in 2009, he was initially arraigned for Arson and Damage to Property, but both charges were withdrawn in January 2010. The charge of Arson, however, was later reinstated but did not stand up in court.
Doesn’t the DPP look at the evidence before charges are filed? It seems justice is not served by filing a case, then 3 years later throwing it out at trial because there is no evidence, or the evidence was not preserved. We definitely need to have outside help to train up a professional career prosecutor’s office. The good guys need to be able to win!