Burton Caliz gets off of manslaughter charge with a fine

Burton Caliz

Another police officer who found himself on the wrong end of the law in 2004 has been spared from additional jail time when he appeared in the Supreme Court.  Thirty-year old Burton Caliz, who has been on interdiction since the shooting death of a San Pedro resident Leroy Pilgrim nine years ago, appeared before Justice Troadio Gonzalez today where he learned his fate.  On Monday, September thirtieth, a jury of nine, following an initial hung jury, found Caliz guilty of the alternative charge of manslaughter by negligence. After more than two weeks of anticipation Caliz was fined three thousand dollars instead of being imposed a custodial sentence of five years.  Before handing down his decision Justice Gonzalez recommended that Caliz be reinstated.  The fine was ordered to be paid by January twenty-fourth, 2014.  Pilgrim was shot once to the back of the head during a struggle with Caliz which resulted in a firearm accidentally being discharged.  PC Caliz was initially charged with manslaughter and later upgraded to murder.  He served fourteen months on remand before being found guilty of manslaughter and sentenced to ten years in prison.  Upon appeal his conviction and sentence were quashed and a retrial was ordered.