Criminal
Apr. 29, 2026
The cost of judicial second guessing is too high
A California appellate court reversed the conviction of Antolin Garcia Torres for the kidnapping and murder of Sierra LaMar, raising concerns that the ruling misapplies the standard for overturning joint trials and could undermine established legal principles governing multi-victim cases.
Gregory D. Totten
Chief Executive Officer
California District Attorneys Association
Email: gtotten@cdaa.org
In March 2012, 15‑year‑old Sierra LaMar was kidnapped on her way to school. Although her body has never been found, investigators located her phone in a field about a mile from home, and all of her belongings--including every item of clothing she was wearing that morning--next to a farm shed about two miles away. Substantial forensic evidence linked Antolin Garcia‑Torres to the crime: his DNA on her clothing, her DNA on his car door handle and gloves, and her hair on a rope i...
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