After six days of deliberation, San Francisco’s jury acquitted the undocumented immigrant who fired the shot that killed Kathryn Steinle in 2015.
Jose Ines Garcia Zarate was convicted for being a felon in possession of a firearm but did not receive charges of murder or manslaughter. Though the 2015 shooting death of Kate Steinle became a flashpoint in an intense national debate over immigration, the issue was never addressed inside the courtroom. President Donald Trump called the verdict a "complete travesty of justice."
From the outset, the judge barred any mention of Jose Ines Garcia Zarate's immigration status or the five times he was arrested and deported to Mexico before he came back across the border. The judge said the jury should consider only Garcia Zarate's intentions on the July evening when Steinle was shot.
We discuss the latest on the trial and San Francisco’s reaction, as well as what went on inside the courtroom and why the jury ultimately came to yesterday’s verdict.
With files from the Associated Press
Guests:
Laurie L. Levenson, former federal prosecutor and a professor of law at Loyola Law School
Vivian Ho, reporter for the San Francisco Chronicle who’s been covering the trial and the verdict; she tweets