LOS ANGELES–A United States District Court Judge Tuesday denied a motion in federal court on behalf of Hampig Sassounian to strike the special circumstance from his conviction. If approved–Sassounian would be allowed parole in his life sentence.
The motion argued that the prosecution committed misconduct during the trial and "failed to introduce sufficient evidence to support special circumstance finding."
Furthermore–the motion stressed that prosecution witness Geoffrey Busch perjured himself on the stand. The defense also argued jury misconduct due to introduction of testimony not heard in court but presented during jury deliberation.
US District Court Judge in a written ruling Tuesday–concluded that while there was jury misconduct–it was not sufficient ground to strike the special circumstance provision.
Asbarez will provide an elaborate report on the latest on Hampig Sassounian in its upcoming issues.
Sassounian was tried and convicted of the alleged murder of Turkish Consul General to Los Angeles Kemal Arikan. He was sentenced to life in prison without parole.