Charges called ‘miscarriage of justice’
Loved ones, law enforcement react with anger that counts against James Dorsey — including murder — included no sentencing enhancements
Detectives and loved ones described the charges filed Monday by the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office against James “Matthew” Dorsey — the estranged husband accused of stabbing his wife to death in Saugus last week — as a “miscarriage of justice.”
Officials said the five counts filed against Dorsey, which include one count of murder and one count of kidnapping, will result in him possibly facing a maximum 20 years in prison, when accounting for elder parole and good behavior, should he be convicted of all the charges.
On Monday, detectives presented their findings to the D.A., expressing their confidence that they can show Dorsey illegally entered the Fir Court home last Thursday and murdered Michelle Dorsey, 39, according to sheriff’s officials.
However, both family members and law enforcement expressed anger Tuesday that the charges listed in the criminal complaint filed by prosecutors didn’t include sentencing enhancements — a way in which the prosecutors can add additional years to sentences, if there are certain extenuating circumstances in a case.
Criticism
Investigators took the rare step Tuesday in criticizing the
D.A.’s Office for not filing a handful of enhancements, such as murder in commission of a burglary, murder during the course of a kidnapping and lying-in wait. Those additional charges, plus any possible weapons enhancements, would have resulted in life without parole, should the 41-year-old be convicted of Michelle Dorsey’s murder, officials said.
“It’s a total miscarriage of justice,” Lt. Barry Hall of the Sheriff’s Department’s