Convicted Marin Murderer Scores Legal Win: Report

Novato CA

26 April, 2021

12:39 PM

Description

NOVATO, CA — A convicted Marin County murderer seeking a lighter sentence won a legal victory earlier this month, The Marin Independent Journal reports. Andrew Bernard Clayton, 50, was convicted of first-degree murder for the 2000 killing of 28-year-old Christopher Deming according to the report. The California District Attorney's Office filed a "friend of the court" briefing in support of Deming's quest to have his sentence reduced under a 2019 law change, the report said. The 2019 enactment of Senate Bill 1437 provides a legal avenue for convicted murderers to pursue reduced sentences depending on their role in the crime. The Marin County District Attorney's Office had previously ruled against Clayton's request, arguing that SB 1437 was unconstitutional, the report said. But the 1st District Court of Appeals in San Francisco on April 12 ruled that Clayton was on solid legal footing in seeking his request in a ruling that sends the case back to Marin County Superior Court and could lead to a reduced sentence, the report said. Read more in The Marin Independent Journal