(NM) Fatal shooting ruled self-defense 07-03-02

——————————————————————————–
Santa Fe New Mexican
Addresshttp://www.santafenewmexican.com/site/news.cfm?ne
wsid=4632775&BRD=2144&PAG=461&dept_id=367954&rfi=6
Santa Fe New Mexicanhome : news : content
Jury says fatal shooting was justified
By GEOFF GRAMMER/The New Mexican 07/03/2002

A grand jury determined last week that a Santa Fe woman was justified
when she shot and killed a suspected prowler outside her home in April.

Lisa Pelland, 42, of Santa Fe told police she was alone in her Maclovia
Street house at 11 p.m. April 17 when she heard noises outside her
window. Pelland told police she armed herself with an
unspecified-caliber handgun when she went to check on the noises.

When Pelland looked outside, she told police, she saw Jay P. Medina, 42,
stacking bricks near her window. Pelland reportedly told
Medina numerous times to leave and warned him she had a gun. When Medina
allegedly advanced toward Pelland, she shot and killed him in her yard,
according to police.

Medina was pronounced dead at the scene.

The First Judicial District Attorney’s office presented evidence from
the shooting to a Santa Fe grand jury on Thursday, according to District
Attorney Henry Valdez.

“The Santa Fe grand jury reviewed the case of the shooting of Jay Medina
last week and found the killing was justified,” Valdez said in a written
statement Tuesday. “The law governing the secrecy of the grand jury
prohibits further comment concerning grand-jury proceedings.”

Valdez would not elaborate further on the case. Attempts to reach
Pelland on Tuesday were unsuccessful.

Valdez released Tuesday a timeline of how his office dealt with the case
“to address criticism of the delay in handling and presenting this
case.”

The grand jury’s decision came a little more than two months after
Medina’s death.

According to Valdez, the key dates in his office’s handling of the case
are as follows:

*May 10: The initial police reports were released to the district
attorney’s office.

*May 13: The case was “screened and staffed internally by most of the
senior attorneys within the district attorney’s office.

*May 21: The district attorney’s office requested further information
from the police department.

*June 19: That information was received from the Santa Fe Police
Department.

*June 27: The evidence was presented to the grand jury.

Valdez said he does not think there was any unnecessary delays in his
office’s handling of the case.

Fair Use
http://www.robertwaters.net