Catch us live on BlogTalkRadio every



Tuesday & Thursday at 6pm P.S.T.




Wednesday, May 9, 2012

CALIFORNIA - Judge thanks Vallejo veteran for service, sentences him to jail

OFF THE WIRE
 Raul Hernandez
 vcstar.com
A judge Monday thanked a 29-year-old Vallejo man for his military service, including a tour in Afghanistan, before sentencing him to 210 days in jail for possessing a loaded firearm while on his way to the funeral of a Hell's Angel member in 2010.
In March, a jury found Steven Templeton guilty of having the weapon and being under the influence of methamphetamine while possessing the gun.
Ventura County Superior Court Judge Bruce Young told Templeton that while he "respected and recognized" Templeton's service as an infantryman, Templeton was a danger to himself and others.
Young also ordered that Templeton serve 36 months of probation. The probation terms bar him from associating with criminal gangs, including the Hells Angels.
The judge said the combination of drugs, a loaded weapon and being an associate with the motorcycle club presented an extremely dangerous situation to others.
Templeton, who was out on bail, said he wanted to start serving his sentence immediately and was taken into custody.
On Sept. 25, 2010, police saw a group of more than 20 Hells Angels members and associates riding south on Highway 101 in Ventura on their way to the funeral of a member. Officers stopped them and found a gun in the hard-case saddlebag of Templeton's motorcycle, which had a red bandanna attached, according to testimony.
Sheriff's Deputy Brian Whittaker testified that a Hells Angel member or associate displaying a red bandanna is signaling to other members he has a weapon.
Jurors deadlocked on a special allegation that the crimes were committed for the benefit of the Hells Angels.
Defense lawyer Justin Tuttle had said Templeton was an infantryman in Afghanistan in 2003 and had been treated at a veterans hospital in Palo Alto for post-traumatic stress disorder. Tuttle said Templeton had no criminal record and possessed the weapon out of fear.
Prosecutor Tate McCallister had argued that Templeton's military service had nothing to do with the facts of the case.