Former cop gets life in shooting of girlfriendRobert Brooks pleads for leniency, gets none
newsdemocratjournal.stltoday.com
By Sarah AuBuchon
Friday, November 2, 2007
Despite a sorrowful plea for leniency, former Calverton police officer Robert R. Brooks was sentenced Thursday to life in prison for the shooting death of his girlfriend, Normandy police officer Amanda Cates...
Former policeman gets life in prison
By Christine Byers
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
11/01/2007
Former Calverton Park police officer Robert Brooks was sentenced today to life in prison for the shooting death of his girlfriend, Amanda Cates, who also was a police officer... Cates, 26, was found on the bathroom floor in the home she shared with Brooks and his 14-year-old daughter, Chelsea, in Crystal City...
Previous entry:
[MO] Officer Brooks convicted of killing Officer Amanda Cates
“My sorrow for Mr. Brooks is that he chose not to value my daughter’s life. But he knows the truth, and he will have to live with that for the rest of his life, and even for him that can’t be easy”...
Brook Case has been overturned by the Missouri State Supreme Court in unanimous decision. Brooks will be getting new trial and it will show that he did not shoot Amanda. It will show that it was an Accidental Self Inflicted Gun Shot that killed Amanda
ReplyDeleteyou must be as crazy as him if thats what you think.
DeleteSUPREME COURT OF MISSOURI
ReplyDeleteen banc
STATE OF MISSOURI, Respondent,
v.
ROBERT R. BROOKS, Appellant.
APPEAL FROM THE CIRCUIT COURT OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
No. SC90347
The Honorable M. Edward Williams, Judge
Opinion issued February 23, 2010
http://www.courts.mo.gov/file.jsp?id=37178
[Excerpts] ...On the evening of August 28, 2006, Brooks attended a city council meeting. One of the agenda items was whether a female part-time officer would be hired as a full-time officer. Brooks had trained the officer. The council decided not to hire the officer. Brooks was upset about this and, after the meeting, confronted the chief of police.
Brooks and the officer then went to a bar, arriving at approximately 9:30 p.m. While at the bar, Brooks consumed seven or eight beers. Brooks also received multiple calls from Cates, who was unhappy he was not home.
At approximately 11:00 p.m., Brooks ordered three beers to go, and drove the part-time officer home. On the way, Brooks attempted to convince her to get a hotel room with him. The officer declined Brooks' invitation, and he dropped her off at about 11:30 p.m. As the officer was exiting, Brooks kissed her and attempted to pull her back into the vehicle. Also, around this time, Brooks called a woman named "Michelle."
Brooks then headed home. On the way home Brooks and Cates exchanged multiple telephone calls. Cates continued to be upset that Brooks was not home. Brooks arrived home at about 12:13 a.m. and, on the way, had finished the three beers.
At trial, Brooks testified that when he walked into the bedroom he "tossed" his gun on the bed and attempted to get ready for bed. Cates, however, was still upset and continued to argue with Brooks. During the argument, Cates took Brooks' keys, went to his truck, took his cell phone, found that he had called "Michelle," threw the phone into the grass and then went back inside. Brooks testified that Cates attacked him and threw things at him. Brooks also testified that when he tried to leave, Cates pointed his gun at him. Brooks and Cates struggled, and during the struggle, the gun discharged, killing Cates.
Brooks then called 911 and told the dispatcher he thought Cates was an intruder and accidentally shot her. After police arrived, Brooks was overheard talking on the telephone with his mother, telling her that they were sleeping and that Cates got up and continued the argument and then she was shot. Brooks was heard making similar statements to Officer Michael Tetrall.
[Continued...]
[...Continued]
ReplyDeleteAt about 1:58 a.m., Brooks agreed to go to the Crystal City police station for an interview. Brooks was given the Miranda warning but refused to sign the department's Miranda form. Brooks was questioned, but repeatedly avoided answering. Brooks made the statements, "I don't have nothing to hide" and "I didn't do nothing at all." Brooks did not give an account of the struggle or shooting during the interview. After the interview concluded, Brooks was arrested.
The jury found Brooks guilty of second degree murder and armed criminal action and recommended sentences of life imprisonment and 75 years. The trial court sentenced Brooks in accordance with the jury's recommendation and ordered the sentences to run concurrently.
III. At trial, the State commented and adduced testimony about Brooks' post-Miranda silence
Brooks alleges the trial court erred in allowing comments and testimony concerning Brooks' post-Miranda silence, which is prohibited under Doyle...
...The State argues that Brooks waived all of his Doyle claims because he waived his silence when he told police that he had "nothing to hide" and "didn't do nothing at all." However, statements to police must be substantive to waive the right to silence...
...This Court determines that the State's repeated, improper references to Brooks' post-Miranda silence violated his constitutional rights as explained in Doyle. The State failed to meet its burden to show that the constitutional violations were harmless beyond a reasonable doubt. Because of: (1) the repeated Doyle violations; (2) the de minimus curative efforts; (3) the plausibility of Brooks' defense; and (4) the fact that the evidence of Brooks' guilt was not otherwise overwhelming, the judgment is reversed, and the cause is remanded...
EX-OFFICER WINS NEW TRIAL IN FIANCEE'S DEATH
ReplyDeleteJefferson City News Tribune
By Chris Blank
February 24, 2010 3:33 AM CST
[Excerpts] The Missouri Supreme Court ordered a new trial Tuesday for a former St. Louis-area police officer sentenced to life in prison for the shooting death of his fiancee, who also was a police officer. Robert Brooks was convicted of second-degree murder and armed criminal action for the 2006 death of Amanda Cates in Crystal City. Brooks was a police officer in Calverton Park, and Cates had been a school resource officer for the Normandy Police Department. The Supreme Court ruled prosecutors made improper comments during Brooks' trial about his refusal to answer questions about what had happened after being advised of his right to remain silent. The court ruled 7-0 that Brooks is entitled to a new trial. Jefferson County Prosecutor Forrest Wegge said he plans to retry the case against Brooks and that he still was digesting the Supreme Court's ruling Tuesday... Brooks, 40, is being held in a prison outside Missouri... According to court documents, Cates was shot in the face after an argument with Brooks, who returned home late after drinking at a bar with another female police officer. Brooks went drinking after a city government meeting, in which officials decided not to hire the female police officer, whom Brooks had trained. Brooks testified that when he returned home after midnight, he set his gun on the bed and Cates continued the argument, throwing things at him and pointing the gun at him when he tried to leave. Brooks said there was a struggle for the gun and Cates was shot and killed. He then dialed 911 and reported he had shot Cates, thinking she was an intruder. But the responding police officers said they overheard Brooks tell his mother and a friend Cates was shot during an argument... href="http://www.newstribune.com/articles/2010/02/24/news_state/nt310state35newtrial10.txt
FORMER OFFICER'S PRISON SENTENCE OVERTURNED
Calverton Park Officer Robert Brooks Was Sentenced to Life For Killing His Fiance
FOX2now.com, KTVI
By Chris Regnier
February 23, 2010
[Excerpts] A former Calverton Park Police Officer sentenced to life in prison for killing his fiancé, a Normandy Police Officer, could get a new trial... Normandy Police Chief Frank Mininni calls Amanda Cates a great police officer and says he still struggles with her death. Now, Chief Mininni and others are struggling with the Missouri high courts 14 page decision. "I was shocked. I was in shock, said Mininni reacting to the decision... I don't think you'd be human if it didn't make you angry... I think the most difficult part of this is that were going to have to sit in a courtroom with Amanda's family again. Were going to have to re-live everything that happened night"... Mininni says he's still waiting for justice for Amanda. He told us, "We're confident that the outcome of this new trial will be the exact same as the last trial." The Normandy Police Department and Cates family have started a scholarship in Amanda's memory. A spokesperson with the Missouri Attorney Generals Office tells us they haven't decided yet whether to ask for another hearing on the case before the Supreme Court. Jefferson County Prosecuting Attorney Forrest Wegge says he will re-try the case if it comes back to his office. http://www.fox2now.com/news/ktvi-officer-sentence-overturned-022310,0,1960572.story
I hope he rots in hell!!!!!
ReplyDeleteI think he made his own hell!!
ReplyDelete