Homicidal Meth Haze Becomes Focus Of Ratto Murder Trial (California)

http://www.ktvu.com/news/6685468/detail.html

HAYWARD -- Is a gunman responsible for his actions while in the midst of a mental haze caused by excessive methamphetamine use? That’s the question posed to jurors by both sides in Thursday's closing arguments at the Richard Ratto murder trial.

Henry Inocencio, a 26-year-old Union City man, is charged with murder for the death of Ratto, who was shot twice in the head while he was driving under an Interstate Highway 580 overpass on his way to his job as an assistant manager of a Safeway supermarket in Belmont.

During the trial, Inocencio's frequent methamphetamine use came up in testimony before the jury and attorneys for both sides also made it an issue in their closing arguments.

"The guy was under the influence of methamphetamine," James Geller, Inocencio's attorney told KTVU outside the courthouse on Thursday. "We went into a psychologist ('s testimony) and how methamphetamine affects the ability to function… They (the user) are not capable of intent when they are high on it."

When asked what he hoped as a verdict, Geller replied: "Nobody knows what justice is…Justice in this case will be an honest verdict based on the evidence in the case."

Prosecutor Terry Wiley characterized Inocencio as a 'dope-dealing parolee who had every intention of murdering Ratto."

"I don’t think that when you fire a weapon at least six times at a man's head that you can come in (to court) and try to explain that conduct by saying you used too much methamphetamine," Wiley told KTVU outside the courtroom. "I think that justice is the defendant taking responsibility for his actions."

Closing argument in the case ended late Thursday morning and the jury was given instructions before breaking for lunch.