An Arizona judge this week was so furious with both sides of the case that he left the courtroom midway through the proceedings.
Santa Cruz County Superior Court Judge Thomas Fink is presiding over the trial of George Kelly, a rancher charged with murder in the shooting death of Mexican national Gabriel Cuen-Buitimare.
Mr. Fink stood up and briefly left the bench Thursday while his defense was present, waiting for the clerk and court reporter to make a decision. Local outlet Fox 29.
Arizona rancher George Alan Kelly’s jury to tour border compound at center of murder trial
Judge Thomas Fink (right) leaves the courtroom during the trial of rancher George Kelly. (Fox News)
Mr. Fink accused the defense and prosecution of unnecessarily prolonging oral arguments.
Jurors heard testimony about where Kelly stood and how far away prosecutors say he shot Quyen-Buytimea.
The defense has argued that Kelly had only fired a warning shot into the air from their courtyard earlier in the day, and that his wife, Wanda Kelly, was wearing camouflage and carrying a rifle and a backpack. He said he spotted two armed men walking with about 100 people carrying them on their backs and called the Border Patrol’s contact number at the ranch. It is located a few meters from their house.
Arizona rancher George Alan Kelley’s wife testifies in murder trial about armed groups near border area
George Alan Kelly enters the courtroom for a preliminary hearing at Nogales Justice Court in Nogales, Arizona.
Kelly’s lawyers have questioned whether forensic evidence and an autopsy report presented in court can prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Quyen-Buytimea was killed by Kelly’s gun. ing.
The fatal bullet was never recovered from the scene. Kelly’s defense attorney, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Fox News Digital that none of the state’s witnesses in the trial so far have questioned the defense’s theory that a rip crew was organized. He said he had not provided any rebuttal testimony. -Associate – May have shot and killed Kuen-Buytimea and robbed him.
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George Alan Kelly, 73, is accused of fatally shooting a Mexican man on his property in January 2023. Kelly said he fired a warning shot, but he never fired directly at anyone. (Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office, via Associated Press)
Kelly made national headlines last year when he was taken into court. $1 million bond He was charged with first-degree murder for several weeks. His maximum charge was later reduced to second-degree murder.
Earlier this year, the elderly rancher rejected an agreement from prosecutors to reduce the charge to one count of negligent homicide if he agreed to plead guilty. The trial is scheduled to end on April 19th.
Fox News Digital’s Danielle Wallace contributed to this report.
