Los Angeles

Man Claims He Was ‘Wrongfully Convicted' for Shooting in 1990

A man who is serving a 33-year-to-life prison term for a 1990 shooting in Los Angeles in which a stray bullet struck and killed a woman and injured a man told a judge Thursday that he was "wrongfully convicted."

At a hearing in which the defense is seeking to have his conviction vacated, Willie James Cooks told Los Angeles Superior Court Judge William C. Ryan that he was in San Diego when Yvonne Walters was shot to death on Oct. 12, 1990.

"I was wrongfully convicted, accused for an incident that happened in South L.A.," the now 46-year-old defendant said.

Prosecutors are opposing his request to have his conviction overturned.

"... None of the contentions in the petition have merit," Deputy District Attorney Erika Jerez wrote in response to the defense's filing.

Defense attorney Mark McBride said outside court that he believes Cooks is innocent.

While Cooks was in prison, he reached out to an attorney for help. 

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"Something about his case I liked and I took it pro-bono," McBride said.

Cooks was convicted in 1991 of first-degree murder for Walters' killing, along with the attempted murder of Michael Twyman, who was struck in the back by the gunfire.

"Did you commit the murder in this case?" Cooks' attorney asked his client during the hearing.

"No," the defendant responded.

He also denied firing toward Twyman.

When Cooks' attorney asked if he was in the area of the shooting the day the crime occurred, the defendant responded, "No ... I couldn't be two places at one time."

He said he returned home from San Diego after he called to speak to his family, and his mom told him that the police came looking for him in connection with a murder.

"I didn't have no reason to run," Cooks said, adding that he went with a lawyer to the Los Angeles Police Department's Newton Station and explained that he had been in San Diego to celebrate the birthday of his son's mother.

The attempted murder victim -- Twyman -- was the first witness called to the stand during the hearing.

He said he didn't want to see "an innocent man in jail," noting that he had been to prison himself.

"Did my client shoot you?" McBride asked.

"No," Twyman responded.

"Do you know who shot you?" the defense attorney asked.

"No," he again responded.

Twyman said he was riding on a motorcycle when he was shot from behind.

Under questioning by the prosecutor, he said he didn't remember if he had seen Cooks' vehicle in the area or if he had been involved in a prior verbal confrontation with Cooks in which Cooks allegedly told him, "I am going to get you. You are slipping"

McBride told NBC4 that Cooks hired a private investigator who got three witnesses to the shootings, including Twyman, to admit they lied on the stand all those years ago.

In court on Thursday, Twyman would only say the man seated across from him was not the man who tried to kill him. 

The hearing is set to resume Jan. 5, when the defense is expected to call two witnesses who have since stated that they lied when they identified Cooks as the shooter.

John Cádiz Klemack contributed to this report.

Copyright CNS - City News Service
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