CONSPICUOUS STUPIDITY

By Bob Walsh

PACOVILLA Corrections blog
July 23, 2014

I am not saying that all gang oriented violent assholes are stupid, but sometimes I wonder.

Rocky Riberal, 46, his son Brandon Riberal, 20, and Raymond Valles, Jr., 19, have just finished undergoing trial in Stockton for a gang related collateral damage homicide. That is hardly unusual, but some of the ancillary goings-on were sort of strange.

Many of the home boys were present in court to show solidarity for their fellows. Some of the people who showed up to show support had active warrants out for their arrest. I am sure the deputies were grateful for the easy catch. The judge went so far as to not allow the defendants relatives to read letters of support in open court, for fear of creating a disturbance in court.

The two younger defendants each denied being the shooter. The father expressed remorse at loaning out his car, which was used in the drive-by shooting that killed Eric Valverde, 29. The youngsters asked the court for mercy, to allow them to go on and do good things. The judge was not particularly helpful as both young men had recent convictions. The father admitted to loaning a gun and the rented SUV to his son, but denied he knew they were going to hurt anybody.

Valles (who was a juvenile at the time of the killing) and young Riberal both got life without plus 57-to-life. The older Riberal got 82-to-life. Two other defendants are awaiting trial in the same matter.