California v. Markhasev
"The Ennis Cosby Murder
Trial"
Markhasev sentenced to
life without parole and denied a new trial
August 11 (Court TV) -- Despite claims by his lawyer that he did not
receive a fair trial, Mikail Markhasev, the Ukrainian immigrant convicted
of killing Bill Cosby's only son, was formally sentenced to life in prison
without the possibility of parole.
Markhasev, 19, showed no emotion as
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In addition to life without parole, Mikail Markhasev received 10 years for illegal use of a firearm.
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the mandatory sentence was read. While Markhasev's family wept silently,
Ennis Cosby's relatives showed restrained joy. Bill Cosby and his wife,
Camille, were not present in the courtroom for the sentencing.
Henry
Hall, Markhasev's attorney,
argued before Judge David Perez that his client
should receive a new trial because several jurors made up their mind about
Markhasev's guilt before deliberations began. He said that one juror
indicated that she had reached her decision before final arguments were
completed. In addition, another juror said before deliberations that
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Judge David Perez rejected Markhasev's motion for a new trial.
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Markhasev should be hung for Cosby's murder. This, Hall argued, shows that
jurors were unfairly prejudiced against Markhasev.
Hall also claimed
that prosecutors violated a court order that banned references to
Markhasev's alleged ties to Mexican gangs. Jurors heard about Markhasev's
alleged gang affiliation through prison letters he wrote that were admitted at
his trial. The defense argued that these constant references also
prejudiced the jury. However, Judge Perez disagreed and said that there was
no evidence of juror and prosecutorial misconduct. He found no basis for a
new trial.
Ennis Cosby's uncle, Eric Hanks, gave an emotional victim
impact statement in which he showed a slide show that documented his
nephew's life. Speaking for the entire Cosby family, he described Ennis as
a young man who "always reached out to people." Hanks said that his nephew
was probably reaching out to Markhasev when he was killed.
In addition
to life without parole, Judge Perez sentenced Markhasev to an additional 10
years for illegal use of a firearm and fined him. Judge Perez also asked
Cosby's relatives whether they wanted Markhasev to pay for Ennis' funeral
expenses, but they declined.
Ennis Cosby was shot to death while
changing a flat tire along a Bel-Air road on January 16, 1997. Police
arrested Markhasev two months after the murder, and prosecutors chose not
to seek the death penalty against him. Markhasev was convicted of Cosby's
murder on July 7.
-- Bryan Robinson
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