PENN BEA SENTENCED FOR KILLING

Bounty hunter sentenced in fatal shooting
By The Tribune-Review
Monday, February 27, 2006

A former bounty hunter avoided going to jail today when an Allegheny
County judge sentenced him for fatally shooting an unarmed fugitive
in a darkened house in the North Side.

Mark Smith, 38, of the North Side, was sentenced today to two years'
house arrest followed by three years' probation for the Dec. 23,
2004, shotgun slaying of Michael Robinson, 38, who was wanted for
failure to appear in court in Butler County. Smith and his partner
tracked down Robinson at a house on Rising Main Avenue.

Allegheny County Common Pleas Judge Jeffrey A. Manning convicted
Smith last year of involuntary manslaughter. Smith's defense
attorney, Michael DeRiso, had argued his client thought his shotgun
was loaded with rubber bullets and that he never meant to kill
Robinson.

Smith cried in court today as friends and his daughter asked Manning
for mercy. He declined comment as he left court.

"He's relieved that he's not going to jail," DeRiso said.

Here is the link to the second article:
http://kdka.com/local/local_story_058125502.html

" He thought his shotgun was loaded with rubber bullets "

Sounds like somebody forgot one of the rules of firearm safety "KNOW OR GUN"

_________________
Andy Dickey
A Way Out Bail Bonds Agency/Tri-State Intel

Andy-your right-i spoke to a friend in pittsburg pd(high ranking detective)he filled me in on the case-the bea did not use any tactics at all--1st problem room clearing in the dark and with only one person--big big no no-2nd he could not id what was in the bad guys hands another problem

I believe the bea is lucky to avoid jail-I think that the judge is sypathic to our cause--many libel judges would have put him in for a few years-the bea most likely would not have gotten out alive

He is very lucky to have avoided jail time. I thought he had a very poor case when then coroner stated that he removed lead and not rubber from the victim.