Across the street from Harmony Road Music School in north Oakland, California, Jared Adams, 24, apparently was not thinking. Apparently Jared attempted to rob a Chevron gas station attendant. Sometime during the process, Jared Adams apparently fired a gun. The results were disastrous for fifth-grader Christopher Rodriguez who was sitting down at his piano for his weekly lesson. Bullets can't think. They fly until they hit an object or until they run out of propulsion. Thursday, the bullet went through the walls of Christopher's classroom, pierced his kidney, spleen and lodged in the 10 year old's spine. According to his physicians, he will likely be permanently paralyzed from the waist down thus forever changing his life.
Jennifer Rodriguez, Chris mother had been waiting outside in her SUV for her son's lesson to end. Apparently two bullets from Adams' gun struck her vehicle. At first she thought someone had thrown rocks at her SUV. When she realized it was gunfire, she dashed into her son's music school to see Christopher on the floor. While police were chasing Adams, his vehicle hit another car carrying a woman and her two children and then slammed into a parked car. Fortunately the woman and her children escaped without serious injury. .
Adams was charged this week with attempted murder, robbery, evading a police officer, driving recklessly and being an ex-felon in possession of a firearm. Adams has a past record of driving under the influence, gun possession, and felony evading arrest in 2006.
Harmony Road Music School will hold a benefit concert for the Rodriguez family February 10 at 2 p.m. at Chapel of the Chimes.
While all suspects are presumed innocent, I don't believe even Clarence Darrow could save Adams from a lengthy stay in prison.
Update 1-31-08 There is a Star-Studded Benefit Concert to raise money for Christopher Rodriguez and his family on March 24th at Yoshi's Jazz Club at Jack London Square in Oakland. Shows at 8 and 10pm. Show includes: John Santos, Kai Eckhardt, Roger Glenn, Frank Martin, Narada Michael Walden, Carol Alban, Anton Schwartz, the Baguette Quartette, the Oakland Jazz Choir, members of the Bay Area Chamber Symphony and other guest performers. Please visit www.myspace.com/benefitconcertinfo or Yoshi's website www.yoshis.com or call (510)238-9200.
Update 1-30-10: Do to spamming concerns, email future comments on this particular topic to legalpub@legalpub.net
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29 comments:
Poor innocent victims is the reason crime does not pay. Crime steal life from victims, all without compensation.
Shell
This months ABA Journal covers blogs that report on trials and how they can both help and hurt lawyers trying the case.
Interesting. No mention of Legal Pub...
Idiot. That describes Adams!
Oakland needs to make an example out of Adams!
That's horrible! It reminds me of the idiots that shoot their guns on New Year's Eve. Poor kid.
There is no excuse for this kind of thing. This kid sounds like a spoiled brat who thinks because he is a minority he has the right rip off gas stations and shoot his gun like some kind of black Baby Face Nelson. Is he showing off to his girl friend? Having a gun in Oakland now seems to be the norm. Both my kids have been robbed by hoodlums with guns in the past three months. This shit had better stop before everybody is forced to carry a gun. I'm thinking of getting one myself so that the next time some jackass like this tries to rob me I'll put a 22 through his stupid head. That'll send a message to these jerks.
Sounds like Oakland is a mess!
Dirtbag!
I am of the firm opinion that once a dirtbag, always a dirtbag. I know, let’s take a felon who has firearm and evading convictions and let this animal back out to mingle with civilized people. Not!
How about using eminent domain to take a large, abandoned area of, say southern Alaska, build a wall around it and drop these animals off. Goodbye. Period. Small amounts, minuscule really, of food, no expensive health care or cable TV, etc. Objective: remove those who by their actions show they don’t want to live among civilized persons from our society. And do it cheaply.
And I get that our present law won’t allow such actions. But that’s one of the great things about our law. It’s changeable. And I’m advocating change, Constitutional change if need be, to permit dirtbag criminals to be treated like they have little right of access to social resources…they need to be real low on the resource totem pole. REAL LOW.
Look…there are kids who need health care, roads that need repairing, teachers and cops who need paying, arts that need funding, space that needs exploring, early intervention programs that need staffing, etc. There are many, many areas of our society that are so much more worthy of our resources than dirtbag felons.
We should spend more, much more, on early intervention. From job assistance, to day care, to education assistance, to…well, you get the picture…we should do all we can to help people and show them the right way to “stay on the right side of the law”. But at the same time, we should do less, MUCH LESS, for those who choose to cross it in such a felonious manner.
I meet dirtbags everyday, yesterday in fact, who plain just don’t care about anything the criminal justice system has to offer them. It’s just not a problem.
Let me get this straight, you’re taking me to a place where I don’t have to work, I’m fed three free hots and given a cot, all my needs are taken care of better than if I have to try and provide and care for myself, free dental and health care of considerable capability….this is supposed to deter me? And besides, I’ll be out real quick anyhow. Arrest me cop, see if I give a damn!
Case in point…arrest dirtbag with 43(?) pages of felonious criminal history for armed trafficking in cocaine. He does 3 or 4 months in county before trial, pleads out because the jails and prisons are full, gets out and does an armed home invasion within days, and is now wanted again. It just a game to him. We’ll catch him…eventually. And when we do, he’ll get out quick. Just a speed bump in his felonious life. No real big deal. Just a minor inconvenience.
No, until society attaches unpalatable consequences to illegal actions, and arrest and incarceration is not working as such, theses animals shall continue to pray upon our soft underbelly.
They have utter contempt for little children walking the street to music lessons, mothers driving to school, dads going to work, teachers and cops working for others, etc.
You’re meat to them. Soft, warm meat. Better wake up and get a dose of reality people.
Just one man’s personal opinion.
L.S.
Lee,
I for one appreciate the great job law enforcement personel do in keeping us safe.
Your Secret L.A. Reader
Wow. Lee, you won me over. (why aren't you running for President?!)
Repeated, blatant disregard for rules and laws - no remorse for the harm or damage caused - follwed by yet MORE infractions and mayhem (43 pages?!) - and you go far, far away.
(when we lived in Japan in the early 80's, we were told that Japanese prisons provided inmates with rice and water. That's it. You want vegetables or meat? Hope your family can bring it. You're diabetic, need insulin? - too bad, so sad, find someone to bring it in for you.)
You go Lee and Colleency! I say we bring back bread and water diets.
Nancy
I have organized a Star-Studded Benefit Concert to raise money for Christopher Rodriguez and his family on March 24th at Yoshi's Jazz Club at Jack London Square in Oakland. Shows at 8 and 10pm.
Featured performers (so far):
John Santos, Kai Eckhardt, Roger Glenn, Frank Martin, Narada Michael Walden, Carol Alban, Anton Schwartz, the Baguette Quartette, the Oakland Jazz Choir, members of the Bay Area Chamber Symphony and other guest performers.
Please visit the event website for more info: www.myspace.com/benefitconcertinfo
You can order tickets via the Yoshi's website www.yoshis.com or by calling their box office at (510)238-9200.
Update 1-31-08 There is a Star-Studded Benefit Concert to raise money for Christopher Rodriguez and his family on March 24th at Yoshi's Jazz Club at Jack London Square in Oakland. Shows at 8 and 10pm. Show includes: John Santos, Kai Eckhardt, Roger Glenn, Frank Martin, Narada Michael Walden, Carol Alban, Anton Schwartz, the Baguette Quartette, the Oakland Jazz Choir, members of the Bay Area Chamber Symphony and other guest performers. Please visit www.myspace.com/benefitconcertinfo or Yoshi's website www.yoshis.com or call (510)238-9200.
I love Lee!
L.S. aka Lee has quite a following. For a cop/lawyer he is definitely all right!
We all love Lee!
Jared should pay Christopher's medical bills, even if the court liquidates his assets to do this. Christopher's parents could sue Jared for the medical costs if necessary. They can begin by photocopying the medical bill and writing a letter demanding that the robber pay the medical expenses. If this is unsuccessful, threaten him with legal action, lawsuits, garnishment, even asset seizure. The victim's parents should make it very clear that such behavior is unexcusable.
Thomas, I agree. Civil suits are the answer. We can use O.J. Simpson as an example. Hit criminals in the pocket book whenever possible. Show them crime does not pay in both criminal and civil prosecution.
Thomas for President.
Dollar Bill
First off I am sorry for Christopher Rodriguez. He did not deserve to be paralyzed at ten years old. This is Jared’s little brother. I am sad he did what he did. And he is in jail for what he did. As I was reading the comments from others I understand the people feeling for what happen. A lot of things were said about Jared was hurtful to here. But know one really know who he is but his family and friends. People don’t do crimes for nothing. There are always reasons. Jared had a felony before this big crime. So we all know that those with a felony have to find a job that accepts those with felonies. It’s worse when you don’t have opinions or know where to find help. Jared is a mechanic; buy old cars to fix them up and sell them. Very good at he’s work. He has five brothers and one sister. He is a hot head but even hot heads want to make a different in their life. He is a father of a four month old baby. That may have been his motivation to get his life right. Now, what he did in piedmont in day light surprised me. I think life got harder when felony stop him from getting a job and didn’t really have a place to live. No money. It didn’t make since when a comment state “he is a spoiled brat” spoiled brats get what they want. Jared had to work for everything. I’m happy that boy is alive. it is on Jared hands as I here it. But it’s not like he went in to that school to shot the boy. It was an accident.
Adams,
This was a very mature post. Hopefully we are all better off for having read it. Yes, there are always two sides to every story. It is a tragedy that this ten year old may never walk.
Your brother made a mistake. He committed a serious crime. I do not doubt that his prior conviction hindered his ability to find work. I have recently realized that this society is not always friendly to those that are struggling to get back on their feet. I still believe the best two things a young man can learn is to staay out of trouble and educate yourself. However, I have come to realize that those who have already fallen have a difficult task in getting back up.
I hope you can set a good example for your niece or nephew. Please keep us posted on how your brother and your family is doing.
I know Adams personally, Althoguh i know him, i do not condone what he did. It puts me in a tough spot because although i don't condone his actions i have to be there for a friend.
It is always tough when a friend does something that we believe is not right. It is okey to support your friend and still disapprove of what he has done.
Bertha
Both victim and accused's lives will never be the same.
Tough luck...
Spammers are a disservice to all who support Jared or Chris.
Wait til you get the bill for advertising, spammer!
Do to spamming concerns, email future comments on this particular topic to legalpub@legalpub.net
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