Robert Ray, a 28-year-old Denver man who is on death row for a crime he was convicted of in 2009, is appealing his conviction in an earlier criminal case, requesting a new trial in a case he was convicted of in 2004 for allegedly attempting to murder two men at an Aurora Park.
Ray was convicted of attempted murder in the 2004 shooting of Javad Marshall-Fields and another man; Marshall-Fields was the son of state Representative Rhonda Fields. Ray allegedly ordered the shooting of Marshall-Fields when he agreed to testify against Ray in the case. According to a news report at abc7 in Denver, Marshall-Ray and his fiancée were murdered a day prior to Marshall-Ray’s scheduled testimony in June of 2005; they were gunned down in a car. Because he was convicted in the attempted park murders, prosecutors felt that Ray should face the death penalty for the murder of Marshall-Ray and his fiancée, Vivianne Wolfe.
Ray is appealing his earlier conviction and hoping to get a new trial based on possible procedural errors.
Essentially, Ray is hoping that in getting a new trial for the attempted murder charges, the outcome will be different, thereby possibly changing his death sentence in his most recent conviction since prosecutors used the first case in obtaining a death penalty sentence in the second.
Murder is the most serious offense a person can be charged with, however there are innocent people behind bars today for all types of crimes, including sex crimes, burglary, drug crimes, attempted murder, carjacking, and other offenses. Regardless of the circumstances, if you have been wrongfully convicted or feel that errors in the legal process resulted in your conviction, consult with a highly experienced Michigan criminal appeals attorney immediately. The appeals process is not easy, and it is rare that the judges overturn a conviction – however with a capable lawyer, the odds are tipped more in your favor.