New trial ordered for suspect in gang murder in which Gainesville teen participated

ATLANTA - The state Supreme Court has ordered a new trial for a gang member who allegedly ordered that two fellow gang members be killed for supposedly disrespecting their gang by associating with members of a rival gang.

A Gainesville teenager was one of those involved in the crime and was sentenced to five years after pleading guilty to lesser charges in exchange for cooperating with the prosecution of Celerina Palma, then 24, three years ago. Palma was the Vatos Locos gang leader accused of ordering the October 2000 shooting at a Gwinnett County soccer complex

Mechelle Marie Torres, 18, of Atlanta died in the shooting at Pinckeyville Park in Norcross. Robin Rainey, who was 17 at the time, was shot in the neck but survived.

Prosecutors claimed Vatos Locos gang leaders Palma and Jorge Nolasco ordered the killings and provided the guns to two younger female gang members. Palma never fired any of the shots.

Nolasco pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit murder and aggravated assault and was sentenced to 10 years in prison and five years probation.

The gang members accused of carrying out the shooting, Janeth Olarte of Gainesville and Hasia Sauceda, were originally charged with murder, but cooperated with prosecutors and pleaded guilty to reduced charges.

``Older male gang members look for vulnerable women these were 16-year-old girls who were runaways,'' said District Attorney Danny Porter during the trial. ``The gang brings them in, and you have 23-year-old men basically holding them hostage and making them do what they wanted them to do.''

Ed Wilson, Palma's attorney, told the jury that Palma was present during the shootings but never ordered them.

According to the high court's ruling, during closing argument, Palma's "defense counsel began to discuss the deal those witnesses (Olarte and Sauceda) had gotten and to point out to the jury, using the testimony of those witnesses regarding the specific sentences imposed and the potential sentences, what motive the witnesses had to lie." The State objected, and the trial court sustained the objection.

In ordering a new trial, the state Supreme Court held that "the trial court's abridgement of Palma's right to closing argument entitles him to a new trial."