FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MENTALLY ILL WOMAN TO STAND TRIAL FOR HATE CRIME MURDER

Marie Elise West-Bowman is scheduled to begin her murder trial tomorrow October 21, 2004 at the criminal courts building in Downtown LA, department 108. Mrs. West-Bowman has already been declared by Judge Michael Luros mentally incompetent to stand trial. Yet, the District Attorney has steadfastly insisted that Ms. Bowman, in spite of all the evidence, is competent to stand trial. Al Bowman, Marie Elise-West Bowman’s devoted husband, calls this decision, “an extreme travesty of justice. To take an obviously mentally ill woman and subject her to a murder trial is cruel and unusual punishment.”

Marie Elise West-Bowman was originally charged with a hate crime in the murder of Jesus Placensia on September 1, 2000. According to now questionable police reports, she supposedly uttered a racial slur after being apprehended. Her Husband, who is Latino himself, blames the unfortunate accident on her use of the now banned drug Neurontin, which was recently the subject of a criminal prosecution against it’s manufacturer Pfizer Inc.


Marie Elise West-Bowman is represented by well-known Criminal Defense Attorney Angelyne Gates. You can reach Ms. Gates at (213) 494-4940.