SAN FRANCISCO (AP) – Lawyers for the man acquitted of killing Kate Steinle say they will ask a judge to toss the gun possession charge in which a jury convicted him.
The San Francisco public defender’s office said Monday that its lawyers will seek dismissal of the charge sometime after Jose Ines Garcia Zarate’s scheduled sentencing hearing on Dec. 14.
A jury on Thursday acquitted Garcia Zarate of murder, involuntary manslaughter and assault with a deadly weapon for the July 1, 2015 shooting death of Steinle. The shooting sparked a national debate over immigration, because Garcia Zarate was deported to his native Mexico five times before he was arrested a few hours after the shooting.
Garcia Zarate said a gun he found accidentally fired when he picked it up.
