Update: Damn, Raghunandan Yandamuri Hearing Postponed Again! What’s Happening?
Pennsylvania court authorities have put out a new preliminary hearing date for Raghunndan Yandamuri, the alleged killer of the Vennas.
Montgomery County court authorities have scheduled November 14, 2012 as the new preliminary hearing date in the court room of Magisterial District Judge James P. Gallagher.
The hearing is set for 9AM.
For Indians in the United States, news of the new hearing date for Raghunandan Yandamuri will come as a joyous Diwali gift.
Diwali, the biggest festival for Hindus, falls on November 13 this year.
Although the hearing is set for Wednesday, I expect many Indians will throng the venue of the preliminary hearing to get a glimpse of Raghunandan Yandamuri.
The exact venue of the hearing has not been disclosed, presumably for security reasons.
Earlier Postponement
Yandamuri’s preliminary hearing was previously set for November 2, 2012 but postponed to allow for the appointment of a Public Defender.
Stephen Heckman has been named the Public Defender for Raghunandan Yandamuri.
Public Defenders, at tax-payers cost, are appointed when the accused does not have the money to hire an attorney.
Yandamuri does not have the financial resources to engage a lawyer to defend him against the various criminal charges.
Raghunandan Yandamuri has been charged on multiple counts in the killing of 61-year-old Satyavathi Venna and her 10-month-old granddaughter Saanvi Venna in their King of Prussia, PA apartment.
Both Raghunandan Yandamuri and the Vennas are Telugus and hail from the South Indian state of Andhra Pradesh.
Raghunandan Yandamuri is a software programmer as are Siva Venna and Latha Punnuru, the parents of Saanvi Venna.
Raghunandan Yandamuri was arrested on October 26, 2012 and is being held without bail at the Montgomery County Prison in Pennsylvania.
The Venna murders has set off much soul searching among the Telugu community in the U.S.
Preliminary Hearing – What Happens There
A preliminary hearing provides the accused/defendant his first opportunity to defend himself.
The preliminary hearing is also the time when attorneys for both sides appear in the court room, examine witnesses, a judge looks at the case and the evidence and decides whether there is probable cause for the case to go forward.
The prosecution must provide sufficient evidence to the court that a crime was committed and link the defendant to the crime.
When Raghunandan Yandamuri arrives at his preliminary hearing on November 14, he will have three options:
1. Plead guilty
2. Challenge the Prosecutor on probable cause
3. Waive the case into trial
I am not the betting kind but I’m inclined to believe Raghunandan Yandamuri will plead guilty.
Police documents show that Yandamuri has confessed to the crimes during questioning.
Related Content:
Essential Facts About Raghunandan Yandamuri
If He Had Any Brains At All, Raghunandan Yandamuri Would Have Killed Himself
Telugu Gambler Raghunandan Yandamuri’s Crime Gamble Failed Big Time
Diwali Gift for Indians – New Hearing Date Fixed for Raghunandan Yandamuri added by SearchIndia.com on
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Historically, is the justice system more lenient on those who plead guilty?
SearchIndia Responds:
That depends – On the nature of the crime, On the Penalty for the crime, the kind of lawyer the defendant (accused) has, the evidence available, the prosecutors’ eagerness to settle etc.
In the Raghunandan Yandamuri case, I suspect there is no scope for Plea-Bargaining of any kind.
Yes, in some instances plea-bargaining can get a defendant a lesser sentence. It saves the government a lot of money by avoiding the need to go to trial.
But in Raghunandan Yandamuri’s case, even if he were to plead guilty he’d most likely not get any advantage. Only the tax-payers would benefit.
Thanks for the update.
I think this guy will not plead guilty.
Remember he was asked on the way to arraignment why he had to do what he did.
He replied “I am not the one”.
And, I am sure he will maintain that in the preliminary hearing.
A recorded confession is not an evidence to prosecute him.
The prosecution needs to build the case with evidence to prove this guy committed the crime alone if he and his attorney opts for a trial. No such thing as slam dunk case.
The prosecution must prove the crime.
And, I feel it will not take time.
But I strongly feel this guy will not plead guilty.
Let’s see.
SearchIndia.com Responds:
Yes, we’ll know a week from today.
As the great 16th century Tamil emigrant playwright Williangadu Sheshappan Iyer wrote in the Merchant of Venice:
Seachindia, Why you are wasting your precious time on writing about this devil. You can write something else which will be useful
Something in his life made him to make more money. Either family situation or neighbor.
He was in mad to make money more and more quickly. So he did gambling. Its in his blood. His poor mom didn’t find that in childhood didn’t correct it
His father was a constable and his mom is now clerk. That says that he was just middle class guy. I am not sure how he got student Visa in USA with that finance situation. He would have done fraud to get Visa. Having this kind of family situation, I am not sure how he managed during his student life. . So many guys are there in this situation and they didn’t do it like this. May this is just start and we will see more soon.
His mom didn’t teach him Honest. He would have worked in India for couple of years and could come H1B to make money. There are hell lots of way to make money in honest way. But People want money without hardwork
You would have heard about Neelima suicide story. Reasons are Immorality and Money. I read somewhere that she borrowed money from other guy for her husband business. Also she was close with him while working in Florida.
Again those are young and around 27 years old. Most of crime is happening because of these two. Immorality and Money
After seeing this incident, this group ppl will change and teach good things to their kids? Instead of doing cheap politics and shortcut to make money, try to improve themselves?
They say that “Good or bad won’t come from outside/by others. What you did morning and it come to you evening with multiplied” As per Hindu mythology, if someone do mistake/wrong in one life, it will affect his next 7 generations. Also it will affect his next life.
All we need to do that learn lesson from these kinds of incidents. Let’s teach good thing to our kids.
SearchIndia.com Responds:
You write: Why you are wasting your precious time on writing about this devil.
Our Telugu people are craving for news on Raghunandan Yandamuri. The local, mainstream media is not covering it in depth.
Hence the mantle falls upon SI to satisfy the local Telugu population.