Thursday, April 18, 2013
Sandra Layne was convicted of second degree murder in March.
The 75-year-old West Bloomfield woman convicted of killing her grandson has been sentenced to 20-40 years in prison, according to an article by WDIV-Channel 4. The sentence is more than Layne was hoping for. Last week, her attorney filed a request for the minimum sentence of one year. In March, a jury found Layne guilty of second degree murder in the shooting death of her 17-year-old grandson Jonathan Hoffman this past May. Hoffman was a student at Farmington Central High School. >>Read all of Ronelle's Trial Talk blogs from the courtroom on Patch. Layne also received a two year sentence, the minimum penalty, for use of a firearm in the commission of a felony. She has been credited with 11 months served.
Friday, April 12, 2013
The grandmother convicted of second degree murder is asking for the minimum sentence.
The 75-year-old West Bloomfield woman convicted of killing her grandson is asking for the minimum sentence of a year in prison, according to an article in the Oakland Press. Jonathan Hoffman was a student at Farmington Central High School. According to the article, Sandra Layne's attorney filed a request for the minimum sentence this week ahead of her sentencing on April 18. Her attorney told the judge that Layne is already in her own prison and the public does not need to be protected from her, according to the Oakland Press. In March, a jury found Layne guilty of second degree murder in the shooting death of her 17-year-old grandson this past May. Layne was also found guilty of the use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, for …
Tuesday, March 19, 2013
Jurors determine West Bloomfield grandmother gunned down her 17-year-old grandson, Jonathan Hoffman.
Jurors have found West Bloomfield grandmother Sandra Layne guilty of second degree murder in the shooting death of her grandson. Deliberation spanned eight hours over two days, according to the Detroit News, and Layne was found guilty of killing her 17-year-old grandson and guilty of the use of a firearm in the commission of a felony Tuesday in Oakland County Circuit Court. Read all of Ronelle's Trial Talk blogs from the courtroom on Patch. Prosecutors said Layne was intent on killing her grandson, shooting him six times, according to the Detroit Free Press, while Layne told the jury she was afraid of Hoffman and killed him in self-defense. The jury determined Layne, 75, shot and killed Jonathan Hoffman last May in the West Bloomfield …
Sandra Layne awaits her fate from the panel of jurors weighing the evidence in Oakland County Circuit Court.
Jurors in the Sandra Layne murder trial will return to Oakland County Circuit Court Tuesday morning and continue deliberating whether the 75-year-old West Bloomfield grandmother is guilty in the slaying of her grandson. The trial entered its third week Monday with jury instructions and closing arguments from attorneys who continued to argue over whether the May shooting in Layne's condominium was murder or self defense. Oakland County Chief Assistant Prosecutor Paul Walton described Layne as a murderer who "hunted down" and killed Jonathan Hoffman inside the home they shared "because he wouldn't listen to her," according to the Detroit News. _____________ Of Interest: Read all of Ronelle Grier's Trial Talk blogs from the courtroom on Patch…
A local defense attorney says he expects clients to testify when it's all on the line.
- OPINION
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Tuesday, March 19
I am a criminal defense attorney and a West Bloomfield resident. Contrary to the notion out there that a client should never take the stand, I am in the complete opposite camp. I come from the story telling method that was perfected by Gerry Spence's Trial Lawyers College. In that method, some of us feel that the true story of the case can be told through the witnesses and in many cases, the accused. We tend through vigorous questioning and interviewing of the witnesses and our client. to, in essence, recreate the events of the day. Putting ourselves in the shoes of the witness and the client. It is called reenactment. When I take a case on for trial, I come in with a presumption that my client is going to take the stand. This is even …
Sunday, March 17, 2013
The 75-year-old West Bloomfield grandmother tried to convince jurors that the shooting death of grandson Jonathan Hoffman was not murder, but self defense. Will it work?
Taking the witness stand in one's own defense at trial is always a calculated risk, but was one defense attorney Jerome Sabbota said early on would be important to Sandry Layne's self-defense theory. The 75-year-old West Bloomfield woman's tearful appearance on the witness stand for the better parts of two days punctuated a crucial week of testimony in Oakland County Circuit Court last week. _____________ Of Interest: Read all of Ronelle Grier's Trial Talk blogs from the courtroom on Patch. _____________ The trial is scheduled to continue with closing arguments Monday morning. Do you think her testimony will convince jurors that she is not guilty of murder? This an occasional feature in West Bloomfield Patch that is spurred by …
Saturday, March 16, 2013
Attorneys and jurors finished questioning key witnesses, including the 75-year-old West Bloomfield woman who shot her grandson.
Sandra Layne spent the better parts of two days testifying in her own defense in emotional and sometimes gripping fashion this week. Her tearful appearance on the witness stand punctuated a few crucial days of testimony that will likely determine whether the 75-year-old West Bloomfield grandmother is convicted of murdering her grandson, Jonathan Hoffman. Layne faces counts of open murder and possession of a firearm in the commission of a felony for shooting Hoffman, 17, to death last May in the condominium they shared. Patch blogger Ronelle Grier wrote Friday that attorneys concluded questioning witnesses, and are expected to deliver closing arguments Monday morning. Read all of Ronelle's Trial Talk blogs from the courtroom on Patch. …
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
Patch blogger Ronelle Grier gives readers a first-hand look at the trial of a West Bloomfield woman charged in the shooting death of her grandson.
Friday, March 8, 2013
Prosecutors showed very bloody crime scene photographs during Friday's proceedings.
Sandra Layne's husband testified Friday as the case against the West Bloomfield grandmother, accused in the shooting death of her grandson, continued. Fred Layne spoke of his grandson, 17-year-old Jonathan Hoffman, as Sandra Layne shed tears, and the prosecutors showed very bloody crime scene photographs, according to WXYZ Channel 7 News. Fred Layne testified there had never been physical contact between his wife and grandson, but did say the pair argued a lot, according to Click on Detroit. The article stated that Fred Layne was “flabbergasted” when he found out Sandra Layne purchased a gun and said he was walking the dog when the shooting happened. Sandra Layne, 75, faces charges of open murder and possession of a firearm in the …
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
Testimony began Tuesday as Sandra Layne, 75, faces a murder charge for teen grandson's slaying in her West Bloomfield condo.
The final minutes of West Bloomfield teenager Johathan Hoffman's life came into focus Tuesday as the trial of his grandmother — and accused killer — began in Oakland County Circuit Court. And the West Bloomfield Police Department dispatchers and officers that witnessed it all unfold were a major part of the proceedings. Layne, 75, faces one count of open murder after shooting her 17-year-old grandson, Jonathan Hoffman, to death last May in the West Bloomfield condominium they shared on Brookview Lane. Two WBPD dispatchers testified that they received multiple calls about the shooting within a 10-minute span, including the 9-1-1 call from Hoffman, who was wounded and pleading for help, WDIV-TV reported. During his opening statement …
42.65302
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1200 N Telegraph Rd, Pontiac, MI
Oakland County Circuit Court
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Katherine Ross
8:37 pm on Sunday, April 21, 2013
I hope this lady rots in jail. I can't imagine a grandmother shooting her grandchild the number of times she did. The lady must be out of her mind or just pure evil. Even if he was using drugs or she felt threatened by him, why wasn't she on the phone to 911 instead of picking up a gun and shooting him several times with no disregard for human life. God will punish her on her judgement day! And I… more ›