LVMPD Ex-Homicide Detective Tom Dillard’s Partner, Robert Leonard Stars in Reprise of DUMB AND DUMBER
By Steven Barket
Las Vegas, Nevada
This sequel is one of those where one of the original stars doesn’t sign on for the performance. In the case of Roberto Miranda, we have Robert Leonard performing without Tom Dillard, and doing a bang-up job at it, we might add. Looks like Leonard has picked up a few of Dillard’s tricks. (Please read the original DUMB & DUMBER)
After all, a $5 million settlement in favor of Roberto Miranda is a pretty sizable figure.
Roberto Miranda (not to be confused with the case back in the 1960s involving Ernesto Miranda and which established the Miranda rights) was arrested and convicted of stabbing a man to death in 1981. Miranda received a death sentence in 1982. He said, however, that he was framed for the murder, and that someone else did it.
In 1991, nine years after his conviction and death sentence, Miranda had Las Vegas attorney Laura Fitzsimmons appointed to his case. It took years, but she was able to convince a judge in 1996 to grant Miranda a new trial. It was based on the premise that in the original case, the public defender assigned to him did not adequately investigate the case or defend him. In fact, the judge who granted the new trial wrote that, “The lack of pretrial investigation and preparation … cannot be justified.”
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