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Associated Press - November 25, 2009 6:55 PM ET
REDWOOD CITY, Calif. (AP) - A 26-year-old man is facing a possible death sentence after jurors convicted him in the fatal shooting of an East Palo Alto police officer.
After deliberating for about eight hours over two days, jurors on Wednesday found Alberto Alvarez guilty of first-degree murder with a special circumstance in the killing of Officer Richard May in 2006.
With the conviction, the case will proceed to the penalty phase, where the same jurors will recommend to the judge whether Alvarez should receive the death penalty.
Prosecutors said during the trial that Alvarez shot the 38-year-old officer after a scuffle and during an exchange of gunfire.
But the defense had claimed the prosecution failed to provide solid forensic evidence during the trial.
Information from: San Jose Mercury News, http://www.sjmercury.com
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