Lawyer: Woman Convicted of 2007 Altadena Murder Will File Appeal

A Nevada woman convicted Monday of second-degree murder in a shooting that took place in Altadena in 2007 will file an appeal to overturn her conviction, according to Ed Murphy, her defense lawyer in the case.

In voting to convict Mesha Arshaz Dean of the shooting, jurors rejected Murphy's argument that Dean was acting in self defense when she shot Monroe Miles, 32, of Altadena on a cul-de-sac off Canyon Crest Drive in March of 2007.

Dean and her girlfriend, Vanessa Marie Ochoa, were attempting to take Ochoa's child from his father's home on Canyon Dell Drive and bring him back to Las Vegas to live with Ochoa.  Monroe Miles, the child's uncle, was watching the boy, and a conflict broke out over whether the child would go with the pair or not.

During the trial, Murphy argued that Monroe Miles came out to the car with the motivation of doing physical harm to Ochoa and Dean, rather than simply to prevent them from taking the child.  

He argued that Miles had called Dean a "bitch" and said if Ochoa were his ex-girlfriend, he would have beaten Dean for taking her away.  He argued that testimony from Ochoa showed that Miles had punched Dean and was a serious enough physical threat to warrant her shooting him.

Murphy told Patch on Tuesday that Judge Lance Ito barred him from introducing evidence of Monroe Miles' past police record, photos of his tattoos and other evidence that he said would support Dean's contention that Miles could have posed a serious threat to her safety.

The purpose of the appeal would be to make that evidence admissible in court as a way to support his arguments of self-defense.

Dean was also convicted on charges of kidnapping and child endangerment.

Ochoa pleaded guilty to all three counts after striking a deal with the prosecution in 2010.  She has not yet been sentenced.

Dean is next due back in court on April 11 for sentencing, and the appeal will be filed on that day, Murphy said.

For more on the case, please read our account of closing arguments that took place last week: