Don’t judge a book by a federal court decision

Marisa O’Neil

When retired Orange County Superior Court Judge Donald McCartin found

out a federal court threw out his death-row conviction of Rodney

Alcala last year, he knew he wanted to tell his side of the story.

McCartin, a former Costa Mesa resident, does just that and tells

about sending eight others to death row to Anaheim crime writer Don

Lasseter in his book “Perfect Justice.” McCartin will be signing

copies of the book Saturday at Borders in his old hometown.

The former judge worked in the Santa Ana courthouse from 1978

until his retirement in 1993.

“He’s a character and a half,” said Orange County Assistant Dist.

Atty. Rosanne Froeberg, who tried cases in front of McCartin. “He was

an icon. It was a sad day when he retired.”

McCartin sentenced Alcala to death more than two decades ago for

the 1979 murder of 12-year-old Huntington Beach resident Robin

Samsoe. The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals decision last year, which

said McCartin had not allowed important testimony for the defense, so

outraged him he decided to write a book with Lasseter, who had worked

with him on two previous books.

“When I saw the headlines last June, I told my wife: ‘I’m going to

get a call real soon,’” Lasseter said.

Sure enough, the phone rang.

“I called him and said: ‘This really burns me. Let’s do something

about it,’” McCartin said.

One-third of Lasseter’s book covers the trials of Alcala, first

convicted in 1980, then again in 1986 after an appeals court had

overturned the original conviction.

The 9th Circuit Court’s decision came down last year.

Alcala is still on death row, awaiting a new trial.

The book also covers the judge’s eight other death-row murder

convictions between the years of 1979 and his retirement in 1993.

Those cases include serial killer Randy Kraft and James Gregory

Marlow and Cynthia Lynn Coffman, convicted of raping and murdering

19-year-old Lynel Murray in Huntington Beach.

McCartin, born and raised in Minnesota, lived in Mesa Verde from

1957 to 2001. His sharp tongue and quick wit drew Lasseter to him,

the author said.

“I admired him for two reasons,” Lasseter said. “He made good

common sense decisions and didn’t let the extra nonsense in his

courtroom other judges do. And I love his sense of humor, even though

it’s controversial sometimes.”

The book also tells the judge’s own story, including the time he

spent under the command of Sen. John McCain’s father in the Navy in

the early 1950s. And it includes several references to local people

and places, many of whom played a role in his own life and those of

the people who he convicted.

Lasseter compared the judge to Old West hanging judge Roy Bean.

“People can’t decide whether he’s Roy Bean reincarnated or Solomon

with a sense of humor,” he said.

When he presided over the bench, Froeberg said, McCartin helped

many lawyers, including her, learn to be well prepared in court. He

had a reputation as a no-nonsense, straight shooter.

“He was very charismatic,” she said. “He was certainly someone

you’d never forget. And you’d never walk away from his courtroom

thinking you didn’t get fair shake.”

* MARISA O’NEIL covers public safety and courts. She may be

reached at (949) 574-4268 or by e-mail at [email protected].