District Attorney Tim Ward is pleased to announce the promotion of long-time District Attorney staff member Nicole Burnham to the position of Supervising Victim Advocate. A native of Tulare County, Burnham has served in the Office of the District Attorney since 2003. After supporting prosecutors in the office’s juvenile division, Burnham transitioned to the position…
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District Attorney Tim Ward has announced criminal charges related to a homicide and a subsequent violent incident in Visalia on February 20, 2023. Michael Major, age 54, is charged with one count of murder with the special allegations of use of a deadly weapon, and that the incident constituted a hate crime. Against the same…
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On February 14, 2023, at a virtual hearing, TCDA prosecutors secured a three-year denial of parole for Gerald Daniel Walker, age 91, for murder. Walker is currently serving a life sentence at the California Health Care Facility in Stockton. On February 27, 1973, deputies at the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office received a call from Beverly…
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At a virtual hearing on February 8, 2023, TCDA prosecutors secured a three-year denial of parole for Darrin Little, age 59, for murder and sexual assault. Little is currently serving a life sentence at Valley State Prison in Chowchilla. On the morning of May 2, 1985, first responders were dispatched to a structure fire at…
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Yesterday afternoon in Department 10 of the Tulare County Superior Court in Visalia, prosecutors secured a guilty verdict against Visalia man Jorge Rivera, age 29, in the 2019 shooting death of local dairyman Anthony “Tony” Dragt. On September 3, 2019, Rivera, an ex-employee of the victim, shot the victim multiple times with a 9mm handgun…
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At a virtual hearing on February 2, 2023, TCDA prosecutors secured a 3-year denial of parole for Jesus Legaspy, age 41, for the 1998 murder of a 17-year-old. Legaspy is currently serving a life sentence at Folsom State Prison. Around 2:00 am the morning of June 4, 1998, Legaspy, a known gang member, was walking…
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Today in Department 16 of the Tulare County Superior Court in Porterville, Goshen homicide defendant Noah Beard, 25, was arraigned on multiple criminal charges including first-degree murder. Beard entered a plea of not guilty and is being held on no bail. A preliminary hearing conference is scheduled for February 16 at 8:30 am in Department…
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Today in Department 5 of the Tulare County Superior Court, Visalia Division, prosecutors secured a guilty verdict against Thomas Van Es, age 41, for the 2022 murder of his wife. Van Es had separated from the victim, his wife, in January of 2022. On June 9, 2022, he sent her a series of text messages…
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On January 26, 2023, in Department 18 of the Tulare County Superior Court, South County Justice Center, the court sentenced Dominic Casarez, age 24, to 24 years in prison for a DUI crash that took the life of a 58-year-old victim. On September 22, 2021, around 2:30 a.m., CHP officers responded to a traffic collision…
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Today in Department 17 of the South County Justice Center in Porterville, the court sentenced Victor Lopez, age 37, to 25 years-to-life in prison for the 2018 murder of his 31-year-old wife, Samantha Quintanar-Lopez. Around 10 am on November 27, 2018, Tulare County Sheriff’s Department deputies were dispatched to 1127 E Date Ave in Porterville…
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