LOS ANGELES – The California Supreme Court refused Wednesday to review the case of a man convicted of murdering his girlfriend’s ex-husband at a mobile home park in Lancaster.
James Carson was convicted of first-degree murder for the March 3, 2017, slaying of Joey Jojola, who was stabbed once in the heart and once in the back outside the trailer that Jojola had bought for his ex-wife, her daughter and the daughter’s baby.
Carson testified on his own behalf during his trial, telling jurors that Jojola had ignored his explanation that he was merely visiting to babysit and Jojola angrily demanded to know why he was living at the trailer, according to an appellate court panel’s Jan. 7 ruling that upheld the defendant’s conviction.
“Appellant’s account was that he drew and swung his knife only as a warning, without intending to strike Jojola, but accidentally struck him when appellant slipped on the trailer steps at the same time Jojola advanced on him,” the appellate court panel justices wrote in their 41-page ruling.
The appellate court panel found that there was “sufficient evidence of premeditation and deliberation to support appellant’s first-degree murder conviction.”
Carson — who had a 1994 conviction for voluntary manslaughter — is serving a potential life prison term for Jojola’s slaying.
Previous related stories:
Murder charge filed in Lancaster stabbing death
Stabbing death at Lancaster trailer park, suspect surrenders
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AvsSiouxzieQ says
Ummm, if he swung only as a warning and the victim slipped on the steps, then why was he stabbed once in the heart and once in the back??
Linda says
Joey was not married to his daughters mother he bought the trailer for his daughter and grandbaby. NOT for his ex she was only staying there to help with the baby. So please report it right
Thank you
Joey’s sister
Nelly
Eagle says
Okay let me say this, a GOOD man was taken from our life and this Carson dude needs to pay the max sentencing in prison…LIFE
BOBDOB says
The NeoNazi murder deserves the death penalty… why waste taxpayers money?
Oyuki says
That place looks creepy
Kiki says
You can expect anything to happen in these nasty trailers low life’s and good rats live there it’s the ugliest place don’t ever enter that he’ll hole especially on the closest entrance by 15 st.east those first trailers are creepy looking . Stay away from that place it’s bad.
J. Friday says
Carson is now good for two homicides….and #2 “was an accident”.
Right, I’m sure it was…