Criminal Justice
Life Sentence Affirmed for Lawyer Convicted of Torturing Wife
A California appeals court has affirmed a life sentence for a former criminal defense lawyer convicted in 2006 of torturing his wife.
Prosecutors had contended Richard William Hamlin tortured his wife in hopes she would accuse her father of molesting her as a child so they could file a multimillion dollar lawsuit, the Daily Journal reports (sub. req.). He was accused of burning her with cigarettes, pressing a knife against her until it drew blood, and holding a gun to her head.
Police discovered the woman’s injuries when they were called to Hamlin’s home in El Dorado Hills after the lawyer accidentally shot himself in the leg, the story says.
