Attorney Norman Rodriquez Appeals Ashton Vanegas’ Life Sentence

Rodriquez’s client, Ashton Vanegas was sentence to life in prison with the possibility of parole after serving thirty-five years in connection with the July 2016 murder of Pastor Llewelyn Lucas. Vanegas and four other men were convicted back in July of 2020. Vanegas’ attorney is appealing his client’s conviction. Today we asked him for an update on Vanegas and the appeal. Here is what he told us.

Norman Rodriquez

Norman Rodriquez, Attorney- at- Law

“I believe that life behind prison has to do with how you decide to take it. First of all, you are in prison, so I believe that what my client has done is avoid getting into issues with the prison system or those who are behind bars with him, and he has accepted that that is his position now. As a result, he has had no issues when it comes to being in prison. But, I believe for every person that is incarcerated, that is no place they want to be. But, acceptance as everything else is in life is to be settled where you are.”

Paul Lopez

“I know there is an expiration time for appeal, I am not sure if there were any considerations towards that end and did that process take effect.”

Norman Rodriquez

“You mean the murder conviction? That is going through. They have been certain little issues as in eveyr process and more so in the legal process, but those have been ironed out and we are getting near to the appeal being heard.”