Bring Bri Justice Arts and Crafts Boutique

posted on: November 21, 2009

You and your friends and family are cordially invited to attend

A Holiday Festival Arts & Crafts Fair Benefitting the Bring Bri Justice Foundation
Free to the public with free safety items and tips! Free Balloons. Yummy bake sale! Also, gift wrapping available for a donation.

December 4th, Friday  from 12pm - 8pm
December 5th, Saturday  from 10am - 5pm
December 6th, Sunday  from 11am – 4pm

 
5000 Smithridge Drive , A-9 – between Toys R Us and Verizon
Holiday Shopping for unique, quality gifts while giving back to your community!

 Volunteers needed for all days and all shifts. Please see the box at the upper right hand part of the page to sign up to help!

Foundation Position Statement Supporting Brianna's Law

posted on: September 7, 2009

 21 states have passed similar legislation.

The Bring Bri Justice Foundation would like to announce our involvement in a task force intended to bring forward, support, and ultimately ratify new DNA legislation in Nevada called "Brianna's Law." When passed, this new law will require that every felony arrestee be swabbed so their DNA can be added to the state database, which in turn will be added to CODIS, the national database. Twenty one states, as well as federal law enforcement, require DNA to be taken at a felony arrest. Nevada now requires all felony convicts to be swabbed, however, has provided no means for the local governments to pay for the processing of those samples. 

Many studies show that taking DNA at the first felony arrest can solve previously-committed crimes, and as such, stops those criminals from committing other heinous crimes. Additionally, studies show that taking DNA at the first felony arrest saves taxpayers huge amounts of money that would otherwise be spent on unsolved murder and rape investigations. For links to these studies and additional information about this legislation, please see www.DNAsaves.org which is the site dedicated to passing DNA arrestee laws in every state.

Without this legislation, it will be very easy to backtrack from the time felons are finally convicted, to see what each convict did in the time since their first felony arrests. It will be possible to learn the names of those who have been murdered, raped, and terrorized needlessly. Those who object to arrestee DNA testing will be able to face the families of the victims and explain their objections to them, if they so choose. There is something that can be done now to protect them, and that is to pass Brianna's law in Nevada, and similar legislation in every state so we can get these criminal behind bars where they belong.

The bring Bri Justice Foundation is being joined by the Secret Witness Foundation and the KlassKids Foundation in their support of this new law. All three organizations intend to focus strongly on any and all objections to getting this legislation passed. For the BBJF, this is our most important goal over the next eighteen months and we will work diligently and relentlessly until this goal becomes a reality. We have already met with Attorney General Catherine Cortez-Masto, who, along with law enforcement, has taken the first steps toward supporting this legislation.

In order to ensure the passing of Brianna's law, the BBJF, Secret Witness Foundation, and KlassKids will be working toward not only getting the law passed, but getting it funded as well. We understand that an unfunded mandate from the state puts tremendous pressure on local law enforcement and governments who are already cash-strapped in these tough economic times. We will be committed to finding a funding source. Ultimately, this law will save local law enforcement from spending on unneeded investigations, however, initially at least, it could be costly to start up. We intend to work with the legislature to find a way to provide local governments with the funds needed to get this done.

The Bring Bri Justice Foundation's guiding principle is to do everything possible to ensure that no other family, or individual, is forced to go through what Brianna and her family had to endure. As such, we feel this legislation is the most important step we can take at this time to uphold that principle. Taking DNA saves lives. It eliminates unneeded spending and manpower. It solves cold cases. It exonerates the innocent. It is needed in Nevada and throughout this country. The Bring Bri Justice Foundation will continue to work until every state has passed DNA arrestee legislation.

For more information, please check out the John Walsh video supporting this legistlation at www.youtube.com/watch?v=xOWnWLALSgY 

Also, please see www.dnasaves.org 

Brianna Denison suspect Biela loses second attempt to split up trials.

posted on: June 26, 2009

After giving the lawyers for the man charged with raping and killing a college co-ed and sexually assaulting two others a second chance to argue for separating the cases into three trials, a judge on Friday again denied their request.
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In order to ensure that James Biela receives a fair trial, Washoe District Judge Robert Perry said he must "balance the rights of the defendant against the unnecessary costs in money and time which would be incurred in holding three trials of similar length where substantially similar evidence would be necessarily admitted."

"Having analyzed its prior order, the court concludes that there is no reason to rule differently," Perry said.

Deputy Public Defender Richard Davies said he accepted Perry's second ruling.

"We respect the judge's decision and are prepared to go forward with the trial as it is," Davies said. Deputy District Attorney Elliott Sattler, who had argued against severing the cases, could not immediately be reached for comment.

Biela is charged with killing Brianna Denison, a 19-year-old Santa Barbara college student who disappeared from a friend's house near the University of Nevada, Reno campus on Jan. 20. Her body was found on Feb. 15 in southeast Reno. She had been strangled and sexually assaulted.

After his arrest in November, Biela also was charged with raping a UNR student on Oct. 22 as she approached her car in a university parking garage, and charged with kidnapping and sexually assaulting another UNR student on Dec. 17.

Biela could face the death penalty if convicted.

More on RGJ >>

Judge denies Biela's request for separate trials.

posted on: May 4, 2009

A judge on Monday denied James Biela's request to hold three separate trials, saying that prosecutors had successfully argued that there was a "common scheme or plan" in the rape and strangulation of Brianna Denison and the sexual assault of two other college students.

Washoe District Judge Robert Perry also denied claims by his lawyers that the publicity surrounding the Denison case would cause unfair prejudice against Biela in the other two cases.

“It seems inequitable for the defendants to enhance the probability of prejudice, then use it to his advantage to change venue in spite of its impact on cost and judicial economy,” Perry said in his ruling. “The court believes that a single trial may in fact decrease the probability of publicity and prejudice.”

Deputy District Attorney Elliott praised Perry’s order.

“We look forward to taking the case to one trial, instead of three,” he said.

Deputy Public Defender Jay Slocum said he had not seen the judge’s ruling by early afternoon and declined to comment until he had a chance to read it.

Denison, 19, was visiting friends in January 2008 near the University of Nevada, Reno campus when she disappeared. Her body was found two weeks later in a south Reno field.

Biela was charged in November with killing Denison. He also was charged with raping a UNR student at gunpoint in a university parking garage on Oct. 22, 2007, and with kidnapping and sexually assaulting a third woman on Dec. 17, 2007.

He has pleaded not guilty to all charges. He could face the death penalty if convicted. His trial is set for Feb. 22.

On Friday, Slocum argued that the there were substantial differences between the three crimes and with the evidence in each case. He also argued that the jury might confuse the strength of some of the evidence presented in one case with weaker evidence in another and convict on all three.

But Perry disagreed, saying there was enough evidence to support the idea that there was a “purposeful design” in the attacks of “a certain class of victim, in a particular area, at certain vulnerable times and with similar objectives.”

“All three women were all of college age and small in stature,” he said. “They were attacked very near the campus of the University of Nevada within a 400-yard area and at a similar time of the night when they were tired, alone and possibly impaired.”

During each assault, the attacker either took or asked for the victim’s underwear, Perry said. And all three occurred between October 2007 and January 2008.

Although there is sure to be substantial media coverage of the trial, Perry said he would “exercise every caution to prevent unfair prejudice.”

“At trial, the court will specifically instruct the jury as to the limited use, which may be made of the evidence in this case,” he said.

 Source: RGJ

 

The Bring Bri Justice Foundation has created the Brianna Guide to aid in the search for a missing person. Additionally, the Foundation has created a search team to work with law enforcement in recovering missing persons. Currently, the search team is undergoing training from the Washoe County Sheriff's Department. The Foundation Center, in the Smithridge Shopping Plaza, will serve as the search center, in the event that someone from Washoe County is missing. If so, we will be in need of both search volunteers as well as donations, so please add your name to the volunteer list and donate using this web page.
 

100% of proceeds go to The Bring Bri Justice Foundation