PORT ANGELES — Etienne Choquette of Forks was found guilty Tuesday of first-degree premeditated murder in the shooting death of Antonio Rodriguez Maldonado.
A Clallam County Superior Court jury of six men and six women determined that Choquette SEmD who turned 47 on the same day he was found guilty — fatally shot Rodriquez Maldonado, 33, at about 11 p.m. Sept. 24, 2009.
Choquette, whose sentence will be enhanced because of the use of a firearm, faces from 20 ½ years to life in prison and a fine of up to $50,000.
Sentencing is scheduled Jan. 27.
Choquette looked straight ahead with little expression as Judge Brooke Taylor polled the jury.
“I think the jury did a good job and gave a lot of thought to the verdict,” said Deputy Prosecutor Ann Lundwall, who handled the case.
“It was a very considered verdict, and a just one.”
Juror April Lawson said that the jury debated the evidence from Monday afternoon until Tuesday afternoon with a break for the night hours.
“It was intense,” she said.
“It was a lot harder than I thought it would be.”
The prosecution argued during the trial that Choquette had become close with Forks resident Kellie White, who was the estranged girlfriend of Rodriguez Maldonado.
Talked of abuse
White had told Choqutte that Rodriquez Maldonado was abusing her and that she would be safer if he were dead, the prosecution said.
Defense attorney Gary Sund said that the case was over before it began — when Taylor ruled in October that Choquette’s confession to police could be used against him.
The defense had made a motion to exclude his statements because he wasn’t re-advised of his rights during the second interview, according to court documents.
Choquette’s attorneys have said that he confessed to protect White, who he believed was also a suspect.
Taylor ruled that because Choquette testified that he had understood his rights at the time and because he was properly advised of his right to remain silent at the beginning of the interview process, his statements could be used, according to court documents.
A .38-caliber revolver was found in the Quillayute River. Forks police officers testified that Choquette had told them he threw it there.
‘Faith in jury system’
“I have a lot of faith in the jury system,” Sund said.
“And I still believe in it. I’m not surprised with what they got to hear at trial.
“This case was over when the court failed to suppress his false confession.”
Sund said he wasn’t sure if an appeal would be filed, but that discussion would happen later with Choquette.
Lawson, who said she has served on a jury once before on a minor case, said the jurors primarily debated the evidence Monday and began to reach their decision Tuesday.
“We took this very seriously,” she said.
“It is a man’s life.”
She said there wasn’t one thing in particular that the decision turned on.
“It was everything, all of the evidence,” she said.
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Reporter Paige Dickerson can be reached at 360-417-3535 or at paige.dickerson@peninsuladailynews.com.
