LAKE COUNTY — Lake County Superior Court Judge Richard Martin sentenced former Clearlake resident James Wade Roberts on Friday to 86 years to life in prison for killing former roommate Ruth Donaldson.
In an April 10 ruling, a jury found Roberts guilt of strangling and stabbing Donaldson in an Oct. 15, 2006 incident at the Mullen Avenue home they shared with four other people at the time. Roberts entered a not guilty by reason of insanity plea in March 2007. He testified in court that God had told him to kill Donaldson.
Roberts” defense attorney Stephen Carter said he plans to file a notice of appeal in the next 60 days, a step he said is normal in a felony conviction that involves a life sentence. Carter will not handle the appeal, which will go before the First District Appellate Court.
“There is a whole range of possible outcomes. They could reverse the conviction, alter the sentence or ask the court to re-sentence. There are so many options that it”s difficult to specify,” Carter said.
The same jury that convicted Roberts ruled that he was sane at the time of the killing in a subsequent hearing about his sanity.
“I always acknowledged that he had some personality disorder issue that, combined with the use of methamphetamine, led to some pretty bizarre conduct. It was clear to me that he was not insane and did not have any mental disease or defect,” Lake County District Attorney Jon Hopkins said.
The April murder conviction is Roberts” third serious felony conviction, making a total of six “strikes” on his record. Two prior convictions add five years apiece to the tripled minimum sentence of 25 years in prison for first-degree murder, plus one year for Roberts” use of a knife, according to Hopkins.
“Appellate court attorneys examine the conviction to see if there were any errors made. There may have been [errors], but I would like to leave that up to the appellate lawyers,” Carter said.
Roberts must serve 86 years before he is eligible for parole, according to Hopkins.
“In terms of public safety, I don”t think it is appropriate that he ever be released,” Hopkins said.
Contact Tiffany Revelle at trevelle@record-bee.com.
