Murder Defendant’s Request Denied

Accused murderer Michael Raymond Johnson lost a bid Friday to have the special circumstance allegations against him thrown out on the grounds that a Ventura County Municipal Court judge erred in binding him over for trial.

Johnson is accused of killing Sheriff’s Deputy Peter J. Aguirre Jr. on July 17 while the deputy was responding to a domestic disturbance call at the home of Johnson’s estranged wife in Meiners Oaks.

Johnson is charged with murder and attempted murder for firing at another deputy during the gunfight. He is also accused of kidnapping and raping his wife before authorities arrived.

On Friday, Johnson’s public defenders argued that prosecutors failed to prove special circumstance allegations that make their client eligible for the death penalty.

The attorneys argued that Municipal Court Judge Edward Brodie denied Johnson his rights to call further witnesses during his preliminary hearing and failed to grant continuances.

But Superior Court Judge Steven Z. Perren ruled Brodie acted properly in binding Johnson over for trial.

Perren did grant one part of the defense motion dealing with whether the testimony of an investigator during the preliminary hearing should have been allowed. A further hearing on the matter was set for May 23.