Is he really innocent of three Modesto murders? Politicians not taking any chances
It surprised no one that the state of California last week gave $841,820 to a man believed wrongly convicted of murdering three members of a Modesto family, including two young children, as they slept 25 years ago.
An innocence project said George Soulioutes didn’t set fire to the home he rented to them, despite his conviction and 16 1/2 years behind bars. After a lengthy legal battle, a judge agreed that the arson theory was bunk, and said inconsistent eyewitness testimony was unreliable.
A compensation board scoured evidence with fresh eyes and new technology, agreed that Souliotes is innocent and concluded that he’s owed the money based on a $140-per-day reimbursement formula.
In final votes in the California Legislature, which approves such compensation, state senators agreed 31-0, with nine not voting, and the Assembly vote was 60-1, with 19 not voting.
Is there anything interesting about such lopsided, bipartisan votes?
Maybe. Because of the five state legislators representing parts of Stanislaus County, three did not vote in favor of Senate Bill 632.
The sole “no” vote was cast by Assemblyman Adam Gray. Assemblyman Heath Flora and Senator Andreas Borgeas chose not to cast votes.
Gray is a moderate Democrat whose current run for Congress in a very purple district might hinge on his appeal to crossover Republicans. Flora and Borgeas are law-and-order Republicans. None of the three wants to get sideways with local prosecutors, the only holdouts who continue to insist that Souliotes, now 81, is guilty.
Local representatives voting “yes” on SB 632 were Senators Anna Caballero and Susan Eggman, both of whom will no longer represent Stanislaus County because of boundaries recently redrawn in the redistricting process.
Conclusion: Only Souliotes, who steadfastly has maintained his innocence all these years, knows if he committed the crime. But select politicians believe that some voters have long memories and will always think of Souliotes as the angry, heartless and greedy Greek immigrant he was painted to be at trial so long ago.
