An Alderpoint man found guilty of first-degree murder in 2023 appears headed for a new trial after a state appellate court recently overturned his conviction, finding a local judge erred in allowing the jury to be presented with “inflammatory and prejudicial” evidence that may have changed the outcome of the case. Jake Henry Combs, who […]
Kaleb Cockrum
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Child Porn Allegation, Missed Filing Deadline Delay Sexually Violent Predator Placement Hearing
A hearing to determine whether a residence in Manila is a suitable placement for a sexually violent predator ordered released from a state hospital into a community supervision program has been rescheduled for July. But before deciding on a suitable placement for Richard Stobaugh, who was convicted of a series of brutal attacks in the […]
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Sheriff Announces ‘Strong Opposition’ to Serial Rapist’s Pending Release
Editor’s note: Be advised, this story covers violent sexual assaults and may be disturbing to some readers. Humboldt County Sheriff William Honsal released a letter to the community at noon today announcing his “strong opposition” to the proposed release of a man once known locally in the late 1980s as the “Ski Mask Rapist” to […]
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Contrary to Report, DA Sees ‘No Legal Basis’ to Appeal Kitchen Sentence
Humboldt County District Attorney Maggie Fleming has no plans to challenge the eight-year prison sentence that Humboldt County Superior Court Judge Kaleb Cockrum handed down to Marci Kitchen last week for the 2016 DUI crash that killed two teenage girls, including Kitchen’s own daughter. In the last few days, you may have read a piece […]
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‘Grief and Despair’
Judge Kaleb Cockrum on Tuesday sentenced Marci Kitchen to eight years in prison for driving drunk and running down two 14-year-old girls, including her own daughter, saying he didn’t believe her version of events and felt the actions she took following the 2016 crash warranted a prison term rather than probation. Calling her behavior “several […]
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Kitchen Sentenced to Eight Years in DUI Manslaughter Case
Judge Kaleb Cockrum sentenced Marci Kitchen this afternoon to eight years in state prison for fatally hitting two teenage girls, including her daughter, while driving drunk on July 12, 2016, ending an emotionally charged case that has spanned more than two years. Cockrum handed down the sentence at the conclusion an emotional hearing that spanned […]
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Kitchen Makes Brief Court Appearance, Being Jailed in Isolation for her Safety
Marci Kitchen — who voluntarily surrendered her bail bond yesterday and was booked into the Humboldt County jail — appeared briefly in court this morning before returning to the jail, where she is being held in isolation for her safety. After Kitchen left the courtroom, Judge Kaleb Cockrum indicated that she is now being held without […]
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The Sentencing of Marci Kitchen
Just weeks before her trial was set to begin, Marci Kitchen stood in front of Judge Kaleb Cockrum on Monday and pleaded guilty to fatally hitting two teenage girls, including her daughter, while driving drunk in 2016 and fleeing the scene of the crash. Wearing a black and white brocade-style dress with a suit jacket, […]
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Marci Kitchen Pleads Guilty, Sentencing Set
Just weeks before her trial was set to begin, Marci Kitchen stood in front of Judge Kaleb Cockrum today and pleaded guilty to all the charges she was facing for fatally hitting two teenage girls, including her daughter, while driving drunk then fleeing the scene in 2016. Wearing a black and white brocade dress with […]
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Marci Kitchen Expected to Plead Guilty Monday
Judge Kaleb Cockrum today set a Monday hearing at which Marci Kitchen is expected to enter a guilty plea to the full set of charges she is facing for the hit-and-run deaths of two teenage girls, one of whom was her daughter. More than two years have passed since Kitchen allegedly was driving drunk and […]
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Marek Reavis Appointed New Public Defender
The Humboldt County Board of Supervisors voted in closed session this afternoon to appoint Marek Reavis, currently serving as interim public defender, to that office’s top job. Reavis’ appointment caps a tumultuous year for the department, which saw public outcry and mass resignations over the board’s previous appointment, David Marcus, whom many considered unqualified. After […]
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Gov. Appoints Another HumCo Judge
California Gov. Jerry Brown has appointed county Conflict Counsel Kaleb Cockrum to step in as Humboldt County’s next superior court judge. Cockrum, 43, will step into the seat vacated by the retirement of Judge Marilyn Miles, who retired in July. He is the third new judge Brown has appointed to the Humboldt County bench since […]