Press release: People v. Cecil Fielder

District Attorney Jan Scully announced today that Cecil Fielder was convicted of two counts of attempted, premeditated murder, assault, spousal abuse, discharging a firearm at two separate houses, and arson.

On May 20, 2000, at 10:15 a.m., Cecil Fielder was beating his girlfriend near their driveway. Witnesses observed him smashing her face into the trunk of a car. When neighbor's yelled for him to stop, the defendant grabbed a shotgun, loaded it, and chased the neighbor's into their own garage. When the defendant reached their garage, he leveled the shotgun and fired. The female victim ducked, and luckily only suffered a lacerated scalp from the shot pellets. The neighbor's were able to get inside and lock the door. The defendant then began firing into the garage and the front of the house. Eventually he turned his attention to another neighbor's house and car, firing additional rounds. Nineteen shotgun shells were found. Witnesses had the defendant going back to his property and reloading three to four times. When sirens were heard approaching, the defendant ran back into his own house. Moments later he exited. Soon smoke and fire began to consume his house.

At trial the defendant claimed that his intent was only to scare the victim's, not kill them. Deputy District Attorney Scott Triplett stated, "Mr. Fielder sunk himself even further when he took the stand. His temper and inability to explain his conduct were magnified on the witness stand. When confronted with his statement to police that the victim "should have ducked more", he simply claimed police conspiracy." He will be sentenced on September 14, 2001