HOUSTON (AP) — Attorneys for a retired Texas firefighter who was convicted of murder for shooting his unarmed neighbor during a dispute over a noisy birthday party prepared to present witnesses in the punishment phase of the man's trial.
Forty-six-year-old Raul Rodriguez argued he was within his rights under Texas' version of a stand-your-ground law when he killed Kelly Danaher in 2010.
The punishment phase in the Houston trial is to resume Monday after a delay of more than a week due to scheduling conflicts.
Before the break, prosecutors presented neighbors, former co-workers and Rodriguez's ex-wife. They testified Rodriguez was abusive, a bad neighbor and had once shot a dog.
Rodriguez killed Danaher, a 36-year-old elementary school teacher, and wounded two other men while telling a police dispatcher, "I'm standing my ground here."
