USA - California. The California Supreme Court on threw out the death sentences of Cleamon Johnson and Michael Allen.

The California Supreme Court on Monday threw out the convictions and death sentences of Cleamon "Big Evil" Johnson, a notorious South Los Angeles gang leader, and of Michael "Fat Rat" Allen, one of his cohorts, for the August 1991 slayings of 2 rivals. The state's highest court unanimously ruled that the trial judge erred by discharging a juror during deliberations in the guilt phase of the trial for prejudging the case and relying on evidence that was not presented at trial. Johnson, 44, black, and co-defendant Michael "Fat Rat" Allen, 39, black, were convicted of first-degree murder with special circumstances for the Aug. 5, 1991, killings of Donald Ray Loggins and Payton Beroit. They have been on San Quentin's Death Row since Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Charles Horan sentenced them in December 1997. Johnson was once described by police detectives and FBI agents as Los Angeles' most violent gang member. Police have attributed more than 20 murders to him, including the killings of witnesses to his "89 Family Bloods" gang's other crimes, and, according to the FBI, he admitted to 13 murders by his own hands.