By Dan Whitcomb
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A 22-year-old California man pleaded innocent to three counts of second-degree murder on Monday stemming from the car crash that killed Los Angeles Angels pitcher Nick Adenhart and two of his companions.
Andrew Thomas Gallo, who is being held in lieu of $2 million bail, entered his not guilty pleas during a brief hearing in Orange County Superior Court and was ordered to return on July 31.
His attorney, Randall Longwith, said after the hearing that he would seek to have the trial moved elsewhere.
"Generally the emotion here, it's so heated," Longwith told reporters. "The threats are coming to (Gallo) and a whole lot to me as well."
An Orange County Grand jury indicted Gallo in April on three counts of second-degree murder and one count each of fleeing the scene of a scene of a fatal traffic collision and drunk driving.
Prosecutors say Gallo had almost three times the legal limit of alcohol in his system when he ran a red light at 65 miles per hour and slammed his minivan into the car carrying Adenhart and three others.
The Angels pitcher, who had just pitched six shutout innings in his season debut against the Oakland Athletics, was killed along with Cal State Fullerton student Courtney Stewart, 20, and law student Henry Pearson 25.
A fourth passenger, 24-year-old Jon Wilhite, was critically injured. Wilhite was in court for the hearing.
Gallo faces more serious charges because he has a prior conviction for driving under the influence of alcohol and was on probation at the time of the crash.
He faces up to 54 years in prison if he is convicted on all of the charges.
Adenhart spent four years in the minor leagues, compiling 37 wins and an earned run average of 3.87 before playing three games for the Angels last season.
(Editing by Eric Walsh)
Source: Reuters
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