An El Dorado Superior Court jury Tuesday convicted defense attorney Richard W. Hamlin of torture, the most serious of his 18 domestic violence charges.
The 45-year-old former Sacramento prosecutor stroked his eyebrows with his fingers, then dropped his head when the court clerk read "guilty" to the one count of torture, which carries a life term.Outside of court, Hamlin's wife, Susan, said, "I'm just happy to be alive." Tears welled up in her eyes.
"I'm glad to close this last chapter," said Susan Hamlin, who was flanked by their two sons, ages 18 and 13.
The verdicts bring an end to a trial that revealed a bizarre tale of violence, mind control, satanic cults, child molestation and extortion in the lives of Richard and Susan Hamlin and their four children.
Before Hamlin's arrest, the couple enjoyed a lifestyle envied by many. The couple were often seen at expensive restaurants and popular midtown nightclubs. They would throw lavish parties attended by judges, politicians and U.S. attorneys.
By the time the the trial opened Oct. 25, the Hamlins' million-dollar home overlooking Folsom Lake was foreclosed and sold, and Richard Hamlin's $700,000-a-year law practice had gone into bankruptcy.
This one's almost too weird to believe. Details here from the Sacramento Bee.