Ghost Ship master tenant Derick Almena pleads guilty to manslaughter, may not serve additional time

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  • "This is really a crushing blow for the families," said a lawyer for families of victims who died in the 2016 warehouse fire.
  • Ghost Ship master tenant Derick Almena pleads guilty to manslaughter, may not serve additional time image
  • Derick Almena, the master tenant at the Ghost Ship warehouse, will plead guilty to 36 counts of manslaughter. The news follows a 2019 ruling in which Max Harris, Almena's assistant, was acquitted. A mistrial was declared in Almena's case due to the jury's inability to agree on a verdict. The Ghost Ship warehouse burned down during an underground party in 2016 that took the lives of 36, including beloved artists like Johnny Igaz, AKA Nackt, and Chelsea Faith Dolan, AKA Cherushii. While Almena's lawyers, as well as The Alameda County District Attorney's Office, did not comment on Almena's case due to a gag order, Mary Alexander, a lawyer representing the families of 13 victims, stated that "the families were outraged with the plea agreement," according to The New York Times. Alexander said the guilty plea could allow Almena, who is currently free on bail, to serve the remainder of a nine-year prison sentence—roughly a year and several months after credit for time served and good behavior—at home with an ankle bracelet. Colleen Dolan, Chelsea's mother, told the New York Times that a plea deal allowing Almena to serve the remainder of a shortened sentence at home is unfair as many are already stuck at home due to COVID-19. Read our 2018 feature on the Bay Area electronic music scene.
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