A SANTA CRUZ MAN WAS SENTENCED 16 YEARS TO LIFE IN PRISON ON FRIDAY, FOR THE STABBING DEATH OF ANOTHER MAN AT A LA SELVA BEACH PARTY IN 2006. LEOPOLDO ALEJANDRO CORTES WAS ORIGINALLY CONVICTED IN 2008 OF FIRST DEGREE MURDER, BUT THAT CONVICTION WAS OVERTURNED BY THE 6TH COURT OF APPEALS, CITING JUDGE ERROR. AT THE RETRIAL IN NOVEMBER, HOWEVER, A JURY CONVICTED CORTES OF SECOND DEGREE MURDER.
