Straight Up

"The man accused of killing his ex-girlfriend and her male friend at the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge toll plaza insisted on pleading guilty today, saying, 'I did it,' and that he wanted to be executed.

'Just give me the death penalty,' Nathaniel Burris, 46, of Richmond demanded in a court hearing in Martinez at which he repeatedly interrupted the judge, proclaimed that he didn't need a lawyer and asked to be taken back to his jail cell.

'I'd like to plead guilty,' Burris told Judge Leslie Landau of Contra Costa County Superior Court after she read the complaint accusing him of gunning down Deborah Ross, 51, of Richmond and her friend Ersie Charles Everette III, 58, of San Leandro on Tuesday. If convicted of capital murder, Burris could face the death penalty.

The judge tried to interject, but Burris continued, 'I don't need an attorney, I'll do it myself. I don't need all that nonsense.'

Landau repeatedly tried to cut Burris off, but the defendant wasn't looking for help.

'I don't need no public defender,' Burris said. 'I talked to a lawyer last night. I'm guilty. I did it. Why do we have to wait 30 years?'

Landau refused to accept his guilty plea and ordered Burris to return to court Thursday. She said he had the right to a hearing at which he could ask that he act as his own attorney.

But even then Burris said, 'Why not Monday? Why wait? I did it. Let's get it over with.'

He also brushed off Deputy Public Defender Laurie Mont as she tried to get his attention, telling her, 'Ma'am, I don't want to talk to you.'"

-- Henry K. Lee, one of the best journalists working today (and, definitely, the best reporter chronicling the madness of "The City By The Bay") on one of the few Americans willing to truly "take full responsibility" for his actions - in this age of outrageous liars, cowards, and cons - which has obviously (and hilariously) confused everyone, but the one clear-thinking scribe representing The San Francisco Chronicle.