Dalton murderer sentenced to life in prison without parole

Orlando Ramirez listens during his trial Tuesday. 
Matt Hamilton/The Daily Citizen
Orlando Ramirez listens during his trial Tuesday. Matt Hamilton/The Daily Citizen
photo Orlando Ramirez listens during his trial Tuesday. Matt Hamilton/The Daily Citizen

Orlando Ramirez, convicted last month of murdering a bar bouncer, will go to prison until he dies.

Superior Court Judge William T. Boyett sentenced Ramirez to life without parole today for the March 2014 murder of Bruno Rodriguez. Boyett also sentenced him to 30 years in prison for the attempted murder of Daniel Maldonado-Florez, another bartender at Las Delicias Bar on East Main Street in Dalton.

Maldonado-Florez would not let Ramirez into the bar one night last year because Ramirez was only 20 years old at the time. Ramirez then pulled out a .380 pistol. He and Maldonado-Florez struggled for the gun.

During a trial last month, Conasauga Judicial Circuit District Attorney Bert Poston played security footage showing that struggle. It showed Ramirez shooting Maldonado-Florez before Rodriguez rushed at the gunman. Ramirez then shot Rodriguez, killing him.

Footage showed Ramirez walk away from the scene as bar patrons scattered.

Last month, a jury convicted Ramirez in less than 20 minutes.

Poston said in a statement that he was pleased with Ramirez's sentence.

"It was what we asked Judge Boyett to do and given Ramirez' record, both as a juvenile and adult, and given the evidence presented at trial, was the only appropriate sentence in this case."

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