19-year-old Ruben Ortiz said nothing in court Wednesday ... but his parents and lawyer said the killing of 15-year-old Chrisna Long in March 2008 was in self-defense.
The Ortiz case drew widespread publicity because a Fresno County superior court judge who sat as a juror was accused of misconduct for sending e-mails from the courtroom during the trial.
After a two-day hearing, Judge Jim Oppliger was cleared of misconduct, the court ruled he did not do anything that would require a new trial for Ortiz.
The teen has no prior criminal record and will be eligible for parole in his early 50's.
