Ghost Ship defendants take plea deal

In December 2016, 36 people were killed at DIY spot "Ghost Ship" in Oakland after a fire broke out. At the time, the spot had substandard exits resulting in people getting trapped during the chaos that ensued when the fire occurred. Building property manager Derick Almena and venue Creative Director Max Harris were charged with 36 counts of involuntary manslaughter. They each faced almost 40 years in prison.
Recently, both men accepted separate plea deals. Almena agreed to a nine year sentence and Harris has agreed to a six year sentence. The pleas allow them to serve out their sentences at a county jail instead of a state prison. Notably, several family members of the deceased are unhappy with this result, stating that prosecutors just wanted to “get this one out of the way.” Read the full report at the East Bay times.