BART Officer Johannes Mehserle Denied Bail in Shooting Death of Unarmed Black Man

LOS ANGELES (AP) A Los Angeles judge has denied bail for Johannes Mehserle, the white former transit officer sentenced to two years in prison for fatally shooting an unarmed black man in Oakland last year.

Mehserle, 28, sought to be released pending an appeal of his conviction for involuntary manslaughter.

Superior Court Judge Robert Perry said Friday he didn't think any of the arguments made by the defense met the legal standard for freeing Mehserle.

Mehserle was sentenced last month for the 2009 shooting of Oscar Grant during a disturbance on a Bay Area Rapid Transit platform in Oakland.

The trial was moved to Los Angeles because of intense media coverage and racial tensions.

With credit for time served, Mehserle could be eligible for release in about seven months.

COMPLETE COVERAGE OF "BART" SHOOTING ON CRIMESIDER