A man convicted 21 years ago of attempted murder in Shasta County will remain in prison, despite an attempt at early release based on California’s new sentencing laws. Jerry Villegas’s 2002 conviction came after he shot a man who he thought had stolen jewelry from a female friend. Villegas and another man went to the woman’s home to wait for the victim. When he arrived, Villegas pointed a gun at him and told him not to move. The man turned and ran and Villegas shot him in the back. The victim had a punctured lung and lost a lot of blood, but he survived. Villegas was sentenced to 32-years-to life in prison. On Thursday a judge denied an evidentiary hearing and re-sentencing, saying Villegas had been properly convicted even under the new law.