TN - Chris Newsom, 23, & Channon Christian, 21, murdered, Knoxville, 6 Jan 2007 #12

[yolorado]

Yeah, that really looks like a family that's had it rough....

Wonder if they had a child raped, murdered, dumped beside a RR track or in a garbage can?

 

[SuziQ]

http://twitter.com/jamiescoop

Johnson - "please spare his life"

 

[SuziQ]

Wonder if they had a child raped, murdered, dumped beside a RR track or in a garbage can?

I'm gonna bet they haven't. I wonder how the other siblings turned out since they had the same life GT did?

 

[SuziQ]

http://twitter.com/jamiescoop

Couple jurors crying at Deena's victim impact stmt

 

[SuziQ]

I'm going to take a break and start laundry, etc.

 

[kiki the parrot]

Good am all, tuned in in time to hear defense arguing "every human life has value..."

uhh, yeah....

So did GT's mother get up on the stand? And if so how did that go over?

arrot:

 

[Muffet]

We started covering these statements at this post in the last trial... the photos shown are the same as will be shown in this one... (I'll try to gather and repost all of them here together in this thread later this afternoon.)

Post #691

 

[Muffet]

Good am all, tuned in in time to hear defense arguing "every human life has value..."

uhh, yeah....

So did GT's mother get up on the stand? And if so how did that go over?

arrot:

Morning, girl.

Not yet. Victim impact statements now.. Deena is the first.

 

[yolorado]

Gary on now.

 

[Boytwnmom]

I look at it as the MERE presence at a crime and MERELY knowing the perp can't make the defendant criminally responsible. Here the jury, the finder of fact, found the facts supportive of the inference that he was criminally responsible. Here we had extended presence over many hours during a heinous crime, participation in enjoying the fruits of that crime, apparent "comfort" with the criminals and their acts, etc. and perhaps even a conclusion that it was not reasonable to believe a person present through all of this was not actually invovled. I see all of that as leading a reasonable juror to conclude that the defendant's conduct went well beyond mere presense and acquaintance and entered the realm of criminal responsibility. I don't think it would be proper for the judge to overrule that determination as I don't think he can make a case for the proposition that there was no reading of the facts under which the defendant could be found criminally responsible. But I guess we will have to wait and see.

Thank you, Boytwnmom. ITA that not doing anything to stop it was inhuman. :no:

I had thought the way they worded the part about companions in the jury instructions just wasn't as clear as it should have been:

A person cannot be held criminally responsible for the conduct of another if
that person has knowledge of the other’s crime yet fails to act, prevent the crime,
render aid, or report the crime. A person’s presence at the scene of a crime, along with
an association with the perpetrator of that crime, does not make one criminally
responsible. Under a theory of criminal responsibility, an individual's presence and
companionship with the perpetrator of a felony before and after the commission of an
offense are circumstances from which his participation or criminal intent in the crime
may be inferred.​

Presence at the crime and association with the perp doesn't make someone criminally responsible, because it just shows knowledge (facilitation), but presence and companionship can be used to infer intent (criminal responsibility).

...It still sounds contradictory, but the bottom line does seem to just leave it up to the jury to draw their own inference, doesn't it?

So it looks like the judge's overturning of their decision would nullify their right, as it's written, to have drawn that inference....

 

[steelergirl]

Morning all! I'm gonna be in and out today as well, I have a few meetings. I'll do some tweets while I'm around and can!

 

[steelergirl]

http://twitter.com/jamiescoop

Gary stares down Thomas as he says how much he'll miss Channon #cntrial
3 minutes ago from txt

Gary - Channon "spoiled" but thankful #cntrial
6 minutes ago from txt

Gary is ad libbing a bit from approved stmt, which makes it sound more heartfelt, but judge gotta b bit anxious #cntrial
7 minutes ago from txt

Gary Christian is delivering his stmt slowly, voice thick w/ emotion. More tears from the women on jury #cntrial
13 minutes ago from txt

Serious waterworks as Deena desribes guilt over failing protect Channon #cntrial
19 minutes ago from txt

Deena - Gary will never get chance to walk Channon down aisle #cntrial
20 minutes ago from txt

The jury criers are chicks, guys staying pretty stoic #cntrial
22 minutes ago from txt

 

[kiki the parrot]

I am sitting here bawling, tears streaming down my face... and I have heard Gary's statement like six times now...

HOW CAN GT JUST SIT THERE LIKE A STONE.

arrot:

 

[steelergirl]

http://twitter.com/jamiescoop

One woman on jury looks like she's gonna have breakdown before vic impact stmts over #cntrial
2 minutes ago from txt

 

[steelergirl]

http://twitter.com/jamiescoop

Mary - "I can't even imagine how scared he was thruout this horrible ordeal" #cntrial
half a minute ago from txt

Jury now sees pics of Chris as Mary Newsom details his love of baseball and life #cntrial
2 minutes ago from txt

 

[SuziQ]

Briefly showed Leland, he looks tore up.

 

[SuziQ]

Families are addlibing big time from their "approved" statements. Good for them! No one should tell them what they can and can't say about their own damned kids.

 

[steelergirl]

http://twitter.com/jamiescoop

What sad image - Hugh standing in son's room, unchanged since his death #cntrial
1 minute ago from txt

 

[steelergirl]

I sooooo agree with Jamie here, gets me everytime.

Here's Hugh story that gets me everytime - the kid who hitchhiked to get to Chris funeral #cntrial
half a minute ago from txt

 

[SuziQ]

Omg, I am not able to keep it together this morning. I want to hug these people as tight as I can.