TN - Chris Newsom, 23, & Channon Christian, 21, murdered, Knoxville, 6 Jan 2007 #9

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I haven't seen the movie, but I saw the trailer. I looked up the young man (sorry, can't remember his name) that was taken in by this wealthy white family. I thought about Davidson too. How different his life could have been...and most likely Channon and Chris would still be with us.
 
 
Today's Tweets from Jamie

http://twitter.com/jamiescoop

Comforting to know no matter where u go a homeless guy will b talking to himself. Back 4 more Thomas jury work

Thomas has this perpetually drugged out look, moves very slow, closes eyes a lot

2 black people out of pool cause won't impose death, attnys have claimed death pen unfairly excludes blacks

Should defense be expected to try to save client's life? Most jurors say yes but law says no they don't have to

Chattanooga State paralegal class here to observe

Defense worked hard to keep death-leery juror but judge booted her

Man who tracks deaths caused by illegals kicked out of pool after admitting researched this case

16 added to pool this morning, afternoon round to launch soon

Another black man out of pool over beliefs against imposing death

Could there be something to this notion blacks more prone to oppse death pen? Not single 1 2day has made cut

Woman starts bawling over opposition to death pen and says "God bless him" to Thomas on her way out

Finally! Black woman is cool w/ capital punishment and makes it into the pool

Judge's slip of tongue when said no doubt vics raped causes him to have to disqualify juror who heard it

27 more potential jurors added to pool, only 1 black tho. 1 more round 2morrow b4 final selection
 
BBM. Ok, which one of us was there today. lol.

http://www.wbir.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=105055&catid=2&GID=RwxPhLJqDorQHcrk/ndbUpWupHrhTHSLLw4AN+DxiyI%3D

(snip)
After the judge swears in each group of prospective jurors, he give them some details about the case and what they can expect if they were selected for the sequestered panel. In his brief, the judge tells the group that he will do what he can to make their stay in Knoxville pleasant. However, those words offended a woman.
As she yelled at the judge, she told him that there would be nothing pleasant about an experience where a man's life is on the line. She began crying and said she would not be fair and she would not be a good juror.
Judge Baumgartner immediately excused her, but as she walked past Thomas she said "God bless him," as she continued to sob as she left the courtroom.
Shortly after that emotional response, another woman came in with the opposite opinions. The potential juror admitted she researched the case and she knew she would not be a good juror.
She went on to tell the judge she was upset about what happened to the victims and if she could push the button she would zap the defendant herself. Judge Baumgartner immediately excused her as well.
 
I wanted to say a quick thanks to Muffet for having Chris and Channon in your signature line (I saw it on the Shaniya Davis thread). I was born and raised in Chattanooga, and the same age as Chris. When my mom first told me this horrible story I was just in shock. I hate when stories get put on the "back burner" so to speak and seeing them in your signature line with a link to this thread will help me keep more informed than I have been on their cases so...thank you thank you thank you!
 
SommerSunshine said:
I wanted to say a quick thanks to Muffet for having Chris and Channon in your signature line (I saw it on the Shaniya Davis thread). I was born and raised in Chattanooga, and the same age as Chris. When my mom first told me this horrible story I was just in shock. I hate when stories get put on the "back burner" so to speak and seeing them in your signature line with a link to this thread will help me keep more informed than I have been on their cases so...thank you thank you thank you!
Click to expand...

Thank you, Sommer. :) I've been a little wary since it's so conspicuous, so your note is very welcome! :o

The back-burnering of this case has truly been a shame. It's especially important for the sake of the parents' desire to keep defense teams honest. :cool:

Anyhow, it looks like we'll be starting soon, and I look forward to you and others joining us. :thumb:
 
George Thomas jury seated, then 1 juror excused (but replaced with an alternate now - me)
Yvette Martinez
Updated: 11/18/2009 11:25:05 PM
Posted: 11/18/2009 9:11:47 AM

A jury has been seated for George Thomas' trial in the deaths of Channon Christian and Chris Newsom.

Five white women, five white men, one black man, and one black woman made up the jury. However, that one black man on the jury will not actually hear this case, because he has been excused.

The man told Judge Richard Baumgartner that the graphic pictures that will be shown to jurors in this trial would disturb him, because his younger sister was murdered.

The man had not listed this information on his juror questionnaire or mentioned it in individual questioning.

Judge Baumgartner tried to convince juror number 6 to remain on the panel reminding him he was the only "African-American man" on the jury. The man agreed, however Thomas' defense attorney Thomas Dillard objected.

After discussing the issue with his client, Dillard asked for juror 6 to be dismissed.

The black male juror will be replaced by a white female alternate.
...
ETA: Alternates have also been selected. Three white women and three white men are the alternates. It is not yet clear which alternate will replace the man who was excused.
-snip-
http://www.wbir.com/news/breaking/story.aspx?storyid=105172&catid=29​
 
I can tell this trial is going to be a tough sell to this jury. All circumstantial and based on criminal responsibility. Of course defense attorney Tom Dillard is basically telling the jury that criminal responsibility is the biggest crock of there is. According to Jamie's tweets, a couple of the jurors got feisty with TK and she tried to get them removed. No wonder the judge picked three extra alternates. This jury has trouble written all over them.

http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2009/nov/19/both-sides-detail-thomas-case-for-jurors/

Forget prosecutorial claims of a slam dunk case against torture slaying suspect George Thomas.
Instead, prosecutor Takisha Fitzgerald's outline of the state's case against Thomas offered Wednesday in the final round of jury selection sounded more like a Hail Mary pass she's hoping to land in the end zone.
No eyewitnesses. No forensic proof. Circumstantial evidence. Drug-using witnesses. DNA pointing, not to Thomas, but his three co-defendants.

More at link:
http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2009/nov/19/both-sides-detail-thomas-case-for-jurors/
 
Muffet said:
Thank you, Sommer. :) I've been a little wary since it's so conspicuous, so your note is very welcome! :o

The back-burnering of this case has truly been a shame. It's especially important for the sake of the parents' desire to keep defense teams honest. :cool:

Anyhow, it looks like we'll be starting soon, and I look forward to you and others joining us. :thumb:
Click to expand...

Hello friend, here we are again... (bbm) maybe with an advisory... "Warning: not for the faint of heart." Hopefully charges will have all been brought in Shaniya's case, the appropriate jurisdictions determined etc by then so I can focus again on this--don't think I could take the two together it would be too grueling, sigh... :(

:parrot:
 
I think they will be able to at least prove he was there, and did NOTHING to stop it. Therefore, he IS as responsible as the others no matter what he actually did to each of the victims.
 
JulieR said:
This is honestly the worse case I have ever read, so bad wish I never looked. I feel so bad for these families and just wish the people responsible were put to death.
Click to expand...

It's the worst case I've read about also.:mad:
 
There are many other posts on this case. The details are horrific. I feel so bad for what they went through and for their families.
 
Racially inflammatory statements revealed in George Thomas case
-snip-
Knox County Sheriff's Office Detective Nevil Norman took the stand Friday afternoon speak of a racially charged conversation he allegedly had with Thomas.
-snip-
Norman interviewed Thomas for almost an hour on tape. However, after he stopped recording, Norman says he had a shocking conversation with Thomas. Norman testified he asked Thomas why he didn't call anyone when the crimes were happening.

According to Norman, Thomas allegedly said "(Expletive) that white girl. She don't mean nothing to me. You cops come into my neighborhood and kill us. Why should I get involved in something that's none of my business."

-snip-

Full story:
http://www.wbir.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=105438​

Defense attys are trying to get the statement thrown out because it wasn't on tape or documented for months, and the date he typed for the interview was January 11, 2008, instead of Jan 11, 2007. (Typical frivolous objection, since it was obviously a typo, and the date is correct on the interview itself.)
 
Wow, that would be great to show the jurors. His phone call with VC will be just as important.
 
Should not be too difficult for the defense to say he loaned the movie out to others... don't y'all think?
 
Here's our one week notice for getting all our work and phone calls out of the way and canceling any pesky appointments for those two weeks. ;)

This trial makes me nervous. I feel for TK and LP, having so little hard admissible evidence to use to put this creep away. It's probably going to drive the parents crazy.

I just hope this jury is as astute as Davidson's, and that the judge allows that phone call. :prayer:
 
Speaking of the LD trial, here's a snippet from a long and detailed post by one of the jurors, which can be found here:

Smash South Sports - What you all need to know regarding the Davidson Trial
-snip-
When we went back for initial deliberation on the 45 counts the state presented, we deliberated for around 8 hours. We spent about half of those on whether or not Davidson was responsible for Chris Newsom's rape.
-snip-

When we got to the charges of Murder for Davidson in this phase, it took us about 20 minutes to run through the 16 charges. There were no objections. There were no questions. There was no doubt. We all believed beyond any shadow of any doubt that he was guilty for both murders and all underlying actions.

We went back to court on Thursday fully prepared to give a decision of Death or Life in Prison. We went to bed on Wednesday night with that on our minds and hearts. None of us slept well. We were disappointed when Judge B told us on Thursday around 4 that we would need to come back the next day. We had voted and we were prepared to stay until midnight to reach a verdict. We did not want to go back to our hotel and think about that another night.

When we arrived at the Courthouse on Friday, before (and after) hearing closing arguments, we were split 8-4 as to Davidson's fate. Eight of us believed he should receive death. Four of us were not sure.
-snip-

​
He posted another here Post #26..

...and on post #30, he says, in part:
We had no idea he had a prior record when we started deliberations. I passed up the question to ask Daphne Sutton about Davidson and any violent acts he'd done around her and the judge wouldn't read it after talking to both attorneys. I thought it was something we should have known about but I can see why they didn't let us.
Click to expand...
 
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