Trial Thread, May 1, 2012 Defense begins it case in chief

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SoSueMe

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Trial Discussion Thread:

reposting a few of the warnings:

Salem's warning from last week:

Okay everybody - LISTEN UP! We are not bashing, accusing or blaming Tori's family here. It won't be allowed.

Children walk home from school every day without incident. Parents are not perfect, it's just not possible. Tori's parents DID NOT do this to her. TLM and an accomplice DID. That is where the blame goes.

We had a lot of family bashing in the early parts of this investigation after Tori went missing and a lot of baseless accusations - NONE OF WHICH PROVED TO BE TRUE. Victim and family bashing will not be allowed during this trial.

Thank you,
Salem

---------------------------------


As some of you may have noticed, the members following this case are dropping in numbers. It's disheartening to us because we need and welcome discussion of both sides of every issue on Websleuths.

Zero tolerance means ZERO tolerance. Please discuss this case with respect to your fellow members. Subtle and veiled harassment and/or talking in code about other members will not be tolerated.

A word of caution on the Alerts in this forum. If you alert a post, make sure it is a clear violation of our Terms of Service. A difference of opinion is not a violation of TOS.

Please note that everything discussed in court and printed/tweeted is now within the realm of discussion. WS has never and does not now have a policy of "innocent until proven guilty." That is for the court room. Here, we discuss, speculate, theorize and judge according to the opinions we develop from following the case.

Keeping that in mind, abuse of our alert system is a good way to find yourself in timeout or worse. Abuse of the alert systems includes, but is not limited to:

Alerting repeatedly on the same poster;
Demanding a specific outcome;
Alerting on the same post more than once.

Once you have alerted a post, move on and don't question the decisions of our Administrators, Moderators or Owners.

Following this trial is very important to our members and we're going to see that they have their day in court. The "zero tolerance" policy in this forum will continue and it will be enforced.

Thank you and please carry on.
Sue aka SoSueMe
Websleuths Co-Owner

------

Please keep discussion focused on what has been presented in testimony and remember to link up as the partial publication ban is still in place
 
Okay - defense is up to bat.

Everyone - please mind your p & q's. Don't let your emotions get the better of you and try to at least listen to what the defense has to say.

Salem

Here we gooooooooo....................
 
Good Morning!

af66bb8545a59772d777234419a6.jpeg
 
Good Morning!

af66bb8545a59772d777234419a6.jpeg

Precious little Tori justice is coming. You were such a little sweetie, beautiful blue eyes. RIP for all eternity tiny Angel.

Thank you for the tweets today fellow sleuthers! <3
 
Good Morning!

af66bb8545a59772d777234419a6.jpeg

my favorite picture of Tori! Thanks for posting. Her eyes just sparkle, and her scarf looks so fun and whimsical. A child with so much promise. It is hard to fathom how someone could harm her; that evil such as that exists in the world. MOO
 
Good morning! This is my very first post here, although I've been reading for the past few days. I too have been following this case since Tori went missing. While I don't live in the Woodstock area, I do live in the same city as Kristen French was from. Fortunately, Tori's case has been widely publicized here as well. Members of our community are following closely & praying Tori receives Justice.

I am a mother. I am a mother to one daughter who was born in July of 2000 as well. I believe EVERY school-aged child has the right to walk to & from school without fear. I believe Tori was abducted by people she did NOT know (even IF she met TLM in passing at some point, I believe she was still a stranger to her). I believe she was taken for the purpose to be brutally raped. I believe evidence shows TWO people were involved in this crime. My interpretation of the facts & evidence shows MR & TLM were both into this up to their eyeballs.

From my little time spent here reading, Otto, I believe 100% in statements you have made. The black & white of this case involve a missing child, a 28 year old man & a body of a mostly nude 8 year old child. I cannot even fathom what today will bring in court.

I guess I've read enough to include these are MOO.
 
Welcome Dmman!

Thank you for sharing your views with us. We will all be watching what the defence does from here. Whatever the outcome...it's Tori in our minds, first and foremost.

I agree with you that every child should be able to safely walk to school and walk around their community. The community should take care of each and every child.
 
the next witness up is..........

How does this work, is there a warning, or does defense just announce when jury is brought in...this is the next witness to be called.

I pray that all those who are directly affected by this trial and of good heart, are ok today, have support after the trial and life is kind to them in the future...those from each of the families. I also hope that justice is delivered with a thud to those involved of evil intent who destroyed this innocent child. God Bless TS and her family. MOO
 
I am so nervous right now. I really hope he takes the stand.
 
Good morning! This is my very first post here, although I've been reading for the past few days. I too have been following this case since Tori went missing. While I don't live in the Woodstock area, I do live in the same city as Kristen French was from. Fortunately, Tori's case has been widely publicized here as well. Members of our community are following closely & praying Tori receives Justice.

I am a mother. I am a mother to one daughter who was born in July of 2000 as well. I believe EVERY school-aged child has the right to walk to & from school without fear. I believe Tori was abducted by people she did NOT know (even IF she met TLM in passing at some point, I believe she was still a stranger to her). I believe she was taken for the purpose to be brutally raped. I believe evidence shows TWO people were involved in this crime. My interpretation of the facts & evidence shows MR & TLM were both into this up to their eyeballs.

From my little time spent here reading, Otto, I believe 100% in statements you have made. The black & white of this case involve a missing child, a 28 year old man & a body of a mostly nude 8 year old child. I cannot even fathom what today will bring in court.

I guess I've read enough to include these are MOO.


Welcome Dmman! Thanks for joining us on our quest for JUSTICE FOR TORI!
 
Will he take the stand?
THE MURDER TRIAL OF MICHAEL RAFFERTY
By RANDY RICHMOND, THE LONDON FREE PRESS


At some point Tuesday, the roller-coaster first-degree murder trial of Michael Rafferty will likely take a dramatic turn or start the run toward the end.

The pivot point rests on the question asked by many since the start of the trial, especially the past four days.

Will Rafferty take the stand in his own defence?

more at the link

http://www.lfpress.com/news/london/raffertytrial/2012/04/30/19698706.html
 
lzilkeglobal &#8207; @lzilkeglobal
Reporter talk surrounding #Rafferty trial, think he will take the stand, but we've been wrong before - will keep you posted. @globalnewsto


CTV Calgary &#8207; @CTVCalgary
Court expected to hear if #Rafferty will take the stand #Stafford http://bit.ly/IRZafq

Cristina Tenaglia &#8207; @cristina_CHCHTV
Legal experts say the critical choice re: if #Rafferty will testify rests with 'him.'
 
Good morning! This is my very first post here, although I've been reading for the past few days. I too have been following this case since Tori went missing. While I don't live in the Woodstock area, I do live in the same city as Kristen French was from. Fortunately, Tori's case has been widely publicized here as well. Members of our community are following closely & praying Tori receives Justice.

I am a mother. I am a mother to one daughter who was born in July of 2000 as well. I believe EVERY school-aged child has the right to walk to & from school without fear. I believe Tori was abducted by people she did NOT know (even IF she met TLM in passing at some point, I believe she was still a stranger to her). I believe she was taken for the purpose to be brutally raped. I believe evidence shows TWO people were involved in this crime. My interpretation of the facts & evidence shows MR & TLM were both into this up to their eyeballs.

From my little time spent here reading, Otto, I believe 100% in statements you have made. The black & white of this case involve a missing child, a 28 year old man & a body of a mostly nude 8 year old child. I cannot even fathom what today will bring in court.

I guess I've read enough to include these are MOO.

Agreed! I'm open to hearing from the defense, but to date, the evidence supports the charges, IMO. Thus far, there appears to be no rational explanation for MR's presence in that car with that child on that day, other than that he was involved in her kidnapping, IMO. Hence, I believe that knowing which of the two actually wielded the hammer is not necessary to find him guilty of murder. And Tori's naked lower body and that spot of blood mixed with semen, in addition to how well the evidence supports the general gist of TLM's account of the events, convince me beyond a reasonable doubt that he is also guilty of rape. To me, it does not matter if TLM or MR knew TS - or which of TLM or MR was the 'mastermind' - or if it was pre-planned or opportunistic - I don't so much care why it happened, I care that it happened. I believe that there were two people who crossed the line that day into some kind of evil madness and that the life of an innocent 8 year old child, stolen away from her home, her family and safety, was ended by their combined actions - even if the 'actions' of one was simply to walk away and turn a blind eye.

MR's lawyer will need to introduce some evidence which has not even been hinted at thus far to convince me otherwise.

All MOO.
 
Wouldn't ya know it? I've waited sooooo long and I have a golf date this morn. Taking my emergency radio with me to hear the news.

I'll be rushing home to read your tweets/posts/etc. So I'll thank you in advance for your posts.
 
Sounds like there will be a heavy media presence at the trial today. Everyone is tweeting.

Cristina Tenaglia &#8207; @cristina_CHCHTV
The #Rafferty defence is not required to call any evidence (experts say it'd be odd if they didn't). Crown must prove case against accused.
 
If MR takes the stand I would be interested in heading to London on Wed. Is there anyone from the Grey Bruce area that would like to go and car pool??
 
Well if MR does decide to get up on the stand today, I'd like to know why he spent 3 years in jail for something "he didn't do". I'd call that very bad legal representation.

And of course I don't believe for a minute that he had bad legal representation so what does that say? He waited until he knew what evidence LE had against him before formulating whatever story we're going to hear today.

Nothing else makes sense to me.

MOO
 
Well if MR does decide to get up on the stand today, I'd like to know why he spent 3 years in jail for something "he didn't do". I'd call that very bad legal representation.

And of course I don't believe for a minute that he had bad legal representation so what does that say? He waited until he knew what evidence LE had against him before formulating whatever story we're going to hear today.

Nothing else makes sense to me.

MOO
Just because he goes on the stand today doesn't mean he is innocent. It could mean a whole bunch other different things but that wouldn't be my first thought.
 
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