GUILTY NC - Kathy Taft, 62, Raleigh, 6 March 2010 - #6

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I have a question for all you legal eagles out there. Since Williford has pleaded not-guilty, is there any possibility he will walk away from this trial free? Casey Anthony did but she never admitted to committing the crime she was charged with. What are the jury's options in convicting him if they don't want to give him the death penalty?
 
no1uknow said:
I have a question for all you legal eagles out there. Since Williford has pleaded not-guilty, is there any possibility he will walk away from this trial free? Casey Anthony did but she never admitted to committing the crime she was charged with. What are the jury's options in convicting him if they don't want to give him the death penalty?
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No1 -- Good Morning -- As Prancy said earlier, in a DP case, there are two phases: The Guilt Phase and The Penalty Phase.

IF he is convicted of 1st Degree Murder, then we go to the penalty phase -- a kind of mini-trial in & of itself. Witnesses can be called, x-examined, etc., etc. Then the jury will again retire & must be unanimous in their verdict of either death or life without parole (LWOP - and in NC it is a LIFE sentence, period).

We don't know, but chances are good that the judge will add an alternative to the jury's choice -- 2nd Degree Murder, and this could be for quite a few years, especially with aggravating circumstances (which IMO would be appropriate -- this is the purview of the judge -- he will determine the sentence within the NCGS Sentencing Guidelines.)

And then there are the First Degree Rape and First Degree Burglary charges which, if found guilty, the judge will also determine the sentence & whether they are concurrent or consecutive. Even if JW were to get 2nd Deg Murder, he could be sentenced to a pretty long time in the slammer.

There probably won't be a 3rd alternative to the murder charge..

I'll be out for a bit this morning, but I will let you know what the ballpark
sentences could be for 2nd Degree Murder, 1st Deg Rape & 1st Deg Burglary. It IS possible for 1st Degree Rape to get LWOP...

Hope this helps. I'll get back to this later, no1uknow...
 
No offense, and maybe I am stupid, but this *advertiser censored*****e has admitted to raping and killing KT. WHY IS THIS MEDIA SPECTACLE OCCURRING? Why do we have to hear about plastic surgery details, family member drinking and mental health issues? This is a travesty - the "take them down with you" defense. It just makes me hate the defendant more. I don't even believe in the death penalty. It's too kind and too expensive. Willoughby screwed this one up. This does not belong in court.
 
Is anyone listening to the Chapman trial on cnn's live stream? and Good Morning...:0)
 
kate42000 said:
Is anyone listening to the Chapman trial on cnn's live stream? and Good Morning...:0)
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Good morning, all! Kate, the Kaufman trial? I have IS on, although muted. I did see the blow up earlier this morning over the affair with the detective. This trial is nutty--the defense attacks every single witness. I'm surprised the judge doesn't reign them in a bit more.

Sorry for the OT--I don't think we have a thread for this trial yet on WS, or did I miss it?
 
DUH..sorry NCB...yes Kaufman trial..I was looking for a link here in WS for this trial...the defense attorney is a bully...

My apologies also for the OT comments....
 
kate42000 said:
DUH..sorry NCB...yes Kaufman trial..I was looking for a link here in WS for this trial...the defense attorney is a bully...

My apologies also for the OT comments....
Click to expand...

I put in a request to start a trial thread, Kate, cuz I know people have asked about this trial over on the Tammi Smith thread, too.
 
What did I miss this morning? Sorry, is Butts the first witness?

And I agree, it's everybody elses's fault, everyone other than JW. < sarcasm intended >
 
Hi GL, I've been in and out this AM--her plastic surgeon testified earlier, as did the neurosurgeon who operated on KT. Her plastic surgery was uneventful, and the neurosurgeon did not believe she would survive her injuries once he saw the extensive damage to her brain. Her plastic surgery took place in Durham at the plastic surgeon's office. Her plastic surgeon called to check on her, but KT didn't answer her cell. He called her sister and she was hysterical, having just found KT and called for assistance. The plastic surgeon learned she was being transported to the hospital, and although he didn't have surgical privileges, he traveled to Raleigh to see if he could be of assistance to the medical staff, thinking at the time KT was suffering complications from surgery.

Hopefully, that catches you up a bit, GL. As I said, I was kind of floating in and out, so if I missed anything, I hope others will jump in and fill in the gaps--thanks! :)
 
Thank you NCB! Goodness, this police officer should have worn her uniform I think. Looks more professional.
 
I missed a few minutes. I missed some of the testimony of the officer who followed a suspect into McDonald's to get a cup and cigarette he threw down outside. Who was that suspect and what happened?
 
Prancy said:
I missed a few minutes. I missed some of the testimony of the officer who followed a suspect into McDonald's to get a cup and cigarette he threw down outside. Who was that suspect and what happened?
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Prancy - I'm just getting in, too, but I did see the part about the suspect who rode a moped. He was Cornelius Sands (I hope I got that right), and he had asked for handyman work in the Cartier neighborhood. So the RPD followed him so that they could possibly obtain DNA, which they did. Of course, it was negative.

Did anyone come to your house -- before the incident -- to ask for odd jobs, etc.?
 
It's hard to get into all this 'chain of custody' and surveillance testimony when we already know, through the defense opening, that williford is GUILTY. Why doesn't the defense simply concede this evidence and move things along?
 
Hi everyone, new to the case and this thread :wave: ---been hanging out with the Tammi Smith trial peeps,who are fun!

The live feed is not working for me :(
 
Boodles said:
No offense, and maybe I am stupid, but this *advertiser censored*****e has admitted to raping and killing KT. WHY IS THIS MEDIA SPECTACLE OCCURRING? Why do we have to hear about plastic surgery details, family member drinking and mental health issues? This is a travesty - the "take them down with you" defense. It just makes me hate the defendant more. I don't even believe in the death penalty. It's too kind and too expensive. Willoughby screwed this one up. This does not belong in court.
Click to expand...

No offense taken by me, Boodles -- and I was thinking last night about the parade of psych doctors we're gonna have to endure and who knows what else that this DT is gonna put up there. What a lot of work, expense, dirty laundering, and mud-slinging will likely occur in this courtroom...

BUT -- If a deal couldn't be made -- ASSUMING one was offered, and I have no idea at all if one was made and let me add that I am in no position to know... what else could the State of NC do? Pressure was on from the Governor on down for the perpetrator to be found & charged & tried....

So, IF LWOP was offered & refused, what else could CW do? No way on earth would he have made a deal for less, IMO, and he shouldn't have, IMO.

Again, I agree -- this trial has already hurt people in such an ugly way -- to pile more stuff on top of what has already happened ....

But IMO, something has to be done to keep this man away from society and to make him pay -- at least in part -- for the cruelty and hurt and theft-of-life he did to KT and her family and the People of the State of NC.

(I surely hope this post will be taken the way it was intended.
icon9.gif
)
 
seattlechiquita said:
Hi everyone, new to the case and this thread :wave: ---been hanging out with the Tammi Smith trial peeps,who are fun!

The live feed is not working for me :(
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Hi, seattle -:seeya:- Welcome! Court is on lunch break & should resume at 1:45 EDT.
icon7.gif
 
borndem said:
No offense taken by me, Boodles -- and I was thinking last night about the parade of psych doctors we're gonna have to endure and who knows what else that this DT is gonna put up there. What a lot of work, expense, dirty laundering, and mud-slinging will likely occur in this courtroom...

BUT -- If a deal couldn't be made -- ASSUMING one was offered, and I have no idea at all if one was made and let me add that I am in no position to know... what else could the State of NC do? Pressure was on from the Governor on down for the perpetrator to be found & charged & tried....

So, IF LWOP was offered & refused, what else could CW do? No way on earth would he have made a deal for less, IMO, and he shouldn't have, IMO.

Again, I agree -- this trial has already hurt people in such an ugly way -- to pile more stuff on top of what has already happened ....

But IMO, something has to be done to keep this man away from society and to make him pay -- at least in part -- for the cruelty and hurt and theft-of-life he did to KT and her family and the People of the State of NC.

(I surely hope this post will be taken the way it was intended.
icon9.gif
)
Click to expand...

If LWOP was offered and refused, I have no issue, as this guy absolutely needs to be locked away forever and day at minimum. But I suspect LWOP wasn't offered (just my speculation, as I think since they're admitting his involvement, they would have taken that sentence).

I guess this is all quite political.
 
I'm a bit confused. Did this a-h confess in open court and the trial is still proceeding?
 
borndem said:
Prancy - I'm just getting in, too, but I did see the part about the suspect who rode a moped. He was Cornelius Sands (I hope I got that right), and he had asked for handyman work in the Cartier neighborhood. So the RPD followed him so that they could possibly obtain DNA, which they did. Of course, it was negative.

Did anyone come to your house -- before the incident -- to ask for odd jobs, etc.?
Click to expand...

Yes, that's the one I was in question about. No, I don't recall anyone coming to my door about doing handyman work. Of course, I would have been suspect if someone had tried at that time. I would not have opened the door though. I don't open the door for someone I don't know who they are and why they are there. I was like that before the Taft murder too.

Here's an article on voluntary intoxication and diminished capacity in NC as it relates to jury instructions. I thought it was interesting.

http://www.ncids.org/Defender Training/2008 Spring Conference/VoluntaryIntoxication-LisaMiles.pdf
 
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