GUILTY TN - Chris Newsom, 23, & Channon Christian, 21, murdered, Knoxville, 6 Jan 2007 #19

[PrairieWind]

I guess we can all speculate what this means, but it could be a good sign. If you really look at the definition of criminal responsibility, I think Vanessa fits.

 

[William N]

I think it only took a couple of hours for G Thomas jury to find him guilty.

It took 6 hours over 2 days to find Thomas guilty inthe guilt phase. It took 2 hours to arrive at a sentence of LWOP in the penalty phase.

David From TN

 

[lizzybeth]

VC's smiling and grinning makes me sick

Yeah, I don't get why she's smiling so much. Do you think she knows something that we don't? Has she just realized that the camera is on her? Was she so upset that they gave her some type of medication?

:banghead:

 

[Muffet]

Sending them back to the jury room.

I'm a little weirded out by what the judge just did. He seemed to give, as the reason for it not being on page 15, a very abbreviated definition of Criminal Responsibility, basically just saying "a person is criminally responsible if they are directly had a hand in the killing or were responsible for the person that did." He added another element at the end, but I only remember that it was similar...

I wish we could find out what count is on page 15...

 

[Muffet]

I guess we can all speculate what this means, but it could be a good sign. If you really look at the definition of criminal responsibility, I think Vanessa fits.

Yep! I think it's a great sign that they are looking for the option for criminal responsibility for all counts. rayer:

 

[yeknomaras]

Yeah, I don't get why she's smiling so much. Do you think she knows something that we don't? Has she just realized that the camera is on her? Was she so upset that they gave her some type of medication?

:banghead:

I think it's defiance. She knows everyone wants to see her crying and upset, so she's putting on that happy face to piss us all off. God I hope the jury puts an end to that.

 

[Muffet]

Twitters by Gene Patterson http://twitter.com/gpatterson12 :


# Judge points to page 7 in charge. It provides that person is criminally responsible if defendants conduct contributes to offense. #cntrial 9 minutes ago via Twitter for BlackBerry®

# Jury asks about criminal responsibility being a factor in all charges to be considered? #cntrial 12 minutes ago via Twitter for BlackBerry®

# Attys in courtroom. Coleman enters. Jury enters. #cntrial 14 minutes ago via Twitter for BlackBerry®

# An apparent question from jury. Attys are in chambers with judge. We're told jury is eating lunch. Not quite sure what is up. #cntrial 16 minutes ago via Twitter for BlackBerry®

# Victims impact statements run-through expected after lunch. Will only be heard by jury if they return capital crime verdict. #cntrial about 2 hours ago via Twitter for BlackBerry®

 

[PrairieWind]

Yep! I think it's a great sign that they are looking for the option for criminal responsibility for all counts. rayer:

Also seems like the jury may be moving along very quickly. That could go either way as far as good/bad.

 

[Muffet]

Note: Victims impact statements run-through expected after lunch.

 

[Muffet]

OK, This was the charge on page 15 of the Davidson Jury form. I don't know if VC's is the same as his, but I think the charges as read by the judge yesterday were.

COUNT FIFTEEN:​

FIRST DEGREE FELONY MURDER OF CHANNON CHRISTAIN
DURING THE PERPETRATION OF THEFT OF HUGH CHRISTOPHER NEWSOM​

In answering, I heard the judge say the count without the criminal responsibility was a first degree murder count. This one would be the one most likely to make sense not to have criminal responsibility, because of the underlined part.

 

[Muffet]

I'm afraid that the judge's short explanation of Criminal Responsibility raised the bar - not just by his wording, but by giving it again at all. I noticed that even his clerk commented and he defensively said, "Well, I'm not going to read the whole section again."

I'm probably worrying too much. :crazy:
I just don't want anything said to upset the CR apple cart they appeared to have been putting her into.

 

[yeknomaras]

I'm afraid that the judge's short explanation of Criminal Responsibility raised the bar - not just by his wording, but by giving it again at all. I noticed that even his clerk commented and he defensively said, "Well, I'm not going to read the whole section again."

I'm probably worrying too much. :crazy:
I just don't want anything said to upset the CR apple cart they appeared to have been putting her into.

Well he did tell them to look closely at a certain page of their instructions, so I hope they go back to the jury room and really read every word to get a good understanding of what it really means. When at school, if a professor doesn't explain something very well but gives written instructions, I will dissect every word until I am comfortable that I know what is asked of me.

 

[PrairieWind]

Hana Kim of WATE reports that the jury quickly ate lunch and got right back to deliberating. Sounds to me they want to get this done. and if they rushed thru lunch like that, they must already be close.

 

[lonetraveler]

Just checking in. My daughter brought over two of the grandchildren unexpectedly. Its going to be difficult to verdict watch. I'll check in often though.

 

[MCDRAW]

Yes, on any Twitter page you follow, to the right of the bar that says "Following", there is a little mobile phone symbol. Just click on that to receive or not receive phone tweets.

Ok, I know I am blind but I never saw the mobile phone symbol. I did something said I joined but haven't gotten any updates.

 

[Indianagirl]

Video of closing arguments

Part 1
http://www.wbir.com/video/default.a...ents+Pt+1/44024439001/39627146001/84831264001

Part 2
http://www.wbir.com/video/default.a...ment+Pt+2/44024439001/39627146001/84857355001

 

[Muffet]

If they come back soon with guilties, I'm going to wonder if maybe the person who kept asking why Daphne hadn't been charged wasn't so much a bleeding heart wanting to be lenient on VC, but rather was so appalled that they thought Daphne should hang with VC.

Either that, or the person was just daft and didn't clue in on the difference until it was spelled out to them in closing by Price, or maybe even the other jurors. :crazy:

Had I been a juror, the first question I'd have wanted to ask once in the deliberations room would have been, "OK, so who's the dufus who keeps comparing VC to Daphne?"

 

[Muffet]

A few recent stories up:

Torture-slaying trial, Day 8: Jurors begin Coleman deliberations
By Jim Balloch
http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2010/may/12/torture-slaying-trial-day-8-jurors-begin-coleman-d/

Deliberations follow seven days of testimony in the kidnapping, rape, and murder case
http://www.wbir.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=121350&catid=2

Knoxville slaying suspect declines to testify
Parents say state misled daughter
http://www.tennessean.com/article/2...Knoxville-slaying-suspect-declines-to-testify

The last one is just a report based on Jamie's article from late last night, but I'm including it as a non-local media report. The Tennessean is apparently a bigger paper, from Nashville.
Jamie's original story:
http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2010/may/11/coleman-case-heading-jury/

I have yet to find any national coverage of VC's trial.

 

[Muffet]

Deliberations continue after jury question in Vanessa Coleman trial
Updated: May 12, 2010 11:10 AM CDT
http://www.wate.com/Global/story.asp?S=12465662

She also says rehearsals of the impact statements were expected after lunch. Lunch is usually over around 1pm, and it's 2:20 there, and the jury is back from lunch already.

The judge must be confident that they have time to get those rehearsals in before the jury has a verdict. :waitasec:

/grasping at straws for clues.

 

[MCDRAW]

They are saying now that the victim statements ar going to be read at 3