Verdict Watch

[borndem]

Thought the first half of the prosecution's closing arguments were excellent...though I have liked to see the gas milage addressed. I liked that the ADA encouraged the jury to think about it seriously and consider all sides. He's confident.

Missed BH's closing because I had to run out to a doctor's appointment. And was stunned to find out I'm pregnant. YIKES!

That's Swell! (And you will!):great:


Here's wishing health, happiness, and a super-fine pregnancy, Raleigh! xo

 

[fran]

I think it's easier to just hear a few facts and make up one's mind the person is innocent and then stick to that opinion. Then every bit of additional circumstances learned as the case progresses, to keep looking at it and STILL think the suspect is innocent. When you delve deeper into the cases and even watch the trial as close as is possible, meaning televised in real time or reading transcripts, one can change their mind to guilty. It's when someone depends on the media for interpretation of facts being presented and haven't really heard ALL the evidence, many still maintain the def's innocense. But then again, like others have said, many people just don't consider circumstantial evidence proof enough for them to come to a conclusion of guilt. This is where dna and such, has become a boost to crime fighting, but when there's no dna {proof}, people take that as a sign the def wasn't there. This fact is even more difficult when the perp lives at the crime scene and one CAN infer all dna proof is bogus. Some even go so far as to deny that even {proof} of the def's dna mingled with the victim's blood is still not proof, because you'd expect the def's dna to be at the scene anyway.

I believe part of the problem is, some people just don't understand the laws completely on how a juror is to consider 'circumstantial' evidence. Almost everything that is presented is actually 'circumstantial.' All except eye witness and, I believe, confessions of guilt. Everything else is just that a series of 'circumstances,' when added up together, bring one to the conclusion that they complete a puzzle that points towards the only reason the circumstances are there, they point to the guilt of the def.

I admit the other recent trial held in this very courtroom, the 'evidence' was very thin. But then there were those darn 'hooks.' Meaning, the only explanation that item of circumstances is there, the def is guilty. IF one has their 'hook,' then every other 'circumstance' that was previously, possibly dismissed in one's mind, all falls into the category of 'guilty.' But to change one's mind that had already been made up, takes a lot of thought and concentration. Maybe some people haven't really put that much thought into it, and stubbornly stick to their original opinion and just avoid the facts.

As long as there's a possibility of opposing opinions, people will differ. I don't always understand or agree with those who think a def is still innocent after a jury of their peers had reached a guilty verdict, but that's their perogative. I don't argue with them because they don't agree with me. I don't mind debating the facts as I see it and listening to their's, but it gets to a point that I just leave it at that.

I will say though, it is very frustrating when you do think the def is innocent and is either found guilty or worked out a plea deal for whatever reason, and the case is closed and the def goes to jail. I've followed a few cases here on Websleuths that either the person who I suspected was never charged or a plea deal was made and the person I thought was competely INNOCENT is held responsible for the crime. One case in particular kept me up at night because to this day, I feel a terrible injustice has been done and there is still a killer on the loose in a small town. I still feel a lot of emotion about that particular case just typing these words about it.

I believe JY is guilty as charged and I've never wavered on that. Within a day of MY's murder, everything I learned about this case points towards JY and NO ONE else! When he showed up at the crimes scene and had already lawyered up and refused to even go through the house with LE, I knew he did it. But because you, as a juror cannot hold that against him, that would have to be discarded in a court of law. But it just went downhill from there, IMHO. Refusing to even talk to friends and family about it, not asking 'what happened' and not contacting LE to find out the status of his wife's murder investigation, is completely unnatural and IMHO. I feel it's because he was scared to death that he was going to get caught and hadn't completely perfected his story. Like the DA said yesterday, it took him 1693 days to tell his side, as he waited until all the 'evidence' was presented to THINK UP and come up with AN EXCUSE for each circumstance that could and was used against him.

Like the pros said yesterday, ......... too little too late....... and I am not buyin' it!

JMHO
fran

 

[newMom]

Ok, so I was at the courthouse this morning to deal with a ticket (got dismissed, thankfully) and my husband and I went up to THE courtroom. Wow, it was weird to be there, even when no one else was there. My thoughts and prayers go out to Linda and Meredith as we wait for justice to be served.

 

[johnfear]

The gas mileage issues.

Just throwing this one out there, but I think the Judge addressed this silently with the additional considerations.

It would have been quite easy for someone to have picked up JY at some point and drove him in. So the vehicle wasn't recognizable, etc.

I don't think the franklin shoes came from JY. I think they came from a woman wearing them. I think it is a HUGE possibility his accomplice is someone that no one has met at this point and that there are pieces that are just missing that would make the picture whole.

I think both sides sealed this one up. I don't think anything but the unmatched DNA could ever come up for appeal. And I think it would have to hit a serious match on someone who had done something similar to cause any eyebrows to even begin to raise.

Bottom line: He did it. The prosecution did awesome with what they did have. The defense did awesome with what they had. Ever how this one shakes out is going to be interesting.

 

[NCB]

thought the first half of the prosecution's closing arguments were excellent...though i have liked to see the gas milage addressed. I liked that the ada encouraged the jury to think about it seriously and consider all sides. He's confident.

Missed bh's closing because i had to run out to a doctor's appointment. And was stunned to find out i'm pregnant. Yikes!

congrats!!!

 

[Madeleine74]

Congrats RaleighNative!

 

[RaleighNative]

CONGRATS!!! Is this your first?

Thanks! No, it will be our second. However, we thought we were "one and done". :waitasec:

 

[Madeleine74]

Hehe. Mother Nature gets the last word in.

 

[otto]

It's just general commentary on how the local community responds to this. (I am traditionally addicted to paper, by extension I can usually be found with a newspaper under my arm from any of the local small towns. I read them all.) Now that news has gone almost completely digital and therefore nearly instantaneous, you see people's responses to things on twitter/facebook/forums, etc. And not everyone has the same opinion. The canyon between the sides on these cases gets filled with a whole lot of subterfuge and it makes me sick to my stomach to watch. I got done with one trial where I had a heavy handed opinion of the proceedings, but not the crime itself and moved on to this one where I basically just watched. (I did try out the drive that everyone has an opinion on and I visited the hotel in question but found it all unremarkable. The drive is totally doable in the time frames allotted, but the hotel had three cameras turned up and two doors propped when I visited it roughly five years after the fact.)
I am avoiding that other thing going on down in Florida because I have a young daughter and that aspect makes it unwatchable for me.

After RA's mess, I think I will be done with this altogether and then another interesting mess pops up in Wake County this morning that I start poking my nose into before it even hits the news.

Anyways, as per my usual, it's verdict time, so I ramble...

In terms of the proceedings and legal arguments, what did you think about the argument regarding gas and travel time? Someone on the jury may want to analyze the $15 gas purchase and mileage. Since investigators made the effort to talk to all the gas attendants between Raleigh and Hillsville, but not beyond, some may view that as merely looking for confirmation of their theory (tunnel vision was alleged throughout the trial). In response to defense theory that it was impossible for Jason to drive as far as he did on the amount of gas that he purchased, the prosecution simply said that he could have purchased gas between Hillsville and Duffield ... but investigators didn't investigate.

Defense argued that Jason was lost on his way to his appointment, but others have suggested he was running late because of the murder. If he was at the hotel at 6:15 AM per the turned camera, and all he had to do was change, eat and be on his way, was he still on time for the appointment in terms of driving time, or was he already running late if he left the hotel at 6:45 or 7:15?

Even if the gas mileage argument is accepted by some on the jury, and even though there is no evidence connecting Jason to an accomplice, will jury members that do consider the gas mileage evidence as valid bundle it with the "accomplice" instruction and conclude guilty?

 

[gracielee]

Does anyone know what the recent, about 20 minutes ago, movement in the courtroom was? It appeared the Fishers were picking up their things and leaving. Jury on break?

 

[happy2binNC]

Is there a live feed somewhere? I haven't been able to find anything this morning to keep tabs on the courtroom.

 

[gracielee]

courtroom camera on again

 

[gracielee]

http://abclocal.go.com/wtvd/livenow?id=8175997

 

[fran]

Thought the first half of the prosecution's closing arguments were excellent...though I have liked to see the gas milage addressed. I liked that the ADA encouraged the jury to think about it seriously and consider all sides. He's confident.

Missed BH's closing because I had to run out to a doctor's appointment. And was stunned to find out I'm pregnant. YIKES!

What awesome news!
Congrats! artyguy:

What happy news as we wait for one life to end as the person knows it and now another life is to begin.

It must have been a happy time at your home last evening!

Sincerely,
fran

:blush:
OK, I KNOW this post is OT, but couldn't help myself. I love babies!:heartbeat:....fran

LOL, pps................I saw your comment where you thought you were one and done! I was raising three children with my hubby, his, mine, and someone else's. We thought we were done too when the youngest was 10. SURPRISE! LOL, oh and SURPRISE! and..................well, SURPRISE! AGAIN! actually we loved it! One of the younger ones was the wedding we had two weeks ago. What fun!

 

[gracielee]

I don't have anyt sound

 

[gracielee]

I have sound now. oh crap, just a break

 

[johnfear]

In terms of the proceedings and legal arguments, what did you think about the argument regarding gas and travel time? Someone on the jury may want to analyze the $15 gas purchase and mileage. Since investigators made the effort to talk to all the gas attendants between Raleigh and Hillsville, but not beyond, some may view that as merely looking for confirmation of their theory (tunnel vision was alleged throughout the trial). In response to defense theory that it was impossible for Jason to drive as far as he did on the amount of gas that he purchased, the prosecution simply said that he could have purchased gas between Hillsville and Duffield ... but investigators didn't investigate.

Defense argued that Jason was lost on his way to his appointment, but others have suggested he was running late because of the murder. If he was at the hotel at 6:15 AM per the turned camera, and all he had to do was change, eat and be on his way, was he still on time for the appointment in terms of driving time, or was he already running late if he left the hotel at 6:45 or 7:15?

Even if the gas mileage argument is accepted by some on the jury, and even though there is no evidence connecting Jason to an accomplice, will jury members that do consider the gas mileage evidence as valid bundle it with the "accomplice" instruction and conclude guilty?

I think it will be bundled in and considered valid. I don't THINK that is actually enough to let him go. I could be wrong or could have missed a detail and just have the gist of it.

I think the accomplice instruction is the strongest argument and I think the jurors might lend weight to what Jason, ducking down in the passenger seat of a mini-van might look like. I think he could be woman-like at that time of morning.

As for the overall case, it's an Occam razor thing. I don't know what the motive is, but there is no evidence of any other person having any motive, so it defaults on him and his antics.

 

[gracielee]

Who the hell is playing with the camera? Back and forth, zoom in and out, knock it off already!

 

[fran]

Isn't that unusual for them to wait IN the courtoom?

During other verdict watches I've seen, I thought everyone went about, even in the lunchroom etc?

fran

 

[NCEast]

Thanks! No, it will be our second. However, we thought we were "one and done". :waitasec:

Congrats from me too! I wish I could have had a dozen. Your second one will be a huge blessing, just like the first!