MS - Jessica Chambers, 19, Panola County, Dec 2014 #3 *MISTRIAL*

[Spellbound]

This will be re-tried, most likely next summer. Attorneys discuss their strategies for next trial — not much will change, apparently.
http://www.clarionledger.com/story/...next-jessica-chambers-murder-trial/772747001/

 

[Openminded]

Obviously, nothing the State presents can or will make a difference if just one juror decides to ignore the evidence. That's always the risk in any trial. And there's nothing they can do about it but try the case.

My guess is this case will be tried more than just a second time.

 

[DeDee]

<>
Speaking for myself, I think questioning the educational background of a group of 12 people who could do what this jury did is not unreasonable. They may all be good people, honest and kind. They may all be well-intentioned. But having been told explicitly multiple times that the decision had to be unanimous, for the entire jury to sit there silently when the foreman made the same mistake a second time (he not once but twice said that their "verdict" was unanimous when it was not) is so incredibly odd to me that I wonder what else beyond a lack of a basic education can explain it. This need not be considered an insult; very few kids control what schools they go to, and some schools are much worse than others. Some people with little education become wildly successful and admired. But this is true: some people are not well educated.
<>
There are various possibilities, but consider this one: at least one member of the jury understood what it means to have a unanimous verdict and at least one member of the jury, including the foreman, did not. If this was the case, then the jury couldn&#8217;t even hold discussions fruitful enough for the entire panel to agree on the correct rule governing what constitutes a valid verdict.

Another possibility is that the jury instructions only explicitly said that the verdict must be unanimous for a guilty verdict and the jurors concluded, quite erroneously, that no unanimity was required for a not guilty verdict. If that is what they thought, this does clearly point to a gap in education, since a basic understanding of civics and history would mean that a person would know about the unanimity requirement for a not guilty verdict. Even setting that aside, after the jury was specifically told that a verdict (not merely a guilty verdict) had to be unanimous, they were unable to understand this simple point and 20 minutes later tried a second time to offer a non-unanimous finding of not guilty. If this is how they applied themselves to something so simple, I am in agreement with those who have said that it is hard to believe that they could understand some of the complex evidence in the case and analyze what it meant.
<>Politely snipped for focus

Great post, Orange Tabby.

Education intrigued me enough to spur a basic search. Now, I am sadder than sad.

This post is only for Panola Co. where the crime was committed and Pike Co is where the jury pool was drawn. The full chart truly draws a distinction that more funding does not equal better education or better educated students, jmho.

SCHOOL DISTRICT SPENDING PER STUDENT
Wondering what each school district spends per student in Mississippi? It varies from around $7,000 to over $18,000 but there is one consistent theme: there is no correlation between what a district is spending and how highly a district is rated.

School District - Per Pupil Expenditures - District Rating

North Panola $10737.73 D
North Pike $7334.06 B

http://empowerms.org/school-district-spending-per-student/

* All data is from the Mississippi Department of Education. Per-pupil spending is from the 2012-2013 school year, the most recent data available, and accountability ratings are from 2014.

 

[cubbeegirl]

Sometimes jurors vote based on how they feel about the case and not necessarily what the evidence says.

Once again not following instructions to not vote upon emotions .

 

[onthecounter]

The state also pointed out, simply and clearly, and more than a couple times, how QT heard about the JC car fire while at M&Ms, had no reaction whatsoever (seen on video), left M&Ms, looked back toward M&Ms over his shoulder, then walked home and deleted every txt and call from/to JC from his cell phone.

This of course was right after his 3rd clothing change of the day, his most recent immediately following the car fire.

Nope, just a mere coincidence.

Thank you for all your contributions to this thread. I'm perplexed as to how he was not found guilty when the circumstantial evidence alone is so strong as to preclude any other suspects.

 

[Openminded]

Once again not following instructions to not vote upon emotions .

Jurors often don't follow instructions. Especially when they feel they're right and the State's wrong.

 

[Openminded]

I grew up in Mississippi. It is consistently ranked near the bottom (or at the bottom) in many categories -- not the least of which is education.

 

[rbarber17]

Thankyou Dear Clouseau for that snooze err I mean enlightening dissertation. I am going to throughly study ummmm and get back with you yeah I will contact you on your data points. I am sure this will led us to further enlightenment on the subject and Ummm thanks

Pulling your leg there my dear Inspector.:wink:

<SNIP><SNIP>

CNN has pulled their special that aired Sunday night and it cannot be viewed 'on demand'. Between the version on Sunday night and the reworked version I watched on the Tuesday rerun I noticed several 'key facts or discussion of missing pieces of the puzzle' were edited out. Very odd at least to me because they were key to the facts.Some poster asked and I looked into it and it is no longer available.
:cow:

Mizstery,

Merci for zee leg pulling, Madame. I, too, was being somewhat... how do you Americans say, cheek-in-tongue, at the beginning and end of my technical exposition? To summarize for the sane people who very wisely chose not to wade through all of it, if the local or federal LE had a Stinger on scene at the time, one wonders if it would have been brought out during the trial because: (1) there would be a non-disclosure agreement with the manufacturer to overcome; (2) the DOJ not long after the murder quickly issued guidelines on the allowed use of such devices to avoid 4th Amendment issues (guidelines NOT in effect at the time of the murder); and (3) no doubt undercover narcotics investigations are still on-going in such a drug and gang infested county, not that far from larger metro areas like Memphis and Jackson. It might have still been used to guide the investigation, just not used as evidence. JMO

As for the CNN debacle, not sure which is worse: fake news or stifled news. The three versions you mentioned (full, lite, none) over a matter of days certainly cry out for an explanation from CNN, particularly in light of the important differences you noted between the first two. Mrs. Clouseau and I were out of town the evening of the first broadcast, and rushed back from dinner to the hotel to see it, since we do not have cable at home. But alas, the Saturday night broadcast was preempted and we had to leave the next day. Sacrebleu!

Regards,
Inspector Clouseau

 

[turaj]

The elephant in the room was the underlying racial divide, that reared it's ugly head in this trial. We saw that in the weird incident with the reporter and the claim that the judge handed out a cotton plant as a decoration, and the judge denied and it caused a brouhaha.[ see LaNewz site video]

The defendant and his defense team, and his family and supporters on one side. The victim, her family, the investigators and the DA and the police witnesses were on the other side. And I think the jury was half and half as well.

I worry that it will be a hung jury again unless the state can do something to try and bridge that divide. On twitter, the defenders of Tellis seem to be saying that he was just a target of these corrupt police and the fight for justice is a noble one because he was unfairly targeted.

I am not sure how the prosecution can battle that belief in the next trial though. :judge:

Good comments..."hung jury again unless the state can do something to try and bridge that divide"....I think we can agree not going to happen ...people have been trying for how many years? And the nation's climate right now could not be any worse for change on this front.

 

[SteveP]

Good comments..."hung jury again unless the state can do something to try and bridge that divide"....I think we can agree not going to happen ...people have been trying for how many years? And the nation's climate right now could not be any worse for change on this front.

This is basically what I was not saying when I said I wasn't going into reasons, but I don't see any random group of 12 people selected from that area returning a unanimous verdict. I honestly do not get how the decision came as a shock to anyone. I was so certain there would be a hung jury that I almost would have been as shocked with a conviction as I would have an acquittal. People can only truly see through their own eyes, but I try to remind myself that not everyone has had the same life experiences that I have been blessed with, and their vision of fairness and trust may differ from mine. I tend to trust LE, but I have never had reason not to. I tend to believe forensic evidence, but if it is not able to be understood, it is easier to think perhaps someone is hoodwinking you. And despite any hope to the contrary, the fact that so many responders that night claimed she said Eric did it, that isn't going away, The defense will not allow it to. I don't see any retrial using only the same evidence having a different outcome, honestly. I just don't. JMO

 

[Madeleine74]

It's sad because (IMO) JC wasn't murdered because she was white. Her murder had to do with whatever disagreement or fight or whatever was taking place in her car with QT. And it's doubly sad the guy she was with in her last hours won't be judged for his actions, which are tracked through video and cell phone pings, and also has nothing to do with the color of his skin.

 

[cubbeegirl]

Jurors often don't follow instructions. Especially when they feel they're right and the State's wrong.

After 30 years of watching trials I realize this...doesn't make it right

 

[ORNurse]

Good Morning, I watched the entire trial. Have had a very busy week since. I am going back and reading all the posts during the verdict fiasco. I am as nervous as I was during the live broadcast.

 

[Crosby87]

You are entitled to your opinion, however mine is different.

When Jessica was asked who did this to her and what happened, I believe beyond a shadow of a doubt that she said &#8220;CAR WRECK&#8221;, not Derrick or Eric so unfortunately, the EMR's misunderstood what Jessica said. This is why Jessica was not able to provide a last name for Eric or Derrick - she said "CAR WRECK".

In the timeline provided by the Clarion-Ledger, Jessica and Quinton drove circles on the backroads in Jessica's car from 10:15 - 10:47 am the day her car caught on fire.
According to Wikipedia, performing the doughnut maneuver can be hazardous. Strain is placed on the vehicle's suspension and drivetrain which may result in mechanical breakdown with loss of control. Tires are subject to severe wear which may result in a sudden loss of pressure or blowout. How long had Jessica been making doughnuts in her car? The way her vehicle was found looks like she lost control of her vehicle.

Was Jessica's vehicle thoroughly inspected and cleared of any mechanical problem that could cause an explosion?
After seeing the text messages between Jessica and Quinton, there clearly is no animosity between them; they were friends. He had no reason to harm Jessica.

Quinton lied and erased his text messages to and from Jessica because he was scared and confused, not because he is guilty..

Jessica was not murdered therefore Quinton is not guilty.

 

[EllaMae]

You are entitled to your opinion, however mine is different.

When Jessica was asked who did this to her and what happened, I believe beyond a shadow of a doubt that she said &#8220;CAR WRECK&#8221;, not Derrick or Eric so unfortunately, the EMR's misunderstood what Jessica said. This is why Jessica was not able to provide a last name for Eric or Derrick - she said "CAR WRECK".

In the timeline provided by the Clarion-Ledger, Jessica and Quinton drove circles on the backroads in Jessica's car from 10:15 - 10:47 am the day her car caught on fire.
According to Wikipedia, performing the doughnut maneuver can be hazardous. Strain is placed on the vehicle's suspension and drivetrain which may result in mechanical breakdown with loss of control. Tires are subject to severe wear which may result in a sudden loss of pressure or blowout. How long had Jessica been making doughnuts in her car? The way her vehicle was found looks like she lost control of her vehicle.

Was Jessica's vehicle thoroughly inspected and cleared of any mechanical problem that could cause an explosion?
After seeing the text messages between Jessica and Quinton, there clearly is no animosity between them; they were friends. He had no reason to harm Jessica.

Quinton lied and erased his text messages to and from Jessica because he was scared and confused, not because he is guilty..

Jessica was not murdered therefore Quinton is not guilty.

There is zero evidence to support a car wreck. Zero. The damage done to the back end of Jessica's car was caused by LE when they had to force open the trunk in the days AFTER the fire. The fire was started by an accelerant and Jessica was doused in it also IIRC. Her car was not moving at a great rate of speed and there were no signs of a car accident at all. That was ruled out almost immediately.

 

[Madeleine74]

Jessica was not murdered therefore Quinton is not guilty.

That's false.

 

[Vedder]

In the timeline provided by the Clarion-Ledger, Jessica and Quinton drove circles on the backroads in Jessica's car from 10:15 - 10:47 am the day her car caught on fire.
According to Wikipedia, performing the doughnut maneuver can be hazardous. Strain is placed on the vehicle's suspension and drivetrain which may result in mechanical breakdown with loss of control. Tires are subject to severe wear which may result in a sudden loss of pressure or blowout. How long had Jessica been making doughnuts in her car? The way her vehicle was found looks like she lost control of her vehicle.

RSBM

Driving around in circles doesn't mean literally driving in circles (aka donuts). It means driving around, not going to any place in particular and not parking in any one spot. Just driving around town.

 

[terpstra1]

When Jessica was asked who did this to her and what happened, I believe beyond a shadow of a doubt that she said “CAR WRECK”

I always thought "A wreck" jmo

Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk

 

[Openminded]

After 30 years of watching trials I realize this...doesn't make it right

Who said it did -- it's just reality.

 

[Bravo]

SteveP-when trial was on and I was reading your posts I "got" what u were saying. I was hoping it wasn't true due to such a horrific crime. Apparently issue is still alive and well. Sadly.