CA - Joey, Summer, Gianni, Joseph Jr McStay Murders - Feb 4th 2010 #11

[Texas Red]

No, it is not. Are you seriously saying that once a witness list is submitted, there can be no changes?

There can be changes it's not necessary to call every witness on the list to the stand. But one of the main purposes of providing a list is so your adversary has a chance to vet and depose your potential witnesses. How do you expect that to happen when you don't provide an accurate witness list?

 

[smr]

If Chase murdered the family, why did he alert Joey's brother and insist that he go and check on the family before anyone else raises the alarm? Even the brother wasn't the least concerned and said they may be taking a vacation.

 

[mothwings]

I believe the last two months the prosecution definitely provided a prima facie—a sufficient case for a conviction. If the evidence against Charles Merritt isn't sufficient for a conviction, then most of the trials in this country wouldn't have enough evidence sufficient for a conviction. Seriously, think of all the cases being tried where the evidence isn't as good as this. No-body cases for example, no weapon cases, no eye-witness cases, no ear-witness cases.

I've also thought that people who don't find the evidence against Charles Merritt prima facie, then they must be expecting a 1080p video of Charles bashing each one of the McStay's heads in or a trustworthy eye-witness to the murders who has never told a lie. I rarely see any trials with that kind of direct evidence. Most trials in this country are based on circumstantial evidence—part of the law. The prosecution doesn't have to prove Charles guilty for absolute certainty. The jurors can have some doubt.

Definitely a prima facie case, IMO.

Those who are not guilty swayed, please weigh-in. What kind of evidence would you have wanted to see to be able to convict Charles Merritt?

 

[asyousay]

If Chase murdered the family, why did he alert Joey's brother and insist that he go and check on the family before anyone else raises the alarm? Even the brother wasn't the least concerned and said they may be taking a vacation.

Instead of alerting the family within days he waited awhile until he had cleaned up and buried the family.

Chase was in contact 24/7 with Joey so the alarm bells should of rung a lot sooner than they did. So he isn’t some innocent victim here who went straight away to the family and rung the alarm bell.

 

[katydid23]

There can be changes it's not necessary to call every witness on the list to the stand. But one of the main purposes of providing a list is so your adversary has a chance to vet and depose your potential witnesses. How do you expect that to happen when you don't provide an accurate witness list?

You are ignoring the context here. They added a Faro scan and the witness they put up was criticized heavily by the defense, who argued that he was not qualified.

So because they wanted to keep the Faro scan in the evidence submission , they chose a new witness to testify about it. There is noting unethical or illegal about doing so.

Are you going to say the same thing if the defense changes any of their witnesses?

 

[Force Ten]

Yeah, CM has an uncanny ability of turning everything he touches into mucky sticky mud!

Imo

For some, Chase Merritt can turn water into wine. Imagine that.

 

[MrsPC]

Love it right now...the Judge laying out all the reasons why he isn't going to dismiss the case against Merritt.. Step by step going thru all the evidence against him...priceless!

 

[katydid23]

If Chase murdered the family, why did he alert Joey's brother and insist that he go and check on the family before anyone else raises the alarm? Even the brother wasn't the least concerned and said they may be taking a vacation.

I have seen a lot of cases where the actual killer alerted a family member to go and 'check' on the victim. It is quite common.

 

[Meemaw12]

I had thought after reading so much on here that the DA had no evidence, was presenting a shoddy case, maybe the Def would just not present a case. Just rest and let the jury have it.

But WOW after listening to almost an hour of the Judge give his reasoning for no directed verdict as requested by the Defense. The Defense better bring a wheelbarrow full of mud to throw at their case.

IMO not looking good.

JMO

 

[smr]

Instead of alerting the family within days he waited awhile until he had cleaned up and buried the family.

Since the above quote assumes Chase did commit the murders: then Joey's brother and mother must have been his accomplice helping buying time for him by keeping delaying visiting the house and doing clean up before police arrived.

Double standard shouldn't be applied.

 

[katydid23]

There can be changes it's not necessary to call every witness on the list to the stand. But one of the main purposes of providing a list is so your adversary has a chance to vet and depose your potential witnesses. How do you expect that to happen when you don't provide an accurate witness list?

Also, this witness is doing the same essential thing as the witness they switched out. He is going to discuss the Faro scan. so the ability to depose and research the witness is very similar and would not need to be totally redone.

 

[Force Ten]

If he was really guilty there wouldn't be no need for crazy speculation attempting to make things fit. The evidence would clear after all CM is not exactly a master criminal.

On the contrary, he was a master manipulative criminal. He just stepped up his MO and got caught.

 

[citygirl]

This judge is so prepared for this! He did his homework.

 

[Texas Red]

It's a blur, it's too long....

Why is everything put forward by the prosecution need to be a conspiracy or misinterpretation? It is what it is, a tailpipe, on the passenger side.

Well, the big blue arrow pointing to a string of black pixels from a frame of the video compared to a photo directly beside it of CM's truck with a duplicate big blue arrow pointing to its tailpipe clued me into figuring that must be the tailpipe being referenced. Of course this also subliminally effects the jury, but that the whole purpose isn't it?

 

[katydid23]

This judge is so prepared for this! He did his homework.

That's what court clerks and law interns are for. lol

 

[Recidivist]

Since the above quote assumes Chase did commit the murders: then Joey's brother and mother must have been his accomplice helping buying time for him by keeping delaying visiting the house and doing clean up before police arrived.

Double standard shouldn't be applied.

How can you say that about a mother and grandmother of the two babies who were murdered? It's really disgusting, imo.

 

[Texas Red]

On the contrary, he was a master manipulative criminal. He just stepped up his MO and got caught.

IMO, is past record is indicative of a rather sloppy criminal.

 

[asyousay]

Since the above quote assumes Chase did commit the murders: then Joey's brother and mother must have been his accomplice helping buying time for him by keeping delaying visiting the house and doing clean up before police arrived.

Double standard shouldn't be applied.

Of course I’m assuming he is guilty as he is on trial here

I don’t like Susan or Mike but it’s not double standards in the slightest as Chase worked with Joey and was on the phone to him 24/7.

Show me evidence that Susan and Mike McStay were on the phone to Joey 24/7 please to back up what you are claiming that they should of known?.

Mike was lazy in getting over to the house ( see I don’t need to lie) but he wasn’t in close contact like Chase was with Joey.

 

[Meemaw12]

I w

This judge is so prepared for this! He did his homework.

Sure did, dotted all the I’s and crossed all the T’s.

IMO

 

[citygirl]

Speculating here. Just my observation. Chase looks crestfallen, MOO.