Thank you for that. I agree.
FWIW, I just FINISHED the Horn closing listen again experience/nightmare. Yippee!!!!!!
I learned a bit about FD and this case over the years since JF went missing and even so, following what Horn did in his closing to make things as confusing as possible imo makes this super hard for the jurors who just heard a very linear and clear presentation from Atty Manning and the dramatic rebuttal from Atty McGinnis and 6 weeks of presentation.
If I get the energy and time I will fact check his statements as its interesting how he skates with his language and presented very little of anything in terms of evidence based rebuttal imo. He expects jurors to believe MT about the thunderstorm and sleeping with her daughter, the handwritten phone logs, Petu who alibied MT and claimed she was innocent, the multiple alibi scripts, the 8 hrs of talking alot about unimportant things and not alot about important things as I believe Det Kimball observed and the words of attorneys or as Horn calls them "the legal experts" who we know shouldn't be believed.
I leave the legal analysis to
@lucegirl and lawyers as I'm just a layperson trying to follow along. But, imo the Horn Closing might have been a bit tough to follow by design and I think most folks want to understand what was said and why. It just takes time as they are sitting looking at potentially charging someone whose defence so far as I can see it is, "I DIDN'T KNOW'. The McGuiness answer to "I DIDN'T Know" was to identify the 'Conincidences" but as we know here, analysing all those coincidences took up many many threads!
These folks spent 6 weeks and are staring at a room of boxes and an easel and we've been here for what, 5 years?
They also have 6 different charges to look at and jury instructions that are 50 pages long. Conspiracy also is a topic that most don't have familiarity with as typically when you watch the news, or a TV show or a movie the charge is Murder. People understand murder in its different variations but I can't think of the last time I read about a criminal conspiracy case.
Maybe they will see things more clearly than we did here and so come back quickly? IDK.
But there is alot going on Just think about the Car parade and the surveillance and how even after watching it once its not easy to figure out what is going on. Layer on the 8 hrs of MT lying and eeeeerrrrr and eemmmmm ing and honestly its an overwhelming mountain of evidence.
Easel person I think probably has the right idea (although I usually don't support the easel person irl) to try and organise and focus and figure out how to attack the task they have been given to resolve. I hope they don't get lost in the weeds and I say that as someone who has spent way too much time in the weeds on this tragic case! But seeing them come out today to seek Judge clarification on two important points I thought was encouraging. It could have been done to break a log jam, but I think it could have been an effective way forward too as it could have been done to avoid arguing and posturing. Hopefully the group figured it out and moved forward.
The other thing is that the top Conspiracy charge has a very significant sentence and if any combo of the other charges are found to be applicable for the jury then the time in prison stacks up quickly imo. I think anyone looking at what MT is looking at in terms of prison time deserves some thoughtful deliberation and its only been a few days at this point.
Just takes time. You never know, they could surprise everyone and come together quickly? We just don't know and so maybe tomorrow we think about KM or something else to ride the wave of this uncertain period of the trial.
Other news: IDK if anyone followed the murder case (class a felony) involving Qinxuan Pan at Yale. Today he plead guilty to murder of a Yale grad student and it was just announced by the States Atty Office in CT. When charged he could face up to 35 years in prison. Curious to see a plea on a murder case in CT. MT (class b felony) could have either taken a deal earlier in the process imo or plead out. She did neither. My guess is unless she is acquitted that her sentencing might coincide with that of Qinxuan Pan so I'm curious how their sentences compare. My guess is that MT might just wish that she took an early plea offer. But, we shall have wait and see.
MOO
