The Sidebar - Harris Trial #3 *VERDICT - GUILTY*

[arkansasmimi]

While we all would like to hear from the jurors perspective. JMHO the best thing for them is to not speak to media. They will be torn to bits by both sides. What they say will be dissected, how they said it, what they did or didn't say...Just Pray for them. They did their job and don't owe anyone anything. I only say this because of watching it happen to other jurors from high profile cases. Brings too much attention to their families. 5 min of fame not worth it.. It is a civic duty. Unless something comes up that shouldn't have happened, we should let them go back to their families and lives. JMHO

 

[yupikgirl]

I just saw a screenshot on facebook. Leanna posted it as "public" on her facebook page. She has since deleted it, or changed it to "friends" only since the public can no longer view it.

Mystery solved. Thanks!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[NCTeacher]

You know she never does state that RH didn't do it......

Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk

Ironically, she keeps talking about how "it will never bring our children back" and "your opinion will never bring back my son," and "so called 'justice' will never bring back my son."

Didn't SHE say she would NOT bring back her son (if she could) at his FUNERAL?

smh

**Again, I think Leanna is innocent, but she is not intellectually consistent to say the least**

 

[RANCH]

I just saw a screenshot on facebook. Leanna posted it as "public" on her facebook page. She has since deleted it, or changed it to "friends" only since the public can no longer view it.

It's already on a MSM website. It's not going away.

 

[arkansasmimi]

If he took the stand the prosecution would have had a field day with him about the sexting with minors. No way for him to win over the jury with that. JMO

Agree.
Also wondering about the no more witnesses than they had. I really think the fact that Judge Staley would not allow Def to question Murphy had a big impact. I think there was multiple times this happened. If there had been a mistrial or even if for some reason there was a new trial, I doubt they would be able to find an unbiased jury. JMHO

 

[LyndyLoo]

DING, DING, DING! You're so right, in my opinion
And no blame to be cast, right? Nobody responsible for Cooper's death!
Almost as though this has been a huge inconvenience.

Actuallly I don't think she been able to accept that her husband could ever do such a thing..meanwhile internally Blames herself to a degree..So for her own self-serving reason has to continue with that denial in order for her move on!

Leanne is a rather unusual person..came across far to conciliatory towards her unfaithful, deviant husband,,but felt she had to defend him.. This will be her "Cross to Bear" for the rest of her life until she accepts, Ross and only Ross is responsible!

RIP Little Man~~~~ Cooper has had some justice served today..and his father will have to pay the punishment for his reckless and selfish agenda! What Ross will be facing is just the tip of the iceberg right now..It'll be the next many years in the system he will have to endure..never mind his "Final Judgement" !!

 

[arkansasmimi]

I just saw a screenshot on facebook. Leanna posted it as "public" on her facebook page. She has since deleted it, or changed it to "friends" only since the public can no longer view it.

Thanks do you have a link to the ss? TIA ** Eta just wanted to see if there was more to it than what was posted by WSB TV 2

 

[krkrjx]

I don't think defense attorneys care about their client's guilt or innocence . It's a comforting myth that a defense attorney only defends clients he or she believes to be innocent. Many believe in the system that all accused deserve a spirited and effective defense, but that doesn't mean they believe their client to be innocent.

I agree. Remember CA who got away with murder in Florida and at least one of her trial attorneys went on to insert himself in every single aspect of her life, legal and otherwise. And he knew she was guilty before and after the verdict--had even commented to her guilt before he became part of her defense team.

 

[MsMarple]

If he took the stand the prosecution would have had a field day with him about the sexting with minors. No way for him to win over the jury with that. JMO

But RANCH, this is what Ross' attorney said:

Kilgore said he’s never once believed his client was guilty.

“On a more personal level, I’ll tell you that from the moment we met Ross Harris, we’ve never once, ever, once wavered in our absolute belief that he’s not guilty of what he’s just been convicted of,” he said.

Kilgore says over the course of the case, every person he’s taken to speak with Harris believes the same thing.

“Each time I take a new person over to the jail, a new lawyer, an investigator, we walk out of the jail and inevitably they turn their head to me and say, ‘My God, he’s really not guilty,’ because he’s not,” Kilgore said.

If all those people came away believing Ross was innocent despite the sexting/texting why would Kilgore think the jury would not do the same? Those are very strong statements from Kilgore. And FWIW, my personal opinion of Ross' guilt came from other evidence, not the sexting; why would it be different for the members of the jury?

 

[arkansasmimi]

You know she never does state that RH didn't do it......

Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk

RH never said he didn't do it (as in left Cooper in the car). They both have stated RH> accident, and Leanna does not believe he did it on purpose, it was an accident is what I have heard her state.

 

[Boodles]

I hope the LE would arrest and prosecute someone for murder if they had evidence supporting that.

All we got from Stoddard was that he didn't have evidence showing probable cause to arrest Leanne. That translates to me that he had zero evidence.

If there was a plausible motive for Leanne to conspire with Ross to kill Cooper, I could consider a scenario where she was involved but LE couldn't find enough evidence to arrest her. JMO

They could have evidence, but if they don't feel it's enough to convict, they don't (usually) arrest. It doesn't mean they have zero evidence.

I don't know whether they do or don't (have evidence). We don't know what they know.

I'm not declaring her guilty of anything illegal. But I do think her behavior was and is bizarre and not consistent with what I'd expect from someone in her situation. It's hinky IMO.

 

[minor4th]

Kilgore's response after the verdict:

“When an innocent person is convicted, there’s been some breakdowns in the system, and that’s what happened here,” Kilgore said. “Over the next couple of months and years we’re gonna work towards getting to the bottom of some of those breakdowns. Obviously, we’re gonna be filing the necessary paperwork for a motion for a new trial and appeal.”

http://www.wsbtv.com/news/ross-harr...eady-beginning-paperwork-for-appeal/467213635

Good for him. There are questions that need to be answered and issues that need to be reviewed.

 

[Paige SC]

So where did Leanna post that on Facebook? Her personal FB post are not public. So she either posted it somewhere else, or she has a mole in her friends list. JMHO
Full context:

The ex-wife of the man accused in the hot car death of his young son spoke out on Facebook after his conviction on Monday.
A jury found Ross Harris guilty on all eight charges, including malice murder and felony murder, in the death of Cooper Harris. The 22-month-old was found dead in the back of his father's SUV in June 2014.

Harris' ex-wife, Leanna Taylor, reacted to the conviction on Facebook.

"For those of you who want to know if I am ok. The answer is no. I have not been "ok" since the moment I was told my son was dead. I have not been "ok" since the moment my life was put on this path that has led to Ross being found guilty of maliciously murdering our child. So now you may be saying "justice has been served." And you are allowed your right to that opinion. But guess what, you can convict every parent that this has ever happened to, and I can promise you 2 things...#1 it will never bring our children back and #2 it will not prevent this from happening in the future. Next summer, as this begins to happen over and over again, ask yourself, "what can be done?!" The problem is not the parent! The problem is a society that refuses to believe this can happen to them! Wake up! Accept it! And by accepting it you will be protecting your child! I don't care what your opinion is in my situation. I don't care what your opinion is of me! It does not matter! Your opinion will never bring back my son. So called "justice" will never bring back my son. Nothing will ever take that pain away. And nothing will ever feel worse than living with the knowledge that his pain and his death could have been prevented. Be the wise parent, and accept that this can happen. And you will never have to walk the path that my family has had to walk. And I pray YOU never have to walk this path."
http://www.11alive.com/mb/news/loca...of-you-who-want-to-know-if-i-am-ok/351894496#

Awfully emotional and a touch hostile for the woman who doesn't care if she ever again sees the man who ruined her life. And no, what her husband did doesn't happen "over and over" each year. Child car deaths actually rare, I think there's only been 16 cases this year (and that's VERY rare.)

I stand by my earlier thoughts on her. She was hoping for an acquittal with the belief they still had a future together. She's remains under the spell of a monster who brutally tortured and killed her only child.

Sick. They're both sick.

 

[NCTeacher]

I can screenshot the screenshot---I really don't know how to link a comment to a secret group on facebook.
Everything on the MSM site was exactly what was said in her post.

 

[minor4th]

I don't think defense attorneys care about their client's guilt or innocence . It's a comforting myth that a defense attorney only defends clients he or she believes to be innocent. Many believe in the system that all accused deserve a spirited and effective defense, but that doesn't mean they believe their client to be innocent.

None of that is true, if I understand you correctly.

Of course defense attorneys defend clients who are guilty - but they also represent clients they believe to be innocent or not guilty. I think these lawyers really believe Ross is not guilty of murder; it was an accident. That is why this is such a burden for them; that is why they are so invested and take it personally.

 

[arkansasmimi]

But RANCH, this is what Ross' attorney said:

Kilgore said he’s never once believed his client was guilty.

“On a more personal level, I’ll tell you that from the moment we met Ross Harris, we’ve never once, ever, once wavered in our absolute belief that he’s not guilty of what he’s just been convicted of,” he said.

Kilgore says over the course of the case, every person he’s taken to speak with Harris believes the same thing.

“Each time I take a new person over to the jail, a new lawyer, an investigator, we walk out of the jail and inevitably they turn their head to me and say, ‘My God, he’s really not guilty,’ because he’s not,” Kilgore said.

If all those people came away believing Ross was innocent despite the sexting/texting why would Kilgore think the jury would not do the same? Those are very strong statements from Kilgore. And FWIW, my personal opinion of Ross' guilt came from other evidence, not the sexting; why would it be different for the members of the jury?

If they hadn't had the sexting I not sure if they could have gotten a guilty. Everything else they had was disproved (what they had with their SW statements). JMHO

 

[pocketaccent]

I think you're right. Or close. I think he saw too many things in the case that started to bother him. He has a reputation to uphold. A stellar one. No reason to taint it on a questionable case.





I think his attorneys were convinced of his innocence.



The things that convinced me the most:
1. The size of the car and the proximity of the seat.
2. Forgetting so quickly despite intense interaction with his son less than a minute before.
3. His knowledge of hot car deaths and the look back campaign, right before Cooper dies.
4. The interrogation tapes.
5. The weird way he placed the lightbulbs in his car at lunch.

After they re-watched the tapes, he was sunk. They made me feel doubt was o longer reasonable. But the verdict still surprised me.

BBM
According to one twitter, jurors were paying special attention to this portion when they were rewatching the interrogation video.

RH: "I knew that I had done what every parent in their life fears they have done and that's just leave their son in a car all day."

-'Just leave their son in a car all day'....
That's what RH intended to do and followed through. The word 'just' makes this statement so incriminating.
-Not half-day, not many hours. But he said 'all day'.
-Not forget. But 'leave their son'.

The whole statement sounds weird.

 

[ReadyorNot]

I will say this, I do not think LH is grieving like most parents would, nor acting like most parents would which does leave one wondering.

It is entirely possible her grieving has not even begun yet. Self preservation may have been the superseding emotion until now.

 

[minor4th]

The 5th amendment prevents the state from compelling you to testify to things that will incriminate YOU. It does not prevent you from being compelled to testify to things that incriminate others (and I believe that Georgia does not recognize spousal privilege in the death of a child.) So, as long as she was not testifying about things that would give the state grounds to charge her, she had no right to invoke the 5th. I personally think the risk she took was in testifying for the defense if she was in any way guilty of Cooper's death. I don't personally believe that she was, though I find her readiness to 'stand by her man' even in the face of all the evidence that he deliberately left Cooper to die pretty repugnant.

I'm well aware of the protections afforded by the 5th amendment. Leanna was under suspicion, at least at one point. She would have absolutely had the right to refuse to testify about Cooper's death and everything leading up to it if she had chosen to assert that right.

 

[ScotAng]

Kilgore video to Media... http://www.wsbtv.com/news/ross-harr...eady-beginning-paperwork-for-appeal/467213635
GLYNN COUNTY, Ga. - Ross Harris’ lead defense attorney, Maddox Kilgore, said despite the jury’s verdict, he knows his client is not guilty and plans to file an appeal.

Kilgore was extremely emotional as he spoke to reporters outside the courthouse Monday evening.

Kilgore said he’s never once believed his client was guilty.

“On a more personal level, I’ll tell you that from the moment we met Ross Harris, we’ve never once, ever, once wavered in our absolute belief that he’s not guilty of what he’s just been convicted of,” he said.

Kilgore says over the course of the case, every person he’s taken to speak with Harris believes the same thing.

“Each time I take a new person over to the jail, a new lawyer, an investigator, we walk out of the jail and inevitably they turn their head to me and say, ‘My God, he’s really not guilty,’ because he’s not,” Kilgore said.

http://www.wsbtv.com/news/ross-harr...eady-beginning-paperwork-for-appeal/467213635

<rsbm> bbm Did he say that with a straight face?

After building a defence based on LE rushing to judgement innot believing Harris on first encountering him?

Kilgore appeared genuinely upset. Though I lean more to him playing to the gallery - if he and 'every new person that met Harris' do believe him innocent - just who is fooling who here?