The jury has it:
ETA: same link as above but the story has been updated.
“Defendants in Arbery case can’t use self-defense” –
Wait – Did the prosecutor say that, or did the judge say that? We’d expect the prosecutor to say that, of course. But IIRC I saw a headline somewhere that the judge said that too. Is that true?
That is not true. The judge did not say that It’s up to the jury to decide if it was self defense.
In the Rittenhouse trial I was convinced there would be no split verdict. I felt how the jury decided for the Rosenbaum count would be how they found for all the other counts. In this case I think it might be different. The jury may say guilty to the one who pulled the trigger but not guilty to the other two.
I did not follow this trial as closely as the other one but it appears to me the prosecutor did a much better job with this case.
Can you clarify that? So the judge did NOT say it’s up to the jury to decide if it was self defense? But did he SAY to the jury that they may not consider self defense?
Loach was missing a period. It should be:
The judge did not say that. It’s up to the jury to decide if it was self defense.
Right. He did not say they could not use self defense. This comes from the following article about the jury instructions.
Self-defense cannot be used as a defense if the person is the aggressor in a confrontation and excessive force cannot be used in self-defense, the judge said.
That might be where the confusion (or clickbait) came from. Whether it was self defense and if reasonable level of force was used is what the jury is to decide.
Here’s the judge’s definition of citizen’s arrest:
That “Explainer” article also points out that both the self-defense claim (as in the Rittenhouse case), and the citizen’s arrest claim, place the burden on the prosecutor to prove otherwise.
Verdicts are in. Awaiting Judge’s reading of them …
There must not have been much debate.
Travis McMichael: guilty on all counts.
Gregory McMichael: guilty - eight of nine counts.
William “Roddie” Bryan: guilty - six of nine counts.
I sure hope the DA who used her influence to prevent an arrest, investigation, and trial sees a courtroom too. Public outrage and videotape is what made a trial possible.
Thank God!
I’m watching the NBC News live feed.
i was a bit concerned when they asked for video and 911 call, that it would go over the thanksgiving holiday.
it appeared that the requests cleared things up for the jury.
well done jury.
It appears that Jogging While Black – even with a Long Dirty Toenails Enhancement – isn’t enough reason to murder somebody.
Even in Dixie.
Good. I was not aware that Travis McMichael (the one who actually fired the fatal shot) also faces federal hate crime charges, and will be tried in February. From CNN:
He has also been indicted on three separate federal hate crime charges, which include interference with rights, attempted kidnapping and using, carrying, brandishing, and discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.
ETA: I see now that all three defendants also face federal hate crime charges.
At best, it means that Jogging While Black isn’t always enough reason to murder somebody.