WebProNews

Tag: murder trial

  • Marcia Clark Discusses The Race Factor In The O.J. Simpson Trial

    All eyes have been on Marcia Clark ever since FX premiered its highly-anticipated mini-series, American Horror Story: The People v. O.J. Simpson. The 62-year-old former lead prosecutor in the controversial 1995 murder case has appeared on several TV shows and shared her thoughts on the hit show that relived a lot of painful memories for her.

    Marcia Clark Was Not Too Keen About the O.J. Trial Mini-Series

    In a previous interview with Vogue, just a week before the series premiered, Clark expressed her apprehensions about the show. Remembering the excruciating moments during the course of her trial was not something she looked forward to, and she revealed wishing that the show would eventually fall through.

    “When I first heard they were going to do this, I kept praying that somehow, something would go wrong,” said Marcia Clark. “It’s not entertainment for me. It’s a tragedy.”

    The O.J. Simpson trial, which lasted almost a year, took place during a time when racial tension was at an all-time high. A year before the trial began, Los Angeles police officers accused of savagely beating African-American motorist Rodney King was acquitted, and many Americans were outraged.

    In another interview with Slate, Marcia Clark confirmed that race and gender issues made it virtually impossible for prosecution to convict O.J. Simpson for the murders of his wife, Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend, Ronald Goldman.

    “The racial divide was absolutely crystal clear, and African-American women in particular [were] no fans of mine,” revealed Clark. “The question was what do I do? How do I reach them? And no one had an answer for that…The trial was so out of control, and became so awash in racial epithets and racial slurs, that I think it became impossible to believe anything beyond a reasonable doubt…”

    Aside from race issues, Marcia Clark also had to contend with gender-oriented criticism, mostly centered on her looks, the way she dressed, as well as her domestic affairs.

    Nevertheless, the lawyer-turned-novelist praised the show, especially the layered portrayal of her by actress Sarah Paulson.

  • Kim Goldman Not Happy With New O.J. Simpson TV Series, Says Her Brother Ron Was A Hero

    Kim Goldman Not Happy With New O.J. Simpson TV Series, Says Her Brother Ron Was A Hero

    Kim Goldman, whose brother Ron Goldman was brutally stabbed to death alongside Nicole Brown Simpson more than 20 years ago, is not one of the many people raving about FX mini-series American Crime Story: The People v. O.J. Simpson.

    The series, which premiered its first season on Tuesday, revisits the so-called “trial of the century,” which put former Buffalo Bill O.J. Simpson as the prime suspect of the dual murders. The first episode garnered the highest ratings of any FX show, and while audiences are fascinated by the events of the controversial trial, Kim Goldman says that it has brought back a lot of painful memories to her family.

    In an appearance on TODAY on Wednesday, Kim Goldman expressed her disappointment over the show’s lack of acknowledgment for her brother’s bravery and loyalty.

    “What I think is unfortunately going to get lost in this is that my brother was doing a good deed. (He) walked in on what we believe was a horrific crime and he didn’t run,” said a tearful Goldman.

    “They don’t show that in this and that really sucks. My brother could’ve run and saved his own life and he stayed to help his friend. I want people to remember my brother was a hero.”

    The sole portrayal of Ron Goldman in the episode is seen in the opening scene, in which a neighbor of Nicole’s discovers the two dead bodies.  The series consists of ten episodes, so it remains to be seen whether Ron’s story will be given any airtime in the succeeding nine.

    Ron Goldman was 25 years old at the time of his murder. He had been working as a waiter at the trendy Italian restaurant Mezzaluna Trattoria, which Nicole Brown Simpson and her friends frequented. Ron had stopped by Nicole’s condo to drop off her mother’s eyeglasses when he was suddenly attacked and stabbed to death just outside the front gate.

    Kim Goldman is not Happy with the New O.J. Docu-Series

    “I’m forced now to have to endure this week after week,” said Kim Goldman about the harrowing experience of seeing people talking about the case.

    O.J. Simpson was infamously acquitted of the murder charges, although he was later found liable for wrongful death and battery against Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman.

  • Shayanna Jenkins: Will She Testify Against Fiancé Aaron Hernandez? Faces Contempt Of Court

    Shayanna Jenkins remains a dedicated fiancee to accused murderer, former New England Patriot star Aaron Hernandez.

    Prosecutors have incessantly pointed to the possibility of Jenkins’ involvement in hiding incriminating evidences against Hernandez. They have repeatedly stated that “there has been a history” of Hernandez using Jenkins to conceal personal effects that might further incriminate him.

    Further evidence expose jailhouse phone calls between Hernandez and Jenkins. Transcripts of the telephone conversations included Hernandez asking about the location of his clothes to which Jenkins replied that she “thought about moving” Hernandez’s shoes but left them instead. “I mean, you’ve only been gone for, what, six months? . . . You act like you’re gonna be gone for like 20 years,’’ she said.

    The conversation also exposed Hernandez asking Jenkins to do errands for him, including sending money to his cousin, Tanya Singleton. Singleton has been arrested for refusing to testify before the grand jury investigating Lloyd’s death.

    McCauley added that the couple shared “cryptic” messages about trying to destroy the surveillance system in Hernandez’s home. Further evidences showed that Jenkins has also intentionally thrown out a lockbox which may have held the murder weapon.

    Hernandez has even told an inmate that her girlfriend “does what I want her to do,” stated McCauley.

    But will Jenkins remain loyal to her fiancé now that Kasey Arma took the witness stand against the accused?

    Arma claimed that Hernandez hit on her at a Boston night club, two days before Llyod’s murder. Video footage from the club shows Arma and Hernandez dancing provocatively. Arma also said that Hernandez invited her to a nearby hotel later that night.

    Arma is the second woman to testify that Hernandez has not been loyal to Jenkins. Jennifer Fortier also claimed to have been taken by Hernandez to an apartment for a bit of “cozy time”.

    Jenkins has been given immunity were she to testify against Hernandez. The immunity will clear her of perjury charges and of anything that she may reveal on the stand.

    Jenkins will be compelled to testify and seal Hernandez’s fate. Otherwise, she will face contempt of court charges and will be put to jail.

  • Shrien Dewani Murder Case Dismissed

    Shrien Dewani, the British millionaire accused of arranging the murder of his wife during their honeymoon, was cleared of all charges today by a South African judge. According to a BBC News report, Judge Jeanette Traverso threw out the case when it became clear prosecutors did not have enough evidence to convict Dewani.

    Dewani, a businessman who was raised in Bristol, married Anni Hindocha in Mumbai, India on October 29, 2010. The couple left for their honeymoon soon after, landing in Cape Town on November 7. Days later the couple’s taxi was hijacked by two armed men in Gugulethu, a township just outside of Cape Town. Shrien claims that he was thrown out of the taxi and then contacted police. Anni Dewani was later found in the abandoned taxi, robbed and shot to death.

    Later in November 2010 the two hijackers and the taxi driver were arrested in connection with the crime. Police then arrested a fourth suspect,revealed that they believe the hijacking and murder were planned, and requested that Dewani return to South Africa. The taxi driver, Zola Tongo, testified under a plea bargain that Dewani had paid him to arrange Anni’s murder.

    Following a prolonged extradition battle Dewani was extradited to South Africa in April of this year. This morning he was cleared of five charges including conspiracy to commit kidnapping, robbery, and murder.

    According to the BBC report, the prosecution’s case rested on the salacious story that Dewani is bisexual and often hired male prostitutes. The prosecution claimed that Dewani had planned his wife’s murder to escape an unhappy marriage.

    Judge Traverso also took issue with the prosecution’s key witness, Tongo, saying that his testimony was “riddled with contradictions.”

    Anni Dewani’s family, many of whom who attended the trial, told the BBC that they were disappointed in the ruling. During the extradition process they had supported Dewani’s extradition and had repeatedly said their motive was to find out what happened to Anni.

  • Julie Schenecker Murder Trial Starts Jury Selection

    The jury selection phase of the murder trial of Julie Schenecker began Monday in Tampa, and is expected to take several days, as the prosecution and defense assess over 100 potential jurors. Schenecker, of New Tampa, Florida is accused of killing her two teenage children in 2011.

    The Schenecker double homicide occurred on January 28, 2011, when Calyx and Beau Schenecker were found dead in their Tampa home by police. Julie Powers Schenecker was arrested on suspicion of their murder after an alleged confession. At the scene of the crime, the teens were found with gunshot wounds to their heads and covered in blankets, and Schenecker herself was found covered in blood on the back porch of the house.

    Schenecker had initally admitted to police that she shot her children because they “talked back and were mouthy,” and proceeded to describe the murders in detail. Police arrested Schenecker at the scene.

    Prosecutors were initially seeking the death penalty in the case, though now the trial will decide if Schenecker, 53, will spend her life behind bars or be admitted to a psychiatric hospital. Schenecker had been diagnosed with biopolar disorder, and suffers from extreme clinical depression. Circuit Court Judge Emmett L. Battles has set aside three weeks for the trial.

    Both the prosecution and defense are searching for jurors who have had little or no exposure to the extensive media coverage surrounding the homicides. Prosecutors will likely emphasize the premeditated nature of the crime, as Schenecker purchased the .38 revolver she’d used to shoot her children 5 days before the act. The defense will surely highlight her mental health status.

    Schenecker, the ex-wife of an Army colonel, is having her legal assistance paid for by the state, as her husband quickly filed for divorce as well as a wrongful death suit after the shootings.

    Image via YouTube

  • Oscar Pistorius’ Mansion to be Auctioned Off

    Paralympian “Blade Runner” Oscar Pistorius, accused of the premeditated murder of of girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, has put his Pretoria, South Africa mansion up for sale to help pay for his mounting legal fees. The house would nominally sell for up to $700 thousand, though its sordid history will likely drive the price way down.

    Pistorius’ lawyer Brian Webber commented, “It has become necessary to sell Mr. Pistorius’ home in the Silver Woods Country Estate in Pretoria in order for him to raise the necessary funds to cover his increasing legal costs. This is due to the unexpected extension of the trial beyond the initial three-week period for which it was originally set down.”

    Early in the morning on Valentine’s Day of last year, Pistorius shot and killed South African model Reeva Steenkamp, his girlfriend of three months, in one of the bathrooms of the house for sale. Pistorius admits that he’d shot Steenkamp, but insists that he’d thought she was an intruder. Prosecutors think otherwise, and seek to prove that the murder was premeditated.

    Pistorius has repeatedly broken down in the courtroom, and at one point needed a bucket for vomiting:

    http://youtu.be/xoG8D-mRt2A

    Pistorius’ trial began on March 3, and was set to conclude in three weeks, though it will likely be ongoing, as prosecutors gather more evidence. Pistorius was earning roughly $500 thousand annually while running, though he hasn’t competed in two years, and sponsors Nike and Oakley dropped him.

    Proceeds from the sale of the site of the murder, which overlooks a golf course, will be combined with the other assets of the accused. Pistorius also owns two other homes in Pretoria, worth roughly $300 thousand.

    Pistorius hasn’t returned to the site of the shooting since the day it occurred, and the bathroom where the crime took place has since been gutted. Ampie Louw, the real estate agent handling the sale, commented, “If you look at the house, a valuation has been done, and given that it has four bedrooms and four en-suite bathrooms, it is an upmarket house that will cost a lot to build from scratch.”

    If convicted, Pistorius faces 25 years to life.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons.

  • Quadruple Homicide: Kyle Flack To Stand Trial

    Following a two day preliminary hearing, a man accused of killing four people has been ordered to stand trial in Kansas on charges that include capital murder, first-degree murder, and criminal possession of a firearm.

    Kyle Flack will stand trial for the murders of Andrew Stout, Steven White, Kaylie Bailey, and Lana-Leigh Bailey. Lana-Leigh was just 18-months-old. The toddler is thought to have been killed in the same bedroom as her mother, Kaylie.

    The deaths of Kaylie and Lana-Leigh have proven to be the most disturbing aspect of the quadruple murder. According to the testimony of Dr. Erik Mitchell, a forensic pathologist, Kaylie Bailey was the only victim that had been tied up and gagged prior to her death. Mitchell called it an “execution” as she was shot in the head at close range. He concluded that “something awful happened to her” before she was killed.

    Flack had been charged with one count of rape, however Franklin County Judge Thomas Sachse dismissed it on the grounds that the the prosecution had not met the burden needed to prove probable cause.

    Her daughter Lana-Leigh, Mitchell testified, had been shot in the chest. The toddler was then carefully wrapped in a towel, and placed in an almost fetal position inside a suitcase. The suitcase containing her young body was then tossed into the river.

    The male victims, Stout and White, were each shot multiple times and both were shot in the head.

    The bodies of the adults were discovered in early May Stout’s Ottawa farm . Lana-Leigh’s body would not be found until about a week after the other victims in the suitcase that was pulled from a creek in Osage County.

    The only motive provided thus far seemed to revolve around an argument over rent. Flack also claimed that one of the deceased, Stout, had given him the weapon.

    The prosecution declined to comment at this time as to whether or not they will be seeking the death penalty.

    Image via YouTube

  • Quadruple Homicide: Kyle Trevor Flack Is Accused Of Murder In Ottawa, Kansas

    Franklin County Judge of Ottawa, Kansas, Thomas Sachse, has ordered Kyle Trevor Flack to stand trial for the murder of an 18-month-old girl and three adults.

    On May 2012, Flack, 28, was charged with attempted rape, weapons violation, first-degree murder, and capital murder. The bodies of three adults, Kaylie Bailey, Steven White, and Andrew Stout, were found at Stout’s farm in Ottawa, which is located around 50 miles from Kansas City. A few days after, the body of Bailey’s little girl, Lana Leigh Bailey, was found in Osage County. The body was wrapped in a blanket and placed in a suitcase that was left by a creek.

    Several witnesses testified and described how the bodies of the victims looked when they were found. Testimony showed that all of the four victims died from gunshot wounds to the upper body, face, and the head. The medical examiner also said that the little girl might have suffered the most out of the four, as her death did not come instantly.

    The defense, however, says that the tests are inconclusive as the firearms expert and the medical examiner cannot determine what type of shotgun the bullets came from.

    At the preliminary hearing, the judge stated that there was enough evidence to try Flack on weapons and murder charges. Flack cannot legally carry a firearm, as he was convicted in 2005 for second-degree murder and was paroled in 2009. The initial charge of rape was later changed to attempted rape, as the judge says that the DNA evidence is not enough to support the claim.

    Flack’s arraignment is slated for April 22. The chief of the Kansas Death Penalty Defense Unit, Ron Evans, represents him.

    A week after the arraignment, prosecutors must decide if they are going to seek death penalty, as it has been 49 years since the last execution in Kansas.

    Image via KCTV News

  • Aaron Hernandez: Former NFL Star Involved In Jail Fight

    Former New England Patriots player Aaron Hernandez, 24, may face more charges due to an altercation he had with an inmate on Tuesday at the county jail in Bristol.

    Hernandez is held on weapons and murder charges for Odin Lloyd’s death. Prosecutors also said that he is one of the suspects in a drive-by shooting resulting in two deaths, which happened in 2012. The former football star has pleaded not guilty for the murder charge and is awaiting trial.

    According to Bristol County Sheriff Thomas Hodgson, an investigation will be conducted on how the two men encountered each other. Hernandez is housed in segregation since he is considered a high-profile inmate. In the unit where he stays, only one inmate is allowed to be out at a time. They will also be studying security videos and doing interviews to know how and why the incident happened. Both Hernandez and the unnamed inmate did not sustain serious injuries.

    The brawl was over in just about a minute, as three guards were there to stop the fight. After the investigation, authorities will be deciding if there will be criminal charges or disciplinary action against the two.

    Reports say that Hernandez is not allowed to have any kind of contact with other inmates even during mealtime or when doing recreational activities. Hodgson also stated that they will be looking into the possibility of a systematic failure on the jail’s procedures or a bad judgment from a staff member that allowed the two men to get in contact. Authorities also said that they have no evidence of the two men having any relationship in the jail or anywhere else.

    Hernandez and the other inmate have since been moved to different jail units until all investigations on the matter have been completed.

    There was no comment from Hernandez’s lawyer.

    Aaron Hernandez’s Life in Jail

    Image via YouTube

  • Oscar Pistorius’ iPhone Pursued For Murder Trial

    Oscar Pistorius, the double-amputee and South African Olympian who was arrested and charged in the shooting death of his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, last Valentine’s Day, will be heading to court for the final time in early March.

    Pistorius, 27, fatally shot 29-year-old Steenkamp in the early morning hours of February 14th after he says he mistook her for an intruder in his bedroom. According to investigators, Pistorius fired his weapon at Steenkamp through the bathroom door four times, hitting the South African model with three of those bullets.

    Now, South African investigators are pursuing the phone records from Pistorius’ iPhone, hoping to gain access to information they can present to convict Pistorius at his murder trial. According to The Associated Press, South Africa’s Eyewitness News stated that the police in the country are appealing to the FBI to force Apple to release the phone records.

    Also concerning Pistorius, new information has been released regarding the civil case he was embroiled in with Cassidy Taylor-Memmory, a woman who says that her leg was injured at Pistorius’ home in September 2009 when he slammed and then punched a door.

    The runner’s spokeswoman, Anneliese Burgess, said Wednesday that Taylor-Memmory and Pistorius had reached an agreement in an out-of-court settlement in late 2013 after the Olympian’s attorneys advised him that he could not battle both a civil suit and a criminal suit at the same time.

    Taylor-Memmory first told Eyewitness News about the settlement, saying that Pistorius agreed to pay her court costs and drop his own $200,000 counter-suit, which cited that Taylor-Memmory’s allegations were false and that he had been arrested without probable cause.

    “I agreed to it because I was so tired of it weighing me down. It became so difficult at a stage that I needed a bodyguard when I went out in public due to all the hate rants,” Taylor-Memmory said.

    Oscar Pistorius will go to trial at the North Guateng High Court in the capital city of Pretoria on March 3rd; he is facing both the premeditated murder charge in Reeva Steenkamp’s death, as well as firearms-related charges.

    Steenkamp’s family is still in negotiations with Pistorius in an out-of-court settlement stemming from Reeva’s death, and hope to finalize an agreement before the murder trial begins.

    Steenkamp’s family members have not attended any of the court hearings involving Reeva’s death, but have stated that the young woman’s mother, June, will be at the trial in March.

    “June and other family members will be at the trial in Pretoria. All we are looking for is closure and to know that our daughter did not suffer on that tragic Valentine’s Day,” said a statement released by the Steenkamps.

    Image via Katom, Wikimedia Commons.

  • Alessandro Nencini Faces Allegations Of Impropriety In Amanda Knox Trial

    On Monday, the judge who found Amanda Knox and her former boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito guilty of murder is facing legal problems of his own. Judge Alessandro Nencini is being investigated for improper comments he allegedly made to the Italian media regarding the defense’s strategy during the trial.

    The defense attorney for Sollecito announced Monday that they will seek disciplinary proceedings against judge Nencini for his alleged impropriety.

    Nencini said that Sollecito’s decision not to testify may have worked against him during the proceeding. “The ability not to be heard in a trial is a right, but it deprives the subject of a voice,” said Nencini.

    The defense lawyers said they are appealing the verdict and the judge’s comments could be included as part of their appeal.

    However, defense lawyer Luca Maori was quick to clarify that their planned action is not a “Vendetta” because they received a different verdict from what they had hoped for.

    Carlo Dalla Vedova, Knox’s defence attorney, described Nencini’s comments as inappropriate but declined to give any comment concerning the action that Italy’s Supreme Court and Judicial Ministry are likely to take against the judge.

    Knox’s defense team is also contemplating appealing the verdict saying Knox feels that this “is a mistake” and she is ready to fight for her innocence.

    Magistrate’s governing body members have said they will request for an inquiry against Nencini because he had violated some of the judicial code of conduct including the secrecy of deliberations and anticipated arguments before reasoning is published. The comments of the judge about the defense trial strategy also implies “partiality”.

    Nencini was the presiding judge on an appeals panel that found Sollecito, 29, and Knox, 26, guilty of the murder of a 21-year-old British student Meredith Kercher. Kercher and Knox were roommates when she was sexually assaulted and murdered in Perugia, Italy, on Nov. 1, 2007.

    Image via YouTube

  • Amanda Knox And Ex Boyfriend Found Guilty Again

    Amanda Knox’s legal troubles have been through a series of unpredictable twist and turns. In 2009, Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito (Knox’s former boyfriend) were convicted of murder. An Italian court found the pair guilty of the 2007 murder of Meredith Kercher, a British student and Knox’s former roommate.

    In a surprising twist of fate, the Italian court changed its mind and acquitted them in 2011 after they had each already served 4 years behind bars. Now, the two have been found guilty yet again…and the saga continues.

    Only one day after receiving news of her reinstated guilty verdict, Knox appeared on ABC’s Good Morning America to vent her feelings.

    “I’m going to fight this to the very end,” Knox said in an interview with ABC’s Robin Roberts. “This really, it hit me like a train. I didn’t expect this to happen. I really expected so much better from the Italian system. They found me innocent before; how could they say beyond a reasonable doubt?” she continued.

    In the interview Knox also revealed that she sent a letter to the parents of Meredith Kercher, to express her sympathy for the loss of their daughter.

    “They deserve respect and the consolation of some kind of acknowledgement,” she said. “I really wish them the best.”

    The 26-year-old Knox still maintains her innocence and said she will “never go willingly”. She believes the renewed guilty verdict is as a result of “overzealous prosecutor”s and “coercive interrogation”.

    At the moment, Knox resides in Seattle, Washington, and would only have to do jail time if she returns to Italy or if she is extradited to Italy–both scenarios seem unlikely. The U.S., does however, have an extradition agreement with the Italian government so it is still very much possible that she could go back to prison.

    On Friday, police found Raffael Sollecito at a hotel near Italy’s border with Slovenia and Austria, just hours after he and Knox’s guilty verdicts were announced.

    According to Luca Maori, Sollecito’s lawyer, his client was near the Italian border because that’s where his current girlfriend lives. After being apprehended, he voluntarily went with police to the station while his girlfriend drove behind.

    Upon arriving at the Udine police station, police confiscated his passport and stamped his identity papers to show that he cannot leave Italy. As per a Florence appeals court, Knox and Sollecito were sentenced to 28 ½ years and 25 years respectively. Neither have been detained pending a final appeal, which could take up to another year.

    Image via YouTube

  • Amanda Knox Is Facing Yet Another Verdict

    Amanda Knox has been through the ringer when it comes to enduring trials. However, the prosecutor believes that not all evidence was properly reviewed, and some was mishandled.

    The most recent trial is the fourth one in six years, in which she has waited for an Italian court to decide whether she is guilty or innocent of killing her roommate Meredith Kercher.

    Knox won’t be attending the trial in Italy though, she’s too afraid that she might be “wrongly convicted” and arrested. However, despite the relative safety of her hometown, the tension has intensified, brought on by the prosecutor who seeks to increase Knox’s prison sentence if she is convicted and urge the judge to request her immediate arrest.

    Two judges and eight jurors will decide her fate on Thursday in Florence after final rebuttals by Knox’s legal team and a verdict and a sentence is expected to come sometime in the “late evening” on Thursday.

    While Knox won’t be in Italy for the sentencing, the family of the victim will be present. Kercher’s sister and brother have said they will be in court to hear the decision.

    Knox and her former Italian boyfriend, Raffaele Sollecito, were convicted in 2009 of the 2007 murder of Kercher, which happened in the cottage the women shared in Perugia. The prosecutor at the time said the murder was the result of a sex game gone awry.

    That verdict was overturned in 2011, freeing Knox after a four-year prison stint. Now, Italy’s Supreme Court has ordered an appeals court to review the case and that court will render its verdict this week.

    Knox’s lawyers Carlo Dalla Vedova and Luciano Ghirga told reporters at the last hearing that “she cannot wait to end this nightmare.” They said she has followed the trial “step by step” and that she was “very worried” about the outcome.

    Sollecito will not be present in the courtroom either, but will wait for the verdict at his family home in Puglia, southern Italy. His father has said his son is not psychologically able to await the decision in court that day. “He will almost certainly stay at home and has no intention of course of running away.”

    If prosecutor Alessandro Crini gets his way, Knox and Sollecito will be sentenced to 26 years in prison for murder and her sentence for a related slander conviction would be increased from one year to four years.

    Image via YouTube

  • Affluenza Teen Might Be A Jailbird, After All

    You may have heard about this sixteen-year-old who killed four people in a terrible and bloody drunk driving accident; his claim to infamy is that he is not serving any jail time for his deplorable actions, all because he (supposedly) suffers from “affluenza.” If you’ve never heard of that, don’t worry, you’re not alone; it isn’t recognized by the American Psychiatric Association, and a multitude of psychiatrists don’t even believe in its existence. A diagnosis of this “disease” implies that one can literally get away with murder, simply because they are rich -or, you know, affluent, like the name- and don’t know any better than to take and take despite all they have.

    This kid (who, just to reiterate, killed four people while driving under the influence of alcohol) was diagnosed with affluenza, and was able to get out of any jail time because of his debilitating illness. He was excused by the psychologist assigned to his legal team, who claimed that he “never learned to say that you’re sorry if you hurt someone… If you hurt someone, you sent him money… He never learned that sometimes you don’t get your way… He had the cars and he had the money. He had freedoms that no young man would be able to handle.” Apparently, the Texas judge agreed, and sentenced the young man to rehab and 10 years of probation.

    Tarrant County District Attorney Joe Shannon was not satisfied with this situation, however, and is working hard to get the young man behind bars. In an email sent to the town newspaper, Shannon was quoted as saying, “During his recent trial, the 16-year-old admitted his guilt in four cases of intoxication manslaughter and two cases of intoxication assault. There has been no verdict formally entered in the two intoxication assault cases. Every case deserves a verdict.” If the court follows through with action concerning this statement, that might very well mean that the young man will find himself behind bars, after all.

    And that prospect isn’t the only trouble facing him and his parents. The bill that the parents promised to foot for the swanky rehab center the defense team opted for (rather than the state-run facility where the young man might not “get proper care”) might fall through in the face of the multiple lawsuits that are bombarding the boy’s parents. Whatever happens, it certainly looks like tough times ahead for the young man and his family. It really is terrible to see the effects of affluenza in action.

    Image via this YouTube video.

  • Amanda Knox: Italian Prosecutor Wants Her Back In Prison

    Italian prosecutor, Alessandro Crini, has appealed an appellate court to convict Amanda Knox for the 2007 murder of her British roommate. The prosecutor urged the appeals court Monday not to repeat mistakes made by the high court that freed her.

    Amanda had been convicted in 2009 of the murder of Meredith Kercher – a British student, and sentenced to serve 26 years. She only served 4 years of the 26-year sentence before her conviction was overturned on October 3, 2011 by an appellate court. In yet another twist, her acquittal was overturned by the Supreme Court on March 26, 2013 and her case was sent back to the high court for reconsideration.

    Kercher’s body was discovered in a pool of blood in her room on Nov. 2, 2007 with her throat slit. There were also signs that she was sexually assaulted. The lower court had argued that the crime was fueled by a sexual game gone wrong, but the prosecutor departed from that line of argument saying that the crime was not so much sexually motivated; instead, it was an act of physical aggression with a sexual expression.

    Prosecutor Crini said that the Supreme Court had “razed to the ground” the appellate court’s 2011 decision to nullify the guilty conviction. The high court has ordered a fresh appeals trials saying that the earlier appeal was marred with contradictions.

    The prosecutor’s demands came after more than 10 hours of closing arguments spread over two days during which he argued that Knox and her boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito (co-defendant) committed  the crime in concert of a third man (Rudy Guede ) who was convicted separately. The crime was reportedly committed as a result of disagreement between the roommates over cleanliness. Testimonies indicate that there had been tensions between Kercher and Knox about the level of cleanliness.

    Following this development, the Meredith Kercher’s 2007 murder case will be getting its third trial. Knox’s co-accused, Sollecito, has also attended two hearings so far. The third person in the case, Rudy Guede, is already serving 16 years in prison after being found guilty of Kercher’s murder.

    (main image via YouTube)

  • Oscar Pistorius To Face Gun Charges In Murder Trial of Girlfriend

    Oscar Pistorius was an incredibly inspiring man. Being a double amputee below the knee on both legs, it seemed out of the question that he would be able to run, much less competitively. He went on to show the world and its assumptions wrong, however; the South African native has brought home multiple gold and silver medals from multiple Paralympic games, including one gold and one silver medal from last year’s London games. He worked with multiple charities and was an inspiration to other paraplegic athletes everywhere; his story was heartwarming and inspiring. It has taken a toll for the worse, however, as Pistorius faces the heated murder trial of his girlfriend, with him as the defendant.

    Pistorius was charged with murder in February of 2013, when his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, was found dead in his home in South Africa. The victim, a renown beauty and one of FHM’s 100 Sexiest Women In The Worold, was found shot a total of four times. Pistorius was put on trial for the murder as well as the illegal possession of ammunition. As of today, he has also been charged with two firearm charges, “believed to relate to recklessly firing guns in public.”

    These charges are believed to have taken place before the actual murder, but the prosecution still won permission to add the charges to the main case that is set to go to trial in March of next year, 2014. Pistorius’ defense team was informed about the charges today, but they seemed unsurprised; they said that the charges were not new, and that they had been brought up at the beginning of the trial, but not officially enacted. They did not elaborate any further on the new charges.

    Despite the positive and inspiring image often reflected of Pistorius by the media and his official website, this trial is not the only instance of the athlete showing dangerous behavior. Allegedly, he shot through the sunroof of a former girlfriend’s car and set off a fire extinguisher in a public restaurant only a few weeks before the murder took place. As Yahoo news eloquently phrases it, “the killing sent shock waves around the world and since then his reckless past and love of fast cars, beautiful women and guns has emerged in the media.”

    [Image courtesy of this YouTube video.]

  • Jodi Arias Trial May Be Getting A New Jury

    Jodi Arias, the Arizona woman accused of murdering her boyfriend, Travis Alexander, in 2008, may be getting a new jury to decide her fate.

    Arias was convicted of first-degree murder in May after admitting that she killed Alexander, but only in self defense. Alexander was found with over 30 stab wounds, a gunshot to the head, and a slit throat; just minutes before he died, he and Arias were engaged in sexual activities, some of which she captured on her camera (the camera was found tossed into a washing machine in the home). The photos showed Alexander in the shower, alive one minute and dead the next. Alexander, Arias said, was abusive to her after they began arguing.

    Prosecutor Juan Martinez asked the jury to return a verdict of first degree murder because it carries the death penalty.

    “The state is asking that you return a verdict of guilty, a verdict of first degree murder, not just premeditated murder, but also felony murder, for no other reason than it’s your duty, and the facts and the law support it,” Martinez said in his closing arguments.

    However, in order to give the death penalty, the jury has to come to the conclusion that the victim died in an “exceptionally cruel” way, and Arias’ lawyers will argue today that the definition of that term is too vague for jurors to come to a decision. Now, prosecutors will have to decide whether to take the death penalty off the table altogether–which means Arias will either get life in prison or 25 years, according to the judge’s discretion–or pull together a new panel of jurors and pursue it, which could take months and will cost the taxpayers even more. So far, Arias’ court time has cost $1.7 million.

  • George Zimmerman Jury Deliberates, Asks For List

    The trial of George Zimmerman in the case of Trayvon Martin’s murder has become a national phenomenon, overtaking the country, as well as popular news sources, for the past three weeks.

    At approximately 2:30 PM today, the jury began their deliberation on the fate of George Zimmerman, with three options before them that they could potentially hand down; guilty of second degree murder, guilty of manslaughter, or not guilty of either offense.

    Before allowing the case to go to the jury, the courtroom had some interesting turns this week, one of the most notable being George Zimmerman’s refusal to take the witness stand and give his testimony of the events that transpired on that rainy February night. The void created by the lack of Zimmerman’s actual voice has been filled by audio recordings and video interviews, which have been shown throughout the three weeks.

    This event was only overshadowed by the judge’s instructions that allow the jury to consider the lesser charge of manslaughter when deliberating on Zimmerman’s sentence and ruling.

    The Florida jury, consisting of six women, has been sequestered until they deliver a verdict. Judge Nelson was quoted as telling the jurors, “All of us are depending on you to make a wise and legal decision.” The jury will have to deliberate on and come to a conclusion about the events that took place that happened that night; was George Zimmerman acting in defense, as the defense has to manically insisted, or was Trayvon Martin the profiled victim of a wanna-be cop who made assumptions, as the prosecution claimed?

    According to CNN, Judge Nelson stated that the jury requested an inventory of the trial’s evidence about two hours in to their deliberation. Six copies were delivered to the jury around five PM.

    For now, the nation waits on pins and needles for the delivery of a verdict.

  • George Zimmerman Trial Proposed Dismissal

    George Zimmerman Trial Proposed Dismissal

    The tragic death of Trayvon Martin has gripped the county for over a year, now, with interest at a new high due to the trial of George Zimmerman. Zimmerman is accused of fatally shooting Travyvon after an altercation in February of 2012. Popular belief is that Zimmerman, the head of the local neighborhood watch, followed Trayvon because he “looked suspicious,” and confronted him. Trayvon, scared and threatened, may have hit Zimmerman in an effort to flee, which prompted Zimmerman to shoot Trayvon in the chest, resulting in the youth’s death. The case blew up on the internet and, eventually, on national news networks, as well, spreading Trayvon’s story and Zimmerman’s face (and other information, as well). Zimmerman has received threats and other negative, sometimes maleficent feedback for nearly the entire time. Yet, even with this public outcry and the hoard of backlash against Zimmerman, the court case has taken a snake-like twist; Zimmerman’s lawyer requested a dismissal of the charges held against his client after the prosecution rested its case.

    Yes, you read that correctly. The same defense that so brilliantly decided to open up with a knock-knock joke decided that it was also a good idea to try and have their client dismissed of all charges against him after the trial had only just begun. The reasoning behind the request to throw out the trial was because of the “enormous” amount of evidence that Zimmerman had been acting in self defense and the “lack” of circumstantial evidence presented by the prosecution to prove otherwise. The request was quickly overturned by the judge, but not before Rich Mantei of the defense so eloquently phrased what many have thought for a very long while; “There are two people involved here. One of them is dead and one of them is a liar.”

    The liar in question is building his case on the basis of acting in self defense. The liar in question claims that he is in the right and protected under “stand your ground” laws that allow for the use of deadly force when threatened. The claims that a liar make are, in fact, known as lies, however, and despite the defense’s accusation of there being a lack of evidence, there is, in truth, a plethora of it. Zimmerman had very few injuries, and all were mild, requiring only BandAids, according to medical examiner Valerie Rao. That puts a mighty big dent in Zimmerman’s claim that he only shot after Trayvon repeatedly smashed his head into the concrete. The fatal shot was also delivered at close range, and there was no indication of much, if any, “defensive posturing” or contact from Trayvon’s autopsy. For a defense based on acting in self defense, the facts simply don’t add up to support the claim; it seems that the prosecution is in possession of “enormous” amounts of proof, while the defense fumbles with keeping even the simplest of stories straight.

    What this seems to reveal, then, is a cornucopia of evidence that points towards Zimmerman actively and maliciously approaching Trayvon in a threatening and violent manner, when the young man was simply walking home with his skittles, hood up to defend himself from the rain. The evidence being supports the story of Zimmerman actively pursuing Trayvon with no prompting, of taunting and eventually murdering this young man who did nothing to deserve such an abrupt end to his life. Perhaps this explains why the defense tried to have the charges dropped and the case stopped; if you already know you have no case, why not try even the most cowardly of actions in a bid to hide the fact?

  • Arias Death Penalty Trial To Begin Today

    Jodi Arias, the young woman who was found guilty last week of first degree murder in the death of her boyfriend, is awaiting the results of a new phase of her trial: that which decides her fate.

    The court reconvened today to decide whether or not Arias will receive the death penalty for the murder of Travis Alexander, who was found in his bathtub in 2008 with multiple stab wounds, a gunshot wound, and a slit throat. Arias pinned the murder on an intruder at first, but after evidence was introduced that put her at the crime scene, she admitted she’d killed Alexander and said it was in self-defense. The defense attorneys painted a picture of a woman in love, who often wrote poetry to Alexander; the prosecution, however, said she was a jealous, spurned woman out for revenge after Alexander rejected her.

    In order to get a death penalty sentence, prosecutor Juan Martinez will inevitably argue that Alexander died a cruel and bloody death, as evidenced by the numerous defensive wounds found on his body. He’ll also be calling on more witnesses and speaking to members of Alexander’s family in order to convince the jury that Arias deserves to die for her crime.

    As for Arias, she says she’d rather die than spend the rest of her life in prison, which is the alternative to the death sentence.

    “Longevity runs in my family, and I don’t want to spend the rest of my natural life in one place,” she said. “I believe death is the ultimate freedom, and I’d rather have my freedom as soon as I can get it.”

  • Juliana Redding Murder Trial Set To Begin

    Juliana Redding, a young aspiring actress and model whose ambition brought her from Arizona to California, never got to see her dreams come to light. In 2008, she was found strangled and beaten to death in her Santa Monica home. Now, a trial is set to begin for her accused murderer.

    Kelly Sue Park, the alleged murderer, worked for a man named Munir Uwaydah, who is a physician with whom Redding’s father entered into a business deal. Just a few days before Redding was killed, her father backed out of the deal. Prosecutors believe Uwaydah paid Park $250,000 to carry out a hit on Redding in retaliation, but while Park has been linked to Redding’s murder through DNA evidence, Uwaydah hasn’t been charged.

    Park is now due in court to begin trial for the killing, though she is free on bond at the moment.