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If you've been around these parts for a few years, you will remember the Collin County case where Michael Blair was convicted in 1994 for the death of little Ashley Estelle and given the death penalty. (I remember being in DFW Airport when the verdict came down.)
This afternoon, the DA for Collin County issued a statement that he can no longer assert in good faith that Blair had anything to do with the girl's death and will seek to overturn the conviction. (Nice timing since the Rule of Thumb to avoid bad publicity is to release the bad information on Friday afternoon.)
The "kinda" above is simply because Blair has apparently been convicted of other crimes and isn't going anywhere. Still, for a jury to convict a man and sentence him to death on evidence that was as good as a warm bucket of spit is amazing.
Hey, the next time you're on a jury and the judge tells you to find a defendant not guilty if you have a reasonable doubt about his guilt, listen!
16 comments:
The death penalty:Another symptom of a sadly flawed,failing,vengeful system.
It makes sense that a jury would convict one to die with flimsy evidence since they create rigged juries anyway for capital trials. Even though a jury is supposed to represent the people of an area, if one of the proposed jurors does not support the death penalty, they can't serve on the jury. They seek out blood thirsty individuals to serve on these juries.
If I'm ever called to serve as a jury in a capital murder trial, I'm gonna lie and say I do support it just so I can eff it up later.
How can a country OK killing by the government against its own citizens when our laws forbid murder?
Logically it doesn't pan out.
Why kill them? They just don't have to be let out of prison-ever.
What's the difference?
That guy was the one they took over to the prison at Mineral Wells. As I recall there were a couple of different rumors for where he was going and those places got protested. There was a lot of energy about this guys case and, according to a friend who worked in the prison there was some fear he would get capped so he was moved with secrecy while wearing body armor.
Holy Cow-very appropos.
No justice system in the world can be free from the risk of error in imposing the death penalty. In the United States for example, 107 prisoners have been released from death row since 1973 after evidence emerged of their innocence. Some had come close to execution after spending many years under sentence of death. Recurring features in their cases include prosecutorial or police misconduct; the use of unreliable witness testimony, physical evidence or confessions; and inadequate defence representation. Other US prisoners have gone to their deaths despite serious doubts over their guilt. In January 2000 the Governor of the US state of Illinois declared a moratorium on executions following the exoneration of the 13th death row prisoner found to have been wrongfully convicted in the state since the USA resumed executions in 1977
I'm impressed by the prosecutors courage. I don't know many who have the gut to admit they made a mistake.
I miss Heath
I can't recall who his defense attorney was, but probably a "rotation" type, court appointed, defense attorney who didn't normally practice criminal law. Add in all the TV and newspaper media attention this case got, the horrific type of crime it was, and I'd bet that the jury did render a verdict of "guilty", honestly believing beyond any doubt from what it heard, that he was guilty.
I don't blame the members of this jury, but I do blame a system that has a rotation type selection system for defense attorneys, and allows, or forces, attorneys who don't practice criminal law onto that rotation list. Many times attorneys on that list are way too inexperienced for a case like this too.
Like one time when I was standing in the hallway, outside the courtroom during a break in the trial years ago, with an attorney and our client, and the client asked, "When am I going to get some justice?" The attorney answered, "When your money runs out!"
Glad they decided this BEFORE it was too late to correct.
5:02....get a life. I was personally involved in this tragic case. There was no "rigged" jury. As much as I would like to go into detail about the cased, I feel it would be inappropriate to do so. This poor little girl just playing at the park when this monster kidnapped and killed her.
I wish there was as big an outpouring of compassion for victims and there families from the left, as for thugs. The one,and only one,that is without a doubt innocent,is the murdered child. Why are there no tears for them? Why is seeking justice for them less important than justice for the killer? Is it because the victim is already dead? Oh well...can't help them...For the life of me, I will never, ever EVER understand the liberal mind.
11:47 - I agree with you.
Does it still state somewhere on the jury card the question asked if the potential juror has any family members who are involved in law enforcement, etc? If so, then does this mean no lawyer could sit on a jury during his/her lifetime? I think they should be allowed to do so. It might change a few attitudes. Serving as a juror is a huge responsibility and one that most people do since there are so many legal guns pointed at them. And sitting on a jury that involves crimes against children is gut wrenching.
I think juries do the best they can most of the time. If lawyers and judges don't like the jury system, let them do the hard work, run for office, work to initiate changes for something more "compassionate" for these folks, work for nothing to defend them, or just shut up.
Ok, bring it on!
How/where would we learn more about Blairs response to the sentence and what if anything he has said through the years?
I'm with 502 on how I'll respond in a capital murder trial jury selection. I'm phobic about lying,can't remember the last time I told a lie but,I'd do it in about a minute if I thought that's what it would take.
Look...that verdict didn't really make that much difference in Blair's life. He was already scum because he had molested others. I could care less what happens to him. Hell awaits those like him. I think if God can condemn a soul to Hell, mankind can surely condemn a man to jail...or to the injection. Then God takes over.
Scum is scum.... and I'm sick and tired of little girls/boys being their prey. If ADULTS won't take care of/protect little children, who the hell will? huh?
So what if the night watchman laid down for a few Zzz's on that bed and woke up just as they pushed the button.
That'd be funny.
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