Just like #ChiefsKingdom has always been there for me and my family, we want to be there for them.❤️
The @Chiefs have launched #KCStrong, an emergency response fund supporting victims and their families, violence prevention and mental health services, and first responders.… pic.twitter.com/sYMnPgCWL0
Friendly mod reminder, this thread is about yesterday's shooting. Not about gun control, gun laws, politics, or anything of that nature. If you need everyone to know what's wrong in this world and how you'd fix it, grab your megaphone and soapbox and take it to DC, thanks. [Reply]
Originally Posted by DaFace:
I feel for them, but if people got charged for guns going off accidentally, Dick Cheney would be in jail. They would have had to prove that the guy was acting negligently, and it sounds like they didn't have the evidence to do it.
Sounds like the dude was waving the gun around. And they had already told him to point it at the floor. If that isn't negligent homicide, I don't know what is. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Lzen:
Uhhh.....yeah....no. It doesn't work that way. I take it that you have never been on a jury.
The 2 times I was on a jury, during jury selection, they never said anything about the case during their questioning of potential jurors.
In the three times I've been through the selection process, they didn't specifically say who the defendant was, but they would say things like, "Do you think that a person who is blackout drunk is capable of making a conscious decision?" so you knew the gist of what the case was going to come down to. [Reply]
Originally Posted by DaFace:
In the three times I've been through the selection process, they didn't specifically say who the defendant was, but they would say things like, "Do you think that a person who is blackout drunk is capable of making a conscious decision?" so you knew the gist of what the case was going to come down to.
That's a stupid question. Obviously a person blackout drunk doesn't know wtf they are doing. [Reply]
Originally Posted by PAChiefsGuy:
That's a stupid question. Obviously a person blackout drunk doesn't know wtf they are doing.
Ah, but now we're back to the fun nuances of the law. If a person is blackout drunk and commits a criminal act, are they capable of making a premeditated decision to do it? That kind of thing is what a lot of "first degree" vs. "second degree" kinds of convictions hinge on.
I wish I had the deck they gave us in the jury room to reference for this. There was all sorts of flow charty stuff in there that was fascinating (in an academic way like this) to think through. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Lzen:
Uhhh.....yeah....no. It doesn't work that way. I take it that you have never been on a jury.
The 2 times I was on a jury, during jury selection, they never said anything about the case during their questioning of potential jurors.
I live in a rural area. Between the sheriff, city pd, and the docket you have a really good idea of who is coming up for trial unless it's a change of venue from out of the area. For whatever reason, our circuit doesn't get many of those.
Here, they absolutely start with figuring out if you know any of the people involved. If you partied with the wrong crowd growing up, there's a 50% chance you're getting the exit with a "Ya, I grew up with him, his brother has always been a thief but I will give him a fair shake on this if chosen". Nope, excused with the quickness every time. If that doesn't work, the current PA and my family have ties so the defense will throw up a hell no from that side as well.
I assume the above sounds crazy to someone in a metro area where no one knows anyone the majority of the time. [Reply]
Originally Posted by DaFace:
Ah, but now we're back to the fun nuances of the law. If a person is blackout drunk and commits a criminal act, are they capable of making a premeditated decision to do it? That kind of thing is what a lot of "first degree" vs. "second degree" kinds of convictions hinge on.
I wish I had the deck they gave us in the jury room to reference for this. There was all sorts of flow charty stuff in there that was fascinating (in an academic way like this) to think through.
That's true.
I am a huge Law & Order fan so I know how complicated these issues can get. Drinking is very dangerous and I wish it was taken more seriously because one bad mistake when you are blackout drunk can ruin or at least seriously damage your life. You may not even remember wtf you did.
Anyway back on topic hindsight is 20/20 but some of these defense lawyers make it very hard for judges and prosecutors to lock some of these guys up. It's not as black and white as it seems. [Reply]
