The defence says Pistorius screamed when he realised Steenkamp was not in the bedroom. That has not been contradicted, the judge says, and it "makes sense."
This is crucial, as the evidence that Steenkamp was screaming was a major plank of the prosecution’s case for premeditation.
September 11, 2014
"The defence claimed Pistorius sounds like a woman when he screams."
Said the judge, finding that the prosecution had not proved that the Olympian committed premeditated murder when he shot through a door and killed his girlfriend.
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24 comments:
War on women, except that the judge is a woman.
No jury trials in South Africa.
I wonder why?
(Over to you, Crack.)
"Be Sure Of Your Target" is close to the top of most folks' personal rules for safe firearm handling.
I guess the Brit's "duty to retreat" in the face of danger does not apply in South Africa.
But even here in (GASP) Texas, deadly force is legally appropriate in the face of immediate danger to self or others. Guy behind a closed door, seems to me, is not an immediate threat.
Let them use that as my defense? I'd go to jail first.
The trial that never ends. Hasn't this thing been going on for almost a year?
Anyways, I remember when ESPN was hyping Pistorius's former girlfriend's testimony about how he was a paranoid gun freak. Their smoking gun, if you will.
I thought it was a little silly, because he never hit her or physically abused her. In fact, it seemed like she would still be with him today if he hadn't left her for Steenkamp.
Crazy? Probably. Negligent? Most likely? Premeditated murder? Probably not.
That is what a Jury of One gives a court. Final Judgement that is based on the mental fixation of one person unchallenged by eleven other minds.
No Jury would have been that easily fooled.
Can somebody close the car door on his fingers? I'd like to judge these womanly screams for myself.
He shot her through the door, I'd say he has a serious anger management problem.
Its amazing to me how easy it is to get away with murder.
I guess Oscar believes it is better to be judged by one dummy judge than be carried by 6
The gun lovers mantra.
She could have been a threat down the road and killed him, you know.
He was just being proactive.
Pretty stupid black woman judge, I think.
Not guilty of murder because no one disproved that Pistorius claim he screams repeatedly just like a woman?????
Affirmative action hiring can be a terrible thing.
Now I'm picturing Ned Flanders from the episode that was a takeoff on "Rear Window".
I'll go out on a limb and say he stumped the judge.
This is what getting away with murder looks like. It's a different system of justice for famous people.
Did not see that coming!
I agree with Birches first sentence. I thought this was all over months ago.
Perhaps like OJ and Joran van Der Sloot, we'll see how long it takes him to get in trouble again.
This story has legs.
No jury trials in South Africa. I wonder why?
Jury trials were abolished because of the racial bias of juries. I guess the US doesn't have that problem. I'm sure race played no part in the verdicts of OJ, or Rodney King.
That is what a Jury of One gives a court.
It's actually a judge and two assessors, both of whom are members of the legal fraternity appointed by an independent board.
There was a similar occurrence in another murder case.
What we have learned from recent high-profile murder cases:
(1) If your victim screams, you should scream too.
(2) If your first shot can be arguably justified, keep shooting until your victim is dead.
(3) Get your story straight before you get to the police station, then stick to it.
(4) If there are witnesses, maintain that they didn't see or hear what they thought they saw or heard.
Not PREMEDITATED.
To me, premeditated is making a plan in advance.
To others, it is a decision seconds ahead of the act.
Manslaughter yet to be decided.
Take the rag away from your face, now ain't the time for your tears.
Who are you going to believe, me or your lying eyes?
He screams "like a girl"?
Is it really that unreasonable a judgement? The prosecutor is supposed to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt, after all.
Pistorius has limited mobility, and thus good reason to fear an intruder. He fired from a defensive position (the bathroom), and claims that he was extremely upset and started screaming in the aftermath.
That's a pretty reasonable story. If the prosecutors can't prove that story wrong, then he has by definition established reasonable doubt that this was intentional murder.
He feared an intruder so much, his own story has him leaving the sliding door to the bedroom open as he slept.
Right.
He killed her because he was mad at her and he's going to get away with it because he is a national treasure and South Africa has bigger problems.
The sole presiding judge announced it was the "unanimous" opinion of this court...
Even in the US, the defence can request a judge only trial in some jurisdictions, maybe all, I don't know.
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