Posted on 10/01/2014 10:59:53 AM PDT by Dave346
WASHINGTON — Jurors who have for weeks been deliberating in the murder and manslaughter case against four former Blackwater Worldwide security contractors passed a note to the judge on Wednesday that suggested they were leaning toward conviction on at least some counts.
In their note, jurors asked whether the firearm charge applies to defendants convicted of involuntary manslaughter. Prosecutors are seeking convictions for voluntary manslaughter. The note suggests that, at least for some of the counts, jurors are leaning toward convicting, but for the lesser charge.
Manslaughter carries a sentence of up to 15 years per count, or up to eight years for involuntary manslaughter.
Jurors began deliberating on Sept. 2 and have offered no hint until now about their discussions.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
And they know this how?
Has the defense counsel already made a motion for a mistrial? If not, they certainly have grounds now.
On what grounds???
Requests for information from a jury to a judge are often released to the public.
It happened in Zimmerman case, for example.
In part, this helps assure interested parties that they are privy to the same information that a jury views.
That the jurors are communicating with outside parties about the trial, unless the NYTimes is getting info from within the court.
How long has this jury been deliberating? Isn’t the judge basically telling them, “You can’t go home until you convict?”
I have never heard of a criminal jury being out this long. How can there not be a mistrial at this point?
Still out? This is absurd— the judge is obviously pressuring the jury to convict. Guess the judge is disappointed the show trial hasn’t gone as smoothly as planned.
Notes from the jury are read out loud in open court.
Looks like the judge and prosecution team got the show trial results they wanted.
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