Closing Arguments- Chase Merritt Charged W/Murder of Joseph, Summer, Gianni and Joe Jr McStay #2

[Blondiexoxo]

Wonder how long deliberations will last today.. IMO they should be averaging at least 8 hours a day. I’ve known juries stay through the night during murder trial deliberations. Imagine if us from WS were on the jury, we’d be demanding we stay late. I know it’s probably inconvenient to them being on a jury but to me it would be an honour and it would be taken very seriously.
I’d take my slippers, order pizza and talk way into the night, I’d be excited to get back to deliberating each day.
These jurors seem almost bored of the whole situation, I know it’s dragged on for 5 months but let’s not forget this is about the Mcstay’s getting justice.

 

[gitana1]

I'm reserving my opinion based on what happens in the first hour of deliberations today.

I think 9 am start yesterday shows a good attitude. It could also be something they reluctantly agreed to because they didn't start deliberations until 1.30 pm on Tuesday, but who knows.

The 2 hour lunch and only 2 hours of deliberations yesterday afternoon seems like it could be that they finalized their deliberations and no reason to hang around longer but didn't notify the court because of the 2 hour notice period. If they had given notice of a verdict at 2 pm the court would only just be reconvening at 4 pm, and even that could be delayed given how slowly things always run there.

So if they had a verdict yesterday then I would expect it to be apparent in the first hour today.

If the first hour goes by without hearing from them I will join the worry club, big time. Then I will probably start hoping for a hung jury. I'm fighting off my wild imaginings of catastrophe.

How many hours total has it been thus far?

 

[gitana1]

If Cathy Russon's estimate is right, they have deliberated for 17 hours. Taking into account the start stops since that is over 4 days with lunch breaks, how much time have they actually deliberated? There is a lot for these jurors to go through and discuss. They haven't been able to discuss it all this time, maybe some have questions about things that weren't clear to them, maybe they are looking at some of the 100's of exhibits that were introduced into evidence. 17 hours is really not that long when you haven't been able to discuss and work through some of these things all these months like we have. Or maybe I'm completely wrong and they are split haha But I just don't think they have had substantial time to deliberate.

I have been saying for quite awhile that I think the best outcome for this trial would be a hung jury. As much as no one wants to have to watch another trial, or don't want to see the families go through this again, it seems to me anyway, to be the best outcome.

For those that think the trial was terribly run and that there are/were issues, will you feel the same way if the jury comes back with a guilty verdict? Will you then be okay with the 'system'? and how this trial was run? Will you be concerned that it will overturned on appeals?

L&C has been showing another trial in California, also in deliberations, they are doing 9-4:30 (and also took an 1 1/2 hour lunch break yesterday) The trial wasn't as long, and it's not a murder case, but from what I saw the trial was run in a much better or "normal" way IMO

All JMO

Never mind. I should have read before asking.

17 hours? That's like 3 court days really. Not too long.

 

[wary]

I've been giving it some thought and wondering what kind of jobs these people have that are accommodating a 6 month leave of absence. The thought crossed my mind that they probably work for a company who is still giving them regular pay, or possibly unemployed. Either way the remaining jurors don't seem to be in a rush whatsoever. Maybe they are taking their time because they enjoy being on the jury and aren't ready to return to work. I could see them setting a deadline for the verdict as of this morning or tomorrow morning just because it would finish out the week for them before going back to real life.

I believe that long trials tend to be high on government employees—regular pay continues

 

[MissJames]

Morning all!

Iirc, the last CA trial I followed before this one was the SP trial in 2004.

So I wonder if trials like this one has become more of the new norm now in CA? Stops, starts, and delays. Maybe this is how they are done in this area of CA?

I am wrestling to understand why this trial is so different even for a CA trial, and not in a good way.

I don't recall any jury conducting themselves the way this one has when deliberating.

It reminds of the old saying of 'born tired, and raised lazy.' They seem to put very little effort into determining their verdict this case.

It really shouldn't be about knowing family members of the victims have waited 9 years for this day to come or that a defendant is waiting to know his fate.

It's all about fulfilling their own duties fully they took an oath to do. Yet they do it piece meal little bits at a time.

All of this has been so foreign to me as a prior juror myself. We were always asked by the judge whether we would like to go out for a 1 hour lunch or have a lunch brought in. In every case we selected to have lunch in the room. Other than that we took one 10 minute break in the morning, and a 10 minute break in the afternoon. We made sure they were only 10 minutes each. The bailiffs always knew when we were back deliberating.

We put in full 8 to 10 hour long days each, and every day without exception.

If any had a prior appointment if it was going to disrupt deliberations for all jurors, they were rescheduled making sure the deliberation was ongoing, and fluid until we had reached our verdict.

We all thought it was our civic duty to do it in a timely manner.

So the way this jury has done their deliberations has been as bizarre as the trial itself.

It has convinced me that this will be the last CA murder trial I will ever follow.

I feel this case has made a mockery out of our justice system.

Imo

Totally agree .

 

[la2cabo]

The "somber" juror is the man who I saw who is just quiet and keeps to himself, nothing more.

 

[missy1974]

Cathy Russon‏ @cathyrusson
#McStay - Deliberations are set to resume at 9 a.m. Jurors have deliberated a total of 17 hours so far. Charles Merritt is charged with 4 counts of 1st-degree murder in the bludgeoning deaths of the McStay family in 2010. He faces possibility of the death penalty if convicted.


JD Crighton‏ @JDCrighton
#McStay: Humm . . . 8:55 am and no jurors waiting to go in for deliberations


oh great ... they all forgot to show up? LOL

 

[missy1974]

JD Crighton‏ @JDCrighton
#McStay: Okay.. feel a little better. There is one juror now in hall waiting...but it’s 9am. There

9:01 AM - 6 Jun 2019

 

[MissJames]

I cant answer for anyone else of course, but my issue is how this jury has deliberated so nonchalantly with a few hours here, and a couple of hours there. Two hour lunches.

I have never seen any other death penalty trial jurors do this. None.

Imo for me the verdict is relevant. It's the bizarre manner in which they have deliberated.

That will not change no matter what verdict they may render.

Jmhoo

TY ! Been feeling the same way .

 

[oceanblueeyes]

I've been giving it some thought and wondering what kind of jobs these people have that are accommodating a 6 month leave of absence. The thought crossed my mind that they probably work for a company who is still giving them regular pay, or possibly unemployed. Either way the remaining jurors don't seem to be in a rush whatsoever. Maybe they are taking their time because they enjoy being on the jury and aren't ready to return to work. I could see them setting a deadline for the verdict as of this morning or tomorrow morning just because it would finish out the week for them before going back to real life.

Welcome to the deliberation thread!

I don't know the answer or their reasoning. You certainly may be correct.

All I know is they all come across as very lazy unable to devote many hours of deliberations afforded to them per day. Its shameful when it's such a serious case. Imo.

I believe JS told them they could deliberate even on Fridays if they wish. I will be shocked if they take advantage of it if they have not rendered a verdict before then.

While the DT has turned the trial itself into a three ring circus... the lazy nonchalant attitude of this jury has added to the weirdness of it.

I wish someone would be able to link another death penalty case where the jurors acted like this jury has done when deliberating a very serious case. Imo, I truly doubt one exist.

JMHOO

 

[MissJames]

Cathy Russon‏ @cathyrusson
#McStay - Deliberations are set to resume at 9 a.m. Jurors have deliberated a total of 17 hours so far. Charles Merritt is charged with 4 counts of 1st-degree murder in the bludgeoning deaths of the McStay family in 2010. He faces possibility of the death penalty if convicted.


JD Crighton‏ @JDCrighton
#McStay: Humm . . . 8:55 am and no jurors waiting to go in for deliberations


oh great ... they all forgot to show up? LOL

Good grief!!
Wonder if we’ll hear more about the DT affidavits due today?

 

[geevee]

@cathyrusson
#McStay - Change of plans. Jury starts deliberations today at 9:30

 

[missy1974]

Good grief!!
Wonder if we’ll hear more about the DT affidavits due today?

I'm not really expecting to hear anything about them, they will be filed, I'm assuming the State will file a motion, the defense will probably reply to that motion... the judge will either rule with just that or hold a hearing at some point. I don't know if we will hear or know about it at all.

 

[MissJames]

Welcome to the deliberation thread!

I don't know the answer or their reasoning. You certainly may be correct.

All I know is they all come across as very lazy unable to devote many hours of deliberations afforded to them per day. Its shameful when it's such a serious case. Imo.

I believe JS told them they could deliberate even on Fridays if they wish. I will be shocked if they take advantage of it if they have not rendered a verdict before then.

While the DT has turned the trial itself into a three ring circus... the lazy nonchalant attitude of this jury has added to the weirdness of it.

I wish someone would be able to link another death penalty case where the jurors acted like this jury has done when deliberating a very serious case. Imo, I truly doubt one exist.

JMHOO

I believe he told them they WOULD be deliberating on Fridays & the first Friday was only an exception since they had forgotten . At least one of them had plans last Friday.

 

[MissJames]

Welcome to the deliberation thread!

I don't know the answer or their reasoning. You certainly may be correct.

All I know is they all come across as very lazy unable to devote many hours of deliberations afforded to them per day. Its shameful when it's such a serious case. Imo.

I believe JS told them they could deliberate even on Fridays if they wish. I will be shocked if they take advantage of it if they have not rendered a verdict before then.

While the DT has turned the trial itself into a three ring circus... the lazy nonchalant attitude of this jury has added to the weirdness of it.

I wish someone would be able to link another death penalty case where the jurors acted like this jury has done when deliberating a very serious case. Imo, I truly doubt one exist.

JMHOO

Only the opposite , really .

From the Journal-Examiner
Lauren Pack -staff writer
Lindsey Partin verdict in death of 3 yr old Hannah Wesche
The jury deliberated for more than 12 hours on Friday before returning the verdicts shortly before 9:30 p.m.

 

[missy1974]

JD Crighton‏ @JDCrighton
Replying to **********
About half a dozen are here now

 

[LadyL]

Did Chase Merritt murder the McStay family?
This poll will close on Jun 17, 2019 at 7:34 AM.

1. *
   Guilty
   147 vote(s)
   92.5%
2. 
   Not Guilty
   12 vote(s)
   7.5%

POLL - Did Chase Merritt murder the McStay family?

Did Chase Merritt murder the McStay family?
This poll will close on Jun 17, 2019 at 7:34 AM.

1. *
   Guilty
   148 vote(s)
   92.5%
2. 
   Not Guilty
   12 vote(s)
   7.5%
   

 

[oceanblueeyes]

Never mind. I should have read before asking.

17 hours? That's like 3 court days really. Not too long.

I want to tell you once again how appreciative I am to see you are keeping up with this trial. You have been a huge asset for us all..like always.

Perhaps in CA, although I can't remember any CA death penalty case at the moment where the jury did not use all available time afforded to them.

I do know in my home state of Georgia the jury would have deliberated at least 35 to 40 hours by now or more.

I have followed several death penalty trials in Georgia. The juries select to deliberate long hours each and every day. They take full advantage of the judges telling them they can deliberate as many hours a day as they want...often working late into the night. I have also seen some GA. jurors coming in on Saturday's putting in another full day if necessary. A few I've followed even came in on Sundays after church if all jurors agreed.

So all of this lack of deliberations being done by these CA Merritt jurors is something I've never seen before.

Of course death penalty cases held in any other state does not take months, and months either for even the guilt phase to be over. Imo.

That includes even high profile death penalty cases where the guilt phase, and sentencing phase (if the defendant is convicted) is completely over with from 2 or 3 weeks for non high profile cases to an average of 4 to 8 weeks maximum for high profile cases.

JMHOO

 

[missy1974]

this was in L&C chat...

CathyRusson: McStay jurors haven't resumed deliberations yet

 

[missy1974]

JD Crighton‏ @JDCrighton 31s31 seconds ago
#McStay: Jurors are headed to the jury deliberation room now at 9:48 am in Day 5 of People vs Merritt capital murder trial.