VERDICT WATCH FL - Doug Benefield, 58, shot and killed by estranged wife, Manatee County, 27 Sept 2020

[twall]

I find manslaughter to be a really difficult charge to predict what the sentence will be in every jurisdiction I can think of, or how long before parole becomes an option. Sometimes the sentence is decades, sometimes it's astonishingly low!

I'm also wondering (well ahead of time) if AB will be allowed to wear street clothes at her sentence hearing or if she'll have to wear prison scrubs and shackles in court?

JMO

I thought Florida abolished parole and now do mandatory minimums which the convicted has to serve 85% of sentence before being considered for release. IMO

She will be in jail clothes and restraints at sentencing since she has been convicted.

 

[MTW2011]

I remember that and have mentioned it many times here..one juror had some issues this week and once you start deliberating you can't take a day off...it was no doubt today. Personally I find that situation troubling to get a verdict under that pressure. I thought that person should be an alternate...judge mentioned that attorneys took them knowing this. I don't think it is "partly why they continued so late". I think it is the reason. It might have even been the juror who changed? At the late hour I wanted judge to send them home but not the way it worked out. I suspect Taylor knew what was behind this late deliberation as did the judge. I guess there is nothing that can be done but this fact bothered me. They can adjust court times and days based on important appointments for jury but once deliberations start no way and they were right up to the wall on this one.

I agree with you.

Did you hear the juror who asked if “there’s no other options?” after the Judge told them they need to decide if they wanted to go home for the evening and return tomorrow. I don’t know what she meant by that, but from the Judge’s immediate reply to her, it didn’t give an answer as to whether they were “other options”. Who knows what she could’ve been referring to though.

I think if some of them wanted to return the next day, and some of the jurors couldn’t - they surely would’ve mentioned that to them, right? At least I think so.

If I couldn’t come in the next day, I wouldn’t be agreeing with the group “let’s come back tomorrow”, I would let them know that I’m not able to do that. Now whether that happened, and/or if the unavailability of several jurors affected the timeline and decision making - no idea. I’m not saying they did anything wrong either. JMOO

 

[Wishbone]

Agreed - she will likely end up at Lowell Correctional in Ocala - a ~2 hour drive from Bradenton so mom can bring her daughter up to see her on weekends. More important question is how she'll make out in a max security women's prison with some really nasty women.

She will seduce a protector for herself and carry on.JMOO

 

[turaj]

I agree with you.

Did you hear the juror who asked if “there’s no other options?” after the Judge told them they need to decide if they wanted to go home for the evening and return tomorrow. I don’t know what she meant by that, but from the Judge’s immediate reply to her, it didn’t give an answer as to whether they were “other options”. Who knows what she could’ve been referring to though.

I think if some of them wanted to return the next day, and some of the jurors couldn’t - they surely would’ve mentioned that to them, right? At least I think so.

If I couldn’t come in the next day, I wouldn’t be agreeing with the group “let’s come back tomorrow”, I would let them know that I’m not able to do that. Now whether that happened, and/or if the unavailability of several jurors affected the timeline and decision making - no idea. I’m not saying they did anything wrong either. JMOO

my guess is it is one juror and again my guess it is medical in nature...could be a long waited very important meeting, procedure or surgery. The attorneys took this juror knowing this. I would not be surprised if that juror is the one that asked that question maybe thinking they could take a day off deliberations??? I mean these people don't follow trials like we do and are probably not attorneys so maybe thought they could. I would not want to have been that person (I am thinking one) that changed. Usually the judge will give them a pep talk and talk about sticking with your convictions but being able to listen to others thoughts etc. They were just told to go back and see if they want to go home. This was very unusual. Most are ignoring this because more or less she was convicted but if the result had been NG with the same lead up I bet there would be more talk about this. Why they let a juror deliberate with that kind of deadline I just don't know. Did this trial run much longer than expected? It seemed pretty fast if not rushed to me.

 

[scapa]

Verdict makes the news across the pond via The Guardian:

(Nothing really new in the article but not many US verdicts get covered here -- certainly a dubious "honour," but there it is)

Former ballerina convicted in Florida over shooting death of husband

Ashley Benefield had been charged with second-degree murder with a firearm, but was convicted of manslaughter

www.theguardian.com

 

[MTW2011]

my guess is it is one juror and again my guess it is medical in nature...could be a long waited very important meeting, procedure or surgery. The attorneys took this juror knowing this. I would not be surprised if that juror is the one that asked that question maybe thinking they could take a day off deliberations??? I mean these people don't follow trials like we do and are probably not attorneys so maybe thought they could. I would not want to have been that person (I am thinking one) that changed. Usually the judge will give them a pep talk and talk about sticking with your convictions but being able to listen to others thoughts etc. They were just told to go back and see if they want to go home. This was very unusual. Most are ignoring this because more or less she was convicted but if the result had been NG with the same lead up I bet there would be more talk about this. Why they let a juror deliberate with that kind of deadline I just don't know. Did this trial run much longer than expected? It seemed pretty fast if not rushed to me.

just want to say I completely agree with you. You’ve said a lot of my thoughts much more eloquently than I could articulate