NC - Laura Ackerson, 27, Kinston, 13 July 2011 #9

[MissSallyAnnie]

And the unmitigated gall of RG arguing for Amanda, to bring up the testimony of Heidi and what Laura wrote about Amanda! I don't think her argument went too far with JS, seems his heavy breathing got faster and faster at that point.

I understand the job of the defense attorney and all, but come on, really? Do we really need to stretch it out to use the victim's own words to help less the sentence of the murderer?

I can't get over that, it's just a bridge too far. Hey, RG, I believe Laura wrote those kind words about Amanda, which showed Laura's true character, long before A&G plotted and carried out one the more gruesome, inhumane murders we've seen in awhile.

Put a lid on it, lady!:banghead:

 

[MissSallyAnnie]

Did any of Laura's family attend the trial?

Her father attended both trials.

 

[Prancy]

I have heard that WRAL was reporting estimates of time defendant would likely serve and it was less than what I had thought. He was saying closer to serving 9 years. With credit for time served, that's only about 7 years. That is unreal. I'm trying to confirm they are right on this. It was supposedly on their 5:00 p.m. show. I couldn't locate it on their website.

 

[Cameron]

I may get thrown in there with her too MSA! I am not one of her fans but I would love to get some insight from her directly. And to check out which of her voices she may use to speak with me.
I am thinking the last 'news' that came out about M. Peterson was that the state WILL retry him. I hope they do it before he dies, the last time I saw news coverage of him he looked terrible--very old and frail. I was a bit surprised that they said they would retry him as I honestly thought it would go down to time served and just leave him alone because of the way he looks. I'm telling you, he looks 90 and is bent all over.

Peterson may outdo even Grant on the creep scale. Am freaked knowing he's housed up somewhere and moving among us. Just how closely is he being watched, anyhow? Anybody know how effective the ankle things really are?

And while I'm at it, another beef. Media beef, really. I want 'em to quit with the references to Peterson being a novelist; Grant a singer/songwriter; Amanda an actress. They need to be stripped of whatever celebrity or idea of entitlement those descriptions offer up. Now back to Laura.

 

[lib's mom]

Just watched it all. Really was glad the judge caught that at the end when the defense said that Laura and Amanda's roles could have been reversed if Amanda had met Grant first. That was pretty offensive IMO.

I posted about that up thread.

I expected nothing out of AH except "blah, blah, poor me, i so sorry, shout out to my defense team, nonsense, nonsense, nonsense, i sorry."

But that statement by defense was obscene. Just obscene.

It reminded me of something katiecoolady once posted:

"You went too far the minute you grabbed that straw that had the victim's good name etched on it. "

 

[Kensie]

I have heard that WRAL was reporting estimates of time defendant would likely serve and it was less than what I had thought. He was saying closer to serving 9 years. With credit for time served, that's only about 7 years. That is unreal. I'm trying to confirm they are right on this. It was supposedly on their 5:00 p.m. show. I couldn't locate it on their website.

We can only hope that she does not have good behavior.

 

[NCEast]

I have heard that WRAL was reporting estimates of time defendant would likely serve and it was less than what I had thought. He was saying closer to serving 9 years. With credit for time served, that's only about 7 years. That is unreal. I'm trying to confirm they are right on this. It was supposedly on their 5:00 p.m. show. I couldn't locate it on their website.

Somebody said upthread that WRAl is having a special tonight at 7pm with Amanda Lamb about the differences in GH and AH's trials. Maybe it will be mentioned in that?

 

[gregjrichards]

I'm glad there is a guilty verdict but it is terrible there is way too little jail time.

 

[Madeleine74]

Time to petition TX to indict her for the acid dumping when the time comes...

 

[MissSallyAnnie]

Amanda apologized to Laura's "kids" in her rambling, incoherent, insincere comments to the judge.

You mean those precious little boys you spent all your time and fortune plotting to steal from Laura? The boys you took "possession of"? The ones whose mother you butchered and fed to the alligators?

And what was all that blubbering about sorry to all the people who had to watch the trial? To all the people who investigated the crime? The media? What? The media? She was paying very close attention to her press.

She's just a monster, inside and out. Yes, I'm judging her, I just can't help myself, had to get it out there.

She makes me want to uke:

 

[borndem]

I heard 157 at the minimum also.

He also says the Prosecution did not show the mitigating factors to get the maximum?

Was that what I heard?

My heart is beating through my ears.

It should be "aggravating" factors, Anon -- your ears are okay -- your doubt was well-taken!!

There are three levels of length of sentence in the zero felony points category. (Someone with one or more prior felony convictions would receive longer sentences in all categories. There are 5 or 6 or 7 felony point brackets.)

Mitigating - factors here can lessen the Presumptive sentence
Presumptive - starting point for sentencing
Aggravating - factors here can increase the Presumptive sentence

See, in NC General Statutes, 15A-1340.16 - I would put it all here, but it is quite long. Here is the first small part of it:

§ 15A-1340.16. Aggravated and mitigated sentences.
(a) Generally, Burden of Proof. - The court shall consider evidence of aggravating or mitigating factors present in the offense that make an aggravated or mitigated sentence appropriate, but the decision to depart from the presumptive range is in the discretion of the court. The State bears the burden of proving beyond a reasonable doubt that an aggravating factor exists, and the offender bears the burden of proving by a preponderance of the evidence that a mitigating factor exists.


from: http://www.ncleg.net/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/BySection/Chapter_15A/GS_15A-1340.16.html

 

[geevee]

Oh! And Texas should try her for dumping acid and illegally disposing of a body. And those sentences should be required to be served after her NC sentence.

If there's a statute of limitations on any charges Texas can file against her, I wonder how they'll accomplish this? I would very much like to see her charged and convicted of those offenses here and serve the time for them, whether here or added onto her sentence in NC, hope Tx is thinking how to manage it.

 

[borndem]

I love me some Judge Stephens!!!!!!

Oh, 'East -- When I spoke with Becky Holt, I told her that she might mention to Judge Stephens that he has quite the fan club, and I added something like, "but he probably already knows that." And we both smiled.

I thought of you when I told her!! Just sayin'...

 

[borndem]

Yes, Judge is right.......She could have saved Laura and not participated, she wanted Laura dead.
Period.

Exactly, JF! -- The judge said about the same thing as so many of us have said. And she had opportunity after opportunity after opportunity.

 

[borndem]

Baby voiced manipulator is talking to the judge now. Trying her darndest to gain his sympathy.

:bricks:
​

:yuck:

 

[borndem]

IMO Amanda Hayes got off light and I blame it on the State and how BH dropped the ball in questioning the defendant. And then the State forgets to put aggravating factor/s so that the verdcit of murder2 could have a longer sentence. Who drops the ball in a murder/dismemberment case? This isn't jaywalking.

The Aggravated B2 sentence range for someone with no prior felony points (as AH would be) is 157--196 months .... Now that's a bit more like it!!

But the judge just can't do it on a whim -- ya gotta give him ammunition.

 

[borndem]

Disgusting, and I feel bad for Laura's family.

RIP Sweet Laura. More Justice will come another day..

Well, they're both in the slam:jail:mer -- and those days will seem much longer than ours, I'm sure.

And there won't be many legit jobs that LH can get with her new Felony degree when she leaves prison... but she may come up with some icky alternatives. And who will fund her canteen account, because apparently the food is, well, not so hot. Pity, that.

 

[east2west]

Peterson may outdo even Grant on the creep scale. Am freaked knowing he's housed up somewhere and moving among us. Just how closely is he being watched, anyhow? Anybody know how effective the ankle things really are?

And while I'm at it, another beef. Media beef, really. I want 'em to quit with the references to Peterson being a novelist; Grant a singer/songwriter; Amanda an actress. They need to be stripped of whatever celebrity or idea of entitlement those descriptions offer up. Now back to Laura.

Kinda like Arias being a Artist and an aspiring Photographer. really just a waitress who also likes to take pictures.

 

[Prancy]

It should be "aggravating" factors, Anon -- your ears are okay -- your doubt was well-taken!!

There are three levels of length of sentence in the zero felony points category. (Someone with one or more prior felony convictions would receive longer sentences in all categories. There are 5 or 6 or 7 felony point brackets.)

Mitigating - factors here can lessen the Presumptive sentence
Presumptive - starting point for sentencing
Aggravating - factors here can increase the Presumptive sentence

See, in NC General Statutes, 15A-1340.16 - I would put it all here, but it is quite long. Here is the first small part of it:

§ 15A-1340.16. Aggravated and mitigated sentences.
(a) Generally, Burden of Proof. - The court shall consider evidence of aggravating or mitigating factors present in the offense that make an aggravated or mitigated sentence appropriate, but the decision to depart from the presumptive range is in the discretion of the court. The State bears the burden of proving beyond a reasonable doubt that an aggravating factor exists, and the offender bears the burden of proving by a preponderance of the evidence that a mitigating factor exists.


from: http://www.ncleg.net/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/BySection/Chapter_15A/GS_15A-1340.16.html

It looks like d(7) might have been the only thing they could have offered on the list. As bad as it was, I don't think there was much more the state could do. Plus, since they couldn't prove just how Laura was killed, they couldn't show it was especially cruel or heinous. The aftermath was, but they only found Amanda guilty of the murder and not necessarily of the dismemberment.

Also, can someone tell me when the judge said anything about the state not offering Aggravating. I watched the sentencing and didn't hear that. He said there no priors, so it was a level one punishment, but I didn't hear anything else about him not having anything.

 

[MissSallyAnnie]

Amanda gave a hard glare to those jurors when they were polled by the judge. I reckon' that right 'bout now, she is very angry with them for causing her to go to prison. :jail:

On ABC11, they put cations on the video of Amanda's little speech; perhaps I wasn't the only one who couldn't hear clearly due to the fire breathing dragon. And I don't mean that as an insult, just saying the Honorable JS was a little too close to the mike.

Here's the link in case anyone is interested:
http://abclocal.go.com/wtvd/story?section=news/local&id=9435959