OH - Clermont County father lined up sons 3, 4, and 7, executed with rifle, mother injured trying to protect them, June 2023

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BBM. I mean publication of the video being prejudicial to the defendant. Decades ago, a NY federal Court ruled that even staged perp walks are highly prejudicial and inflammatory to the perp prior to trial. The intent of cops/DA (is to convict) and the media is to humiliate the perp. The more click bait, the happier the media!

CD is a suspect but he still has rights. His strip search was recorded by LE and then publicly released which could be highly prejudicial to his receiving a fair trial with an impartial jury. I want the defendant to have a fair trial.

A few decades ago, a Federal judge in NY State ruled that perp walks on public sidewalks are too prejudicial and the media accepted that decision.

JMO


I understand where you’re coming from. And it’s possible that there could be repercussions as a result of this kind of footage, in the form of lawsuits, in the future. Either in this case or the many others which feature arrestees being booked. (They’re all over YouTube)

But it has nothing to do with his confessions being thrown out as you suggested.

First: The case you discussed was a 42 USC 1983 civil rights lawsuit against the officer who did the perp walk. It had nothing to do with whether evidence against the plaintiff who had been arrested, was admissible in the criminal case against him. That was civil litigation. It had nothing to do with his criminal charges.

“Lauro brought suit against Charles, the City of New York, and the Police Department under 42 U.S.C. § 1983, alleging violations of the Fourth Amendment, the Sixth Amendment, the Eighth Amendment, and the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, as well as numerous violations of New York state law, stemming from his arrest and from the perp walk.” Lauro v. Charles, 219 F.3d 202 | Casetext Search + Citator

Second, the perp walk in that case was staged. It wasn’t a legitimate walk into the station arrest. He had already been arrested. That’s what made the event problematic for the court.

Third, nowadays, every last thing is recorded due to the issues with law enforcement brutality. This ensures that such behavior can’t be brushed under the rug. The public also has rights to information about a criminal case. The public also has a right to ensure we don’t have secret criminal trials and arrests. So the media and the public can request that info and LE can release it due to the arrest being of public interest, even in the absence of a media request.

Fourth, that was a federal appellate decision. So that covers federal cases. Not state cases. If it was a state appellate decision that would be different. And then it would have to be an Ohio state appellate decision to be controlling.

Fifth, perp walks continue to be recorded. The media has not stopped recording and publishing perp walks. We see them continuously. Including in NY:

And neither the media nor LE has been successfully sued, for unstaged perp walks. Moreover, it has not led to anyone’ charges being dropped or evidence being deemed inadmissible.

So, while one may argue that such a thing is prejudicial, it’s not going to affect a possible conviction in this case. Some may be happy about that. Others may not.

I get the argument. But it’s hard for me to care in this particular case.
 
.i wonder why she diudnt try to hurt him or even kill him instead of fighting over the gun..not victim blaming

sandy, In an emergency, you're going into either "fight"(including problem-solving), flight, freeze, or panic.

I once read that fighting back and problem-solving isn't most people's natural reaction. Most will do one of the others.

And if you're mentally panicking or feel frozen in terror, you're going to do the first reaction you manage.

If for her that meant trying to push away the weapon, she was doing amazing, to do that, in spite of the panic and terror.
 
My view of this is different. It’s been reported that various neighbours said he shouted a lot and was abusive. I wonder if he could have built up to a crescendo of feeling completely useless as a man and as a father. Chad is reasonably short and slight in build, he looks tiny compared to the police officers.

<modsnip - speculation outside the bounds of the known facts of the case>

So, there’s two directions here. He could have believed he was a failure as a man, which meant the boys would be failures too, so he killed them. Maybe everyone always emphasised how like him the boys were. Maybe in some crazy way he believed he was saving them from failing like him, or having years more anger from him, a lousy dad.

Or, he killed the boys to show that he isn’t a failure, because he’s strong enough to kill 3 of his children. It‘s a great big show of masculinity.

Part of my thought process is because of the way he behaved when the police arrived. He tried to do a man to man thing, a sort of attempt to interact with them on a dude to dude basis. I’m fine, don’t worry about me kicking off, I’m not on drugs, I’m not drunk, I’m not a danger and I’m even telling the dog to cooperate. He seemed genuinely surprised when they were what he clearly felt was aggressive. He protested, reiterating how reasonable he’s being. He seemed to think they’d just tell him to get in the car and we’ll sort it out down at the police station.

It’s also possible that he stated he was sober and not on drugs to essentially take ownership of the situation. I killed them and I knew exactly what I was doing. I don’t need alcohol and drugs to kill. I’m a man. It was also him continuing to have control in the situation.

When he asked for protection in the court, he was calm. It was an all male court and one man called him a coward, which was like switching a switch. He did not like that. But he’s still trying to influence the decision making. He still wants to show that he knows exactly what’s happening and that he’s a useful part of the conversation. He’s not raging, he’s calm. Always helpful. He’s cooperating.

The tears are interesting as is him staying alive. Why didn’t he kill himself? It could be because he wanted to see the consequences for his wife. This was all a punishment for her. Often this is the reason. But I’m not so sure. Maybe he’s punishing himself. He knows he did something unspeakably awful and he’s ‘taking it as a man’. Killing himself would have been cowardly and as we’ve seen, that is a massive trigger point for him. Whatever the consequences, he’ll take it.

Only time will tell.
 
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sandy, In an emergency, you're going into either "fight"(including problem-solving), flight, freeze, or panic.

I once read that fighting back and problem-solving isn't most people's natural reaction. Most will do one of the others.

And if you're mentally panicking or feel frozen in terror, you're going to do the first reaction you manage.

If for her that meant trying to push away the weapon, she was doing amazing, to do that, in spite of the panic and terror.
yes..but its also interesting to look at ( survival instinct ) ..and how even a mother can unconsciously enter survival mode
I dont know if this the case here ..but my own mother faced an intruder with a weapon in the dark in backyard in her youth..my brother was a tiny toddler with her ..she really ran away instead of holding my bro..she screamed at him to run after her
luckly the intruder was a coward and left quickly ..but we always remind her of that..she said she had no way of thinking ..it was a reaction
its really one of the scariest aspects of being a human
 
My view of this is different. It’s been reported that various neighbours said he shouted a lot and was abusive. I wonder if he could have built up to a crescendo of feeling completely useless as a man and as a father. Chad is reasonably short and slight in build, he looks tiny compared to the police officers.

<modsnip - speculation outside the bounds of the known facts of the case>

So, there’s two directions here. He could have believed he was a failure as a man, which meant the boys would be failures too, so he killed them. Maybe everyone always emphasised how like him the boys were. Maybe in some crazy way he believed he was saving them from failing like him, or having years more anger from him, a lousy dad.

Or, he killed the boys to show that he isn’t a failure, because he’s strong enough to kill 3 of his children. It‘s a great big show of masculinity.

Part of my thought process is because of the way he behaved when the police arrived. He tried to do a man to man thing, a sort of attempt to interact with them on a dude to dude basis. I’m fine, don’t worry about me kicking off, I’m not on drugs, I’m not drunk, I’m not a danger and I’m even telling the dog to cooperate. He seemed genuinely surprised when they were what he clearly felt was aggressive. He protested, reiterating how reasonable he’s being. He seemed to think they’d just tell him to get in the car and we’ll sort it out down at the police station.

It’s also possible that he stated he was sober and not on drugs to essentially take ownership of the situation. I killed them and I knew exactly what I was doing. I don’t need alcohol and drugs to kill. I’m a man. It was also him continuing to have control in the situation.

When he asked for protection in the court, he was calm. It was an all male court and one man called him a coward, which was like switching a switch. He did not like that. But he’s still trying to influence the decision making. He still wants to show that he knows exactly what’s happening and that he’s a useful part of the conversation. He’s not raging, he’s calm. Always helpful. He’s cooperating.

The tears are interesting as is him staying alive. Why didn’t he kill himself? It could be because he wanted to see the consequences for his wife. This was all a punishment for her. Often this is the reason. But I’m not so sure. Maybe he’s punishing himself. He knows he did something unspeakably awful and he’s ‘taking it as a man’. Killing himself would have been cowardly and as we’ve seen, that is a massive trigger point for him. Whatever the consequences, he’ll take it.

Only time will tell.
Yeah, because nothing says masculinity like being a baby killer. Heaven forbid you should actually deal with your emotions in a healthy way.

Spell it with me, folks. THERAPY. Even if you think your childhood was fine with no issues. Go to damn therapy and leave your kids alone.

MOO
 
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yes..but its also interesting to look at ( survival instinct ) ..and how even a mother can unconsciously enter survival mode
I dont know if this the case here ..but my own mother faced an intruder with a weapon in the dark in backyard in her youth..my brother was a tiny toddler with her ..she really ran away instead of holding my bro..she screamed at him to run after her
luckly the intruder was a coward and left quickly ..but we always remind her of that..she said she had no way of thinking ..it was a reaction
its really one of the scariest aspects of being a human
We all have individual reactions, with age being an important factor. She was presumably not an adult, facing an armed adult. As a woman, I believe we have the added terror of rape, particularly when the attacker is a stranger. Sometimes our legs work faster than our minds.

I think in this instance, perhaps the mother initially couldn’t believe what was happening and then perhaps she felt the boys couldn’t be saved, but her daughter could. None of us can ever know the trauma of seeing the unimaginable happen in front of you. When your husband is hunting down and killing your babies, I don’t know how you can do very much at all, physically or mentally.
 
I understand where you’re coming from. And it’s possible that there could be repercussions as a result of this kind of footage, in the form of lawsuits, in the future. Either in this case or the many others which feature arrestees being booked. (They’re all over YouTube)

But it has nothing to do with his confessions being thrown out as you suggested.

First: The case you discussed was a 42 USC 1983 civil rights lawsuit against the officer who did the perp walk. It had nothing to do with whether evidence against the plaintiff who had been arrested, was admissible in the criminal case against him. That was civil litigation. It had nothing to do with his criminal charges.

“Lauro brought suit against Charles, the City of New York, and the Police Department under 42 U.S.C. § 1983, alleging violations of the Fourth Amendment, the Sixth Amendment, the Eighth Amendment, and the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, as well as numerous violations of New York state law, stemming from his arrest and from the perp walk.” Lauro v. Charles, 219 F.3d 202 | Casetext Search + Citator

Second, the perp walk in that case was staged. It wasn’t a legitimate walk into the station arrest. He had already been arrested. That’s what made the event problematic for the court.

Third, nowadays, every last thing is recorded due to the issues with law enforcement brutality. This ensures that such behavior can’t be brushed under the rug. The public also has rights to information about a criminal case. The public also has a right to ensure we don’t have secret criminal trials and arrests. So the media and the public can request that info and LE can release it due to the arrest being of public interest, even in the absence of a media request.

Fourth, that was a federal appellate decision. So that covers federal cases. Not state cases. If it was a state appellate decision that would be different. And then it would have to be an Ohio state appellate decision to be controlling.

Fifth, perp walks continue to be recorded. The media has not stopped recording and publishing perp walks. We see them continuously. Including in NY:

And neither the media nor LE has been successfully sued, for unstaged perp walks. Moreover, it has not led to anyone’ charges being dropped or evidence being deemed inadmissible.

So, while one may argue that such a thing is prejudicial, it’s not going to affect a possible conviction in this case. Some may be happy about that. Others may not.

I get the argument. But it’s hard for me to care in this particular case.
That's not my argument. Defendants have successfully sued about perp walks and won. That's a fact. How many links do I need to post?

And in New York, while former Mayor Giuliana enjoyed inflicting the humiliation of perp walks, especially in financial crimes, a Federal Judge said "nope" in a very big way. They are no longer allowed. This is likely the reason former President Donald Trump was allowed to enter the courthouse from a back entrance for his recent indictment.

The father accused of murdering his three sons is entitled to a fair trial, do you not agree? We don't know if the man was suffering from a mental health disease such as schizophrenia, do we? We do not know if he thought his children also were afflicted with the hereditary disease, do we? The answer is NO.

JMO
I understand where you’re coming from. And it’s possible that there could be repercussions as a result of this kind of footage, in the form of lawsuits, in the future. Either in this case or the many others which feature arrestees being booked. (They’re all over YouTube)

But it has nothing to do with his confessions being thrown out as you suggested.

First: The case you discussed was a 42 USC 1983 civil rights lawsuit against the officer who did the perp walk. It had nothing to do with whether evidence against the plaintiff who had been arrested, was admissible in the criminal case against him. That was civil litigation. It had nothing to do with his criminal charges.

“Lauro brought suit against Charles, the City of New York, and the Police Department under 42 U.S.C. § 1983, alleging violations of the Fourth Amendment, the Sixth Amendment, the Eighth Amendment, and the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, as well as numerous violations of New York state law, stemming from his arrest and from the perp walk.” Lauro v. Charles, 219 F.3d 202 | Casetext Search + Citator

Second, the perp walk in that case was staged. It wasn’t a legitimate walk into the station arrest. He had already been arrested. That’s what made the event problematic for the court.

Third, nowadays, every last thing is recorded due to the issues with law enforcement brutality. This ensures that such behavior can’t be brushed under the rug. The public also has rights to information about a criminal case. The public also has a right to ensure we don’t have secret criminal trials and arrests. So the media and the public can request that info and LE can release it due to the arrest being of public interest, even in the absence of a media request.

Fourth, that was a federal appellate decision. So that covers federal cases. Not state cases. If it was a state appellate decision that would be different. And then it would have to be an Ohio state appellate decision to be controlling.

Fifth, perp walks continue to be recorded. The media has not stopped recording and publishing perp walks. We see them continuously. Including in NY:

And neither the media nor LE has been successfully sued, for unstaged perp walks. Moreover, it has not led to anyone’ charges being dropped or evidence being deemed inadmissible.

So, while one may argue that such a thing is prejudicial, it’s not going to affect a possible conviction in this case. Some may be happy about that. Others may not.

I get the argument. But it’s hard for me to care in this particular case.
We'll agree to disagree. I've never seen a Youtube video of a suspect in a death penalty case being photographed while being booked and strip searched.

JMO
 
sandy, In an emergency, you're going into either "fight"(including problem-solving), flight, freeze, or panic.

I once read that fighting back and problem-solving isn't most people's natural reaction. Most will do one of the others.

And if you're mentally panicking or feel frozen in terror, you're going to do the first reaction you manage.

If for her that meant trying to push away the weapon, she was doing amazing, to do that, in spite of the panic and terror.
She was probably stunned by disbelief. Literally could not comprehend what was happening.
 
That's not my argument. Defendants have successfully sued about perp walks and won. That's a fact. How many links do I need to post?

And in New York, while former Mayor Giuliana enjoyed inflicting the humiliation of perp walks, especially in financial crimes, a Federal Judge said "nope" in a very big way. They are no longer allowed. This is likely the reason former President Donald Trump was allowed to enter the courthouse from a back entrance for his recent indictment.

The father accused of murdering his three sons is entitled to a fair trial, do you not agree? We don't know if the man was suffering from a mental health disease such as schizophrenia, do we? We do not know if he thought his children also were afflicted with the hereditary disease, do we? The answer is NO.

JMO

We'll agree to disagree. I've never seen a Youtube video of a suspect in a death penalty case being photographed while being booked and strip searched.

JMO
Actually, with respect, you provided no link supporting what you’re saying- that perp walks are no longer allowed.

In fact, in the case you didn’t cite to but linked to an article about, the officer who was served was found to have been qualified immunity and thus he could not be held liable.

As to what you argued, you stated:

“The reason there are few videos of bookings is because jail booking areas are off limits to the news media because courts consider such videos to be highly prejudicial.”

“I wonder if the defense will use this to get his confession thrown out or the death penalty off the table.”

Jail booking areas are off limits to media because they’re jail booking areas. They’re busy places with serious stuff happening. They aren’t off limits to the media due to courts considering such videos to be “highly prejudicial”.

Again, the decision you discussed was a federal decision from 2000 that covers federal jurisdiction. Not state. It had to do with liability on the part of law enforcement. Not sentences being reduced or confessions thrown out. It also had to do with STAGED perp walks only. This is not a matter of opinion. It’s simply fact.

Please provide links to decisions about perp walks or releasing booking videos that could possibly affect this case.

Jails are not considered private places where privacy rights are involved except for HIPAA issues and actual footage of naked/unclothed bodies and people engaging in showering or relieving themselves.

LE releases footage when they receive FOIA requests. They are allowed to redact any information that would be considered private, such as the two things I mentioned above.

Yes, there could be an argument that releasing footage is prejudicial, depending on the content. So, confessions may be redacted. Moreover, if a court issues a ruling sealing evidence and/or information about the case, that can halt a release of this information.

Otherwise, it is perfectly legal and will not affect the case.

Note that in this case, what was released was redacted. That could be due to medical info being divulged. It could also be due to incriminating statements that are evidentiary, which LE/the DA felt must be withheld because the investigation is ongoing. Evidence is often lawfully withheld from the public when an investigation is ongoing.

Yes. I’ve never seen such footage previously in a case of this magnitude. But that doesn’t mean it can’t be. The most I can see affecting the case due to the release is the court granting a change of venue.
 
We don't know the history here, but I suspect that domestic violence was involved.

Sadly, this case reminds so much of many women I have met, who came seeking information about leaving domestic violence situations. The reality of a woman, with four children, leaving an abusive spouse, is that there are not a lot of resources or supports available.

They came, looking at what resources are available, and there wasn't much I could offer. A room in a shelter, for all of them to share, food stamps, help getting a job somewhere, usually low wages.

We don't know if there was domestic violence here, but we have heard from neighbors that yelling was a common occurrence from the home. I hope that the Mother doesn't blame herself. She had no way of knowing her spouse would do such a heinous action. Who would even consider that a spouse would shoot his own children?
 
Bbm.
I might understand what you're saying, and tbh I have no idea at this point.
Was he functioning in a way that a mentally ill person couldn't ?

Or, he could be psychotic and sadistic, but not mentally ill; i.e., unable to understand right from wrong.
"Cruel" or "evil" do not necessarily mean mentally ill ... I think that's possibly what others were referring to ?

What's even more frightening is to think he could be diagnosed with a normal mind but seething with rage and maybe also an injustice collector ?
I.e., "Look what you made me do , this was your fault for daring to disobey me ." Etc.
Remembering every little grievance, even if imagined.
At least that's how I'm seeing this killer atm.

It's just that imo he may certainly be a psychopath and apparently some of the neighbor picked up on it as well in the recent weeks and days.
Someone here in the forum who has more medical or psychological background can chime in and welcome.
When I see these types of heinous crimes, I think injustice collector.
 
CLERMONT COUNTY, Ohio —

The man accused of shooting and killing his three young sons in Clermont County appeared in court Wednesday morning.

A standard gag order has been put in during Wednesday's pre-trial hearing in the murder trial of Chad Doerman, barring parties from discussing the case publicly but there are circumstances in which attorneys could talk, such as things that happen in open court and in the course of their duties as stewards of the court.

Doerman’s defense team contends that the prosecutors' statements that he intended to have Doerman executed could prejudice a potential jury.

His defense said in court documents that if the gag order was not issued they would seek a change of venue as the only other alternative to the publicity.

 
CLERMONT COUNTY, Ohio (WXIX) - The Clermont County father charged with gunning down his three sons returned to court Wednesday for his pre-trial hearing.

The defense team for Chad Doerman attempted to obtain a protection order to limit the number of details prosecutors reveal in this case, according to court records obtained by FOX19 NOW.

During the pre-trial, Clermont County Common Pleas Court Judge Richard Ferenc said he will not issue a “broad protection order” and that both the defense and state need to have “caution” when speaking with the media.

Doerman was present in the courtroom Wednesday, but media outlets were not allowed to record or stream the hearing.

The defense’s June 26 request for a protection order states that it is not designed to protect anyone from physical harm but rather to protect the integrity of the case by prohibiting either party from speaking to the media about the case.

The defense contends in the filing that interviews with journalists following Doerman’s initial court appearance were “inflammatory and prejudicial.”

The state filed a response on Monday arguing the statements that this is a death penalty case were merely stating the charges and the possible penalties.

Doerman will return to court on Sept. 12 at 11 a.m.

 

Chad Doerman, accused of executing 3 sons, appears in court​

Posted at 1:36 PM, July 5, 2023 and last updated 9:23 PM, July 5, 2023
By: Christian LeDuc , Valerie Lyons

BATAVIA, Ohio (Scripps News Cincinnati) — The Clermont County man who told investigators he killed his three young sons appeared in court Wednesday morning for a pre-trial hearing that was largely procedural.

[…]

In court Wednesday, Doerman’s defense team requested funding from the court to hire non-legal counsel, including mental health experts and other investigators.

Prosecutors signed off on that request allowing the judge to adjourn the pre-trial hearing and enter into a private session with the defense to discuss those details.

[ …]

Terpstra said the prosecution was not opposed to an order restricting the parties from speaking with the media outside what is said in open court but requested Ferenc craft a new, less broad version of the one submitted by the defense.

Ferenc agreed the motion was too broad and spent the rest of the morning working to narrow it down.

“Obviously, everybody is going to be making comments in open court on the record and that’s appropriate,” he said. “Obviously, nothing in this order would restrict the state’s obligation to release public records. That’s not the issue. This is not directed at the media at all. There’s no restrictions on what the media can report and how they can report it.”

Doerman’s next pre-trial court date is scheduled for September 22 at 11 a.m.

Scripps News Cincinnati was going to live stream the court appearance, but when its photojournalist arrived, the court said it would not allow a live stream.

[…]

 
CLERMONT COUNTY, Ohio —

The man accused of shooting and killing his three young sons in Clermont County appeared in court Wednesday morning.

A standard gag order has been put in during Wednesday's pre-trial hearing in the murder trial of Chad Doerman, barring parties from discussing the case publicly but there are circumstances in which attorneys could talk, such as things that happen in open court and in the course of their duties as stewards of the court.

Doerman’s defense team contends that the prosecutors' statements that he intended to have Doerman executed could prejudice a potential jury.

His defense said in court documents that if the gag order was not issued they would seek a change of venue as the only other alternative to the publicity.


I mean pretty sure the fact he murdered his 3 young sons in cold blood, chasing one down and ripping another from his mother's arms and shooting them at such close range that they had powder marks on their heads is gonna be pretty prejudicial to the Jury pool, but OK, sure, the prosecutor saying he won't give details at this time because he intends to seek the death penalty could do it too, I guess :rolleyes:
 
June 23

Chad Doerman’s defense attorney, Mark Meyers, has experience with multiple murder cases. Meyers defended Jake Wagner - who pleaded guilty for his role in the Pike County Massacre.


Doerman will eventually plead guilty too. It's just too early right now and they're trying to get the least worse possible outcome but he's not getting away with a crime like this. He can't be having a great time incarcerated either...
 
Doerman will eventually plead guilty too. It's just too early right now and they're trying to get the least worse possible outcome but he's not getting away with a crime like this. He can't be having a great time incarcerated either...
Why do you think that he will plead guilty ?
I dont know what kinda person he is other than a messed up one .
If he is bipolar he might plead one way one day and another another day. So there are those issues to deal with .
If he is the evil man people appear to think he is then wouldnt he be loving all the ways to torment his victim ? He has showed some extreme examples already so why would he not think this was like an after dinner mint?
Curoius is all . No offence . The ''he cant be having a great time'' part of your post ,inspired a whole line of questions.
 
Why do you think that he will plead guilty ?
I dont know what kinda person he is other than a messed up one .
If he is bipolar he might plead one way one day and another another day. So there are those issues to deal with .
If he is the evil man people appear to think he is then wouldnt he be loving all the ways to torment his victim ? He has showed some extreme examples already so why would he not think this was like an after dinner mint?
Curoius is all . No offence . The ''he cant be having a great time'' part of your post ,inspired a whole line of questions.
I don't think, down the line, he will be advised to do otherwise. In my opinion, he plead not guilty now because they're trying to play the game and see was the least worse options for him.

About the having a great time incarcerated... he executed three children, his own children, most people frown upon that type of crime. He's not making any friends there, in my opinion.
 

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