Post Verdict - Ross Harris Trial

[NCTeacher]

I'm not sure what you're talking about.

He's talking about me. I went drove from NC to Atlanta for the sentencing, drove the route, and inspected the space Ross parked in. Anyone on the fence would fall off quickly if they saw the awkwardness of that spot.

 

[NCTeacher]

Imo he should drive to the parking spot like you did....would make him change his tune I'm sure....

Lord, I'm telling you, I don't know why the prosecution didn't present evidence showing this. I would certainly get an "objection" for it, but if I were an attorney I would've said "see this, see this here curb jetting in to the spot by X inches. Ain't nobody in their righ' mind gonna park in that spot unless they wanna take the chance of running over the darn curb and tearin' up the bottom of their car! You tha, Juror four--you're runnin' late for work, you drive past that skinny slot, would you back up and try and meander your way into that crazy spot, would you park in that spot?" Kidding, just kidding. Seriously though, if this thing goes back to trial I'm going to personally email the prosecution team and get their perspective of the spot.

 

[NCTeacher]

So now, we have an appeal. Wunderbar. Now I can stress some more about this case

 

[MrX]

Think Scott Peterson. Not all people are equipped to be parents. ...so what if he wasted his education?

If he was like Scott he would have killed Leanna. Scott made it clear to anyone who would listen that he never wanted kids. No one saw Ross as anything other than a loving father. I believe the plan for 9th Hour Development was for each member to make an extra 20K per year, to start. So you are suggesting that Ross couldn't wait and decided to commit murder to get a jump start on that 20K from life insurance? You are right, we all have different tastes but I still see zero motive.


As for Ross' education and experience, I am trying to look at this from the persepective of a Warden and his staff. Prison programs are geared toward teaching habitual offenders how to sign their names and hold jobs as dish washers. No matter what you may think of Ross, he has more in common with the staff than any inmate he will ever meet. Since he is never leaving, wouldn't it behoove the prison staff to make him as productive as possible? I'm sure eventually he will be teaching computer classes - perhaps that's why they assigned him where they did.

 

[neesaki]

If he was like Scott he would have killed Leanna. Scott made it clear to anyone who would listen that he never wanted kids. No one saw Ross as anything other than a loving father. I believe the plan for 9th Hour Development was for each member to make an extra 20K per year, to start. So you are suggesting that Ross couldn't wait and decided to commit murder to get a jump start on that 20K from life insurance? You are right, we all have different tastes but I still see zero motive.


As for Ross' education and experience, I am trying to look at this from the persepective of a Warden and his staff. Prison programs are geared toward teaching habitual offenders how to sign their names and hold jobs as dish washers. No matter what you may think of Ross, he has more in common with the staff than any inmate he will ever meet. Since he is never leaving, wouldn't it behoove the prison staff to make him as productive as possible? I'm sure eventually he will be teaching computer classes - perhaps that's why they assigned him where they did.

So Scott Peterson killed Lacy and his unborn child. And RH didn't kill his wife, but killed his already born, very conscious child.... his baby suffered in an unthinkable manner, was baked to death in a hot car in the summer in the deep South. Idk, in my book they're both monsters either way you shake it. JMO

 

[katydid23]

That could be. But it may help with Harris winning this appeal. JMO

True. I guess it will depend upon whether there isa legal precedent for the judge to ask for the notes to be shared with the State. I don't know if that is common or unusual or what.

But I do know that this is a very experienced, intelligent judge with lots of experience with appeals cases. She served in the County Superior Court. So I think she probably stayed within some legal guidelines in the way she worded her ruling.

I searched several times to find any cases that she had reversed for judicial error---I didn't find anything. Maybe I looked in the wrong places. who knows...

 

[RANCH]

Here's a link to the defense motion for a new trial. I'm only on page 10 of 30 and may not finish reading it tonight. After reading I'll make some comments.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1kEFvJad0DvT2dxVVlXZlVfaU0/view

 

[RANCH]

True. I guess it will depend upon whether there isa legal precedent for the judge to ask for the notes to be shared with the State. I don't know if that is common or unusual or what.

But I do know that this is a very experienced, intelligent judge with lots of experience with appeals cases. She served in the County Superior Court. So I think she probably stayed within some legal guidelines in the way she worded her ruling.

I searched several times to find any cases that she had reversed for judicial error---I didn't find anything. Maybe I looked in the wrong places. who knows...

I need to read the entire motion and do some more research but so far I think the defense has a good chance at a retrial with the Dr Diamond notes situation alone. JMO

 

[LinasK]

If he was like Scott he would have killed Leanna. Scott made it clear to anyone who would listen that he never wanted kids. No one saw Ross as anything other than a loving father. I believe the plan for 9th Hour Development was for each member to make an extra 20K per year, to start. So you are suggesting that Ross couldn't wait and decided to commit murder to get a jump start on that 20K from life insurance? You are right, we all have different tastes but I still see zero motive.


As for Ross' education and experience, I am trying to look at this from the persepective of a Warden and his staff. Prison programs are geared toward teaching habitual offenders how to sign their names and hold jobs as dish washers. No matter what you may think of Ross, he has more in common with the staff than any inmate he will ever meet. Since he is never leaving, wouldn't it behoove the prison staff to make him as productive as possible? I'm sure eventually he will be teaching computer classes - perhaps that's why they assigned him where they did.

Given that he was sexting minors, I doubt that they will let him have internet access anytime soon. Yes, he was more passive-aggressive than Scott- waited until the child was born, but doesn't mean he wanted to be a father. I saw a photo of Conner on top of him where Ross clearly looked pissed that the child was placed on him. Other pix may have been photo ops. Female equivalents are Casey Anthony, Susan Smith, and Darlie Routier. None of them wanted their children either because they got in the way of their lifestyles. People also claimed Casey was a good mother. Clearly they didn't see the whole picture or she fooled them. Ross did the same. Good parents don't kill their children.
Susan Smith is even more similar, because she drowned her already born children in her car. They couldn't escape any more than Conner could. The car was the murder weapon. The car did the actual killing.

 

[MrX]

I may have a different perspective, as this is the first trial where I limited myself to court room testimony (like a juror) and did not come into the case with my mind made up.
In an alternate universe, it would be fascinating to see what Ross would have done, had he been released that first evening (say, if the initial charge was child cruelty and murder charge came later).

I know he will never have Internet Access, for the same reason that no inmate does. What I am saying is that his particular facility offers "Computer Repair" classes. It seems he would be of more benefit to the system-at-large teaching other perps that there are job options beyond dish washing.

 

[LinasK]

I may have a different perspective, as this is the first trial where I limited myself to court room testimony (like a juror) and did not come into the case with my mind made up.
In an alternate universe, it would be fascinating to see what Ross would have done, had he been released that first evening (say, if the initial charge was child cruelty and murder charge came later).

I know he will never have Internet Access, for the same reason that no inmate does. What I am saying is that his particular facility offers "Computer Repair" classes. It seems he would be of more benefit to the system-at-large teaching other perps that there are job options beyond dish washing.

I didn't follow the actual trial, but have been following this case since the news broke and thought back then that it was murder-made to look like an accident. The behavior of him and his wife after the discovery also wasn't what you would expect of parents who accidentally lost their child and were grieving. Oftentimes, the judge doesn't permit the jury to hear all of the evidence- and that can hurt either side. "Forgetting your child" after 2 seconds and in such close proximity, and especially when you've cinched him down in a knowingly too-small car seat, when you have a larger one, and have researched child-free lifestyles all cinched it for me. The sexting was irrelevant.

 

[MrX]

That is where I got a different perspective by watching that actual trial. Every day it struck me more like a "runaway prosecution" - Ross was in their cross hairs from the minute he cursed at a female officer at the scene. Had you followed the trial, you would have seen that Ross never researched child-free lifestyles. That was one of many fabrications made by the State during Probable Cause phase. I don't think Mr Boring fully believed his own case - at one point during the trial he slips up and refers the "accident" before he catches himself.

You mention behavior of both parents. You are correct, Leanna did not act as most of us would expect, yet she had absolutely nothing to do with Copper's death.

When I compare this to the Arias case I feel like the trials took place in two different countries. Judge Stevens bent over backwards for the defense, whereas Judge Staley struck me as a full member of the Prosecution team.

 

[monkeypants]

That is where I got a different perspective by watching that actual trial. Every day it struck me more like a "runaway prosecution" - Ross was in their cross hairs from the minute he cursed at a female officer at the scene. Had you followed the trial, you would have seen that Ross never researched child-free lifestyles. That was one of many fabrications made by the State during Probable Cause phase. I don't think Mr Boring fully believed his own case - at one point during the trial he slips up and refers the "accident" before he catches himself.

You mention behavior of both parents. You are correct, Leanna did not act as most of us would expect, yet she had absolutely nothing to do with Copper's death.

When I compare this to the Arias case I feel like the trials took place in two different countries. Judge Stevens bent over backwards for the defense, whereas Judge Staley struck me as a full member of the Prosecution team.

Have you gone back now and read all the things you didn't hear in trial...it's 110% convincing. NCteacher drove and parked into the spot...do yourself a favor and read that post. Others here also drove the same drive from cfa ...read those...and you didn't get to see the car seat in the car either since you weren't physically on the jury

 

[MrX]

True, but I did encounter a Tucson in a parking lot and I did the closest thing I could Ross's light-bulb-toss and I couldn't tell you if there was kid in the back.

Maybe if you stay home all day with kids, or find nothing as fascinating as all-things "kid," then forgetting Coop seems totally impossible. The fact is, as Leanna has said, kids get forgotten all the time. Not everyone that forgets a kid gets life plus 32.

 

[monkeypants]

True, but I did encounter a Tucson in a parking lot and I did the closest thing I could Ross's light-bulb-toss and I couldn't tell you if there was kid in the back.

Maybe if you stay home all day with kids, or find nothing as fascinating as all-things "kid," then forgetting Coop seems totally impossible. The fact is, as Leanna has said, kids get forgotten all the time. Not everyone that forgets a kid gets life plus 32.

Hmmmmmmm.....are you a parent?

 

[monkeypants]

True, but I did encounter a Tucson in a parking lot and I did the closest thing I could Ross's light-bulb-toss and I couldn't tell you if there was kid in the back.

Maybe if you stay home all day with kids, or find nothing as fascinating as all-things "kid," then forgetting Coop seems totally impossible. The fact is, as Leanna has said, kids get forgotten all the time. Not everyone that forgets a kid gets life plus 32.

Also, that kid just had a one on one breakfast with ross less then five minutes prior he kissed the kid and buckled him and and heard cooper excitedly say "school"

 

[LinasK]

Maybe if you stay home all day with kids, or find nothing as fascinating as all-things "kid," then forgetting Coop seems totally impossible. The fact is, as Leanna has said, kids get forgotten all the time. Not everyone that forgets a kid gets life plus 32.

Hmmmmmmm.....are you a parent?

Exactly! You don't forget a kid seated that close to you in an under a minute drive that you've just had a meal with, strapped in, and kissed. Even if you are sexting.

 

[LinasK]

That is where I got a different perspective by watching that actual trial. Every day it struck me more like a "runaway prosecution" - Ross was in their cross hairs from the minute he cursed at a female officer at the scene. Had you followed the trial, you would have seen that Ross never researched child-free lifestyles. That was one of many fabrications made by the State during Probable Cause phase. I don't think Mr Boring fully believed his own case - at one point during the trial he slips up and refers the "accident" before he catches himself.

You mention behavior of both parents. You are correct, Leanna did not act as most of us would expect, yet she had absolutely nothing to do with Copper's death.

When I compare this to the Arias case I feel like the trials took place in two different countries. Judge Stevens bent over backwards for the defense, whereas Judge Staley struck me as a full member of the Prosecution team.

I still think Leanna should have been charged as an accomplice, as I believe she knew he was going to do it.

 

[monkeypants]

I still think Leanna should have been charged as an accomplice, as I believe she knew he was going to do it.

Idk where on I land on her, but I will tell you that I've never come across such an unemotional mother in my life.

 

[MsMtOlympus]

I'm very interested in fellow sleuther analysis of this journalist's (clearly defense- riddled) position of the verdict and sentencing.

https://live.washingtonpost.com/chatological-humor-20161227.html

I'm a fan of Gene Weingarten from decades ago when he used to write for the Miami Herald's Sunday news magazine supplement. He's highly intelligent and a great writer to boot. That being said, I don't agree with his opinion or his reasoning in this article. Weingarten seems to be making surface-level arguments regarding Harris's unlikability, LE screw ups that effected media stories early on in the case, and the ease of genuinely forgetting a baby in a short amount of time. There was a time I took all those factors into consideration myself and wondered if Harris could possibly be innocent but once one takes in ALL the evidence (the interrogation footage for example was huge for me) a picture of intention becomes clearer and clearer.

Also, Weingarten mentions that he nearly left his infant in a hot car thirty-two years ago on a drive to daycare/work. The difference here is that although he claims he forgot that his baby was in the vehicle three blocks into the drive, he describes that he still had fifteen minutes of commute time from that point. In hindsight, Weingarten may be convinced that it only took three blocks for FBS to kick in but in reality, we are talking about a longer drive time in comparison (at minimum, five times longer than Harris's total commute time).