State vs. Jason Lynn Young 03-01-12 (P.M. session: PT closing arguments)

[LOMom]

For me, I would say there is about a 75% chance he is guilty, but that does not meet my personal level of being moral satisfied to enter a guilty verdict. Thus I a presume he is innocent and I would have to vote this way.

I don't think I'd be able to live with myself if I played a part in letting a killer go free. That's just me, though.

 

[mck16]

For me, I would say there is about a 75% chance he is guilty, but that does not meet my personal level of being moral satisfied to enter a guilty verdict. Thus I a presume he is innocent and I would have to vote this way.

For me my personal level of being morally satisfied would be 1% for anyone for this level of brutality, and heinous murder. No one else had a reason. No One. jmo

 

[pjcitizen]

My opinion is that JLY is G and I could vote that way with a 100% free and clear conscience. The state proved to me motive, means, and opportunity and that Jason took advantage of the means and opportunity. 100%.

 

[Cammy]

But how could you vote 2nd? If JY is guilty, he ABSOLUTELY premeditated.

Is the 2nd degree charge official now?

Did the Judge include it?

 

[MyBelle]

The problem with HC offering the explanation for "or acting in concert" conflicts with the assertion that the murder was properly solved. How can you stipulate another person being there without stipulating they may have participated in the murder?

Holt also proclaimed "Crime is solved!!" Evidently neither feels actually identifying and charging an accomplice is required.

JMO

 

[gritguy]

Having never been a juror, I do not understand the legal concept of reasonable doubt. But I do know that I am completely satisfied that JY planned to and did murder his wife. So I would vote Guilty.

Can one of our lawyers explain reasonable doubt - once again. Either here or on the legal thread.

Thanks a lot.

The language the judge will likely use to instruct the jury is posted down in the legal thread. However, what you said would meet it.

 

[dmaxphil]

I don't think I'd be able to live with myself if I played a part in letting a killer go free. That's just me, though.

I would not be able to live with myself if I put an innocent man in prison for life.

 

[Wolfpack]

I would not be able to live with myself if I put an innocent man in prison for life.

"Better to let 10 guilty men free than one innocent man suffer."

 

[LolaBunnies]

RE closing arguments. I thought the DT did a better job of creating doubt than the PT did of proving guilt. Things that stand out to me are...

The fuel mileage.
The unknown prints - everywhere. And why not take the time to eliminate LE??

I also thought the part where Collins got choked up was a nice touch.

I think Collins got choked up on his ice he was munching on.

 

[MyBelle]

I would set him free, because I realize it would be my duty to do so. If I can't say they've convinced me beyond a reasonable doubt, it doesn't matter if I suspect he did it. It's my job to keep the prosecution to their burden.

The doubt for me is that there are too many assumptions we have to make in order to make the prosecution puzzle stay in place. We have to assume he stopped for gas, possibly more than once. We have to assume that he manipulated the cameras. We have to assume that he was able to evade all the other cameras in the HI to not be seen, and that the gas stations that he stopped at had no cameras. We have to assume that he was wearing the HP shoes in Cracker Barrel. We have to assume that he was lucky enough not to transfer fibers, blood, or bodily fluid, even though he didn't clean up in the house. We have to assume he made it back without speeding, without getting stopped by police, without getting recognized by anyone who knew him or would positively ID him, snuck into the hotel, then made it to his appointment without anything going wrong (meanwhile disposing of evidence). We are told he either acted in concert with another person, or alone, but we have no evidence on that matter. We have to assume that he didn't have any scratches on him because he was wearing gloves, but he left a fingerprint on the wall because he wasn't. We have to assume both FH and CB were wrong about their IDs.

To me, that's a whole lot of assuming.

ETA: Sorry if this is rambling or confusing, I wanted to respond to your post right away, and didn't put a ton of thought into everything I might have left out.

You're right. Too many assumptions and not enough proved. Especially, they failed to prove opportunity or even try to explain how he evaded all those hotel security cameras.

JMO

 

[cody100]

Yes, second degree is now in much to the dismay of the DT. I think that shows there is concern again from PT and maybe JS that it will be a hung jury. MOO

 

[SteelerGirl43]

I would not be able to live with myself if I put an innocent man in prison for life.

Plenty of innocent people are put in jail every day...About 10,000 people in the United States may be wrongfully convicted of serious crimes each year..

 

[ohstopit]

for those of you concerned about the gas mileage, have you considered that the gas cans are with the missing murder weapon, diaper, chest-stripe shirt, pants, and shoes?

i wouldn't be surprised if someone received a triple or quadruple bagged package on 11/3/2006 and was told to drive as far into SC and discard it. with a look that said, "don't ask any questions." way, way too risky to dump it anywhere between raleigh, va, and brevard.

imo, jmt, blah blah blah

 

[Cammy]

I would not be able to live with myself if I put an innocent man in prison for life.

I see so much reasonable doubt and can't get past it.

There wasn't even a reason he would kill Michelle, he didn't hate her, they were getting ready for a big football weekend, things with MM were cooling down, they agreed not to see each other any more.

No way was he going to be able to collect the life insurance ever.

 

[jrb0124]

But how could you vote 2nd? If JY is guilty, he ABSOLUTELY premeditated.

If necessary, I'd drop from G on 1 to G on 2 to reach a verdict vs a hung jury.

 

[gritguy]

Relevant jury instructions, including the one on reasonable doubt:

“There are two types of evidence from which you may find the truth as to the facts of a case -- direct and circumstantial evidence. Direct evidence is the testimony of one who asserts actual knowledge of a fact, such as an eye-witness; circumstantial evidence is proof of a chain or group of facts and circumstances indicating the guilt or innocence of a defendant. The law makes no distinction between the weight to be given to either direct or circumstantial evidence. Nor is a greater degree of certainty required of circumstantial evidence than of direct evidence. You should weigh all the evidence in the case. After weighing all the evidence, if you are not convinced of the guilt of the defendant beyond a reasonable doubt, you must find the defendant not guilty.”

“You should consider all the evidence, arguments, contentions and positions urged by the attorney(s) and any other contention that arises from the evidence; and using your common sense you must determine the truth in this case.”

“Reasonable doubt is a doubt based on reason and common sense, arising out of some or all of the evidence that has been presented, or lack or insufficiency of the evidence, as the case may be. Proof beyond a reasonable doubt is proof that fully satisfies or entirely convinces you of the defendant's guilt.”

“You are the sole judges of the weight to be given any evidence. By this I mean, if you decide that certain evidence is believable you must then determine the importance of that evidence in light of all other believable evidence in the case.”

 

[SteelerGirl43]

You're right. Too many assumptions and not enough proved. Especially, they failed to prove opportunity or even try to explain how he evaded all those hotel security cameras.

JMO

I hope the jury sees those same very things.....

 

[LOMom]

I would not be able to live with myself if I put an innocent man in prison for life.

I'm 100% convinced that JY is guilty. If I was 75% sure he was, that's enough too. I don't have an reasonable doubt at all. There are just too many strange coincidences that happened that night/early morning, just happened to be the same night his wife was murdered??? Common sense that these aren't really innocent coincidences....

 

[fromageball]

Here in Raleigh it's a gorgeous, sunny, 80-degree day. JLY had better take advantage of it and enjoy what will hopefully be his last day of freedom!

Hmmm...not that I think this will happen, but I wonder how many cases there have been where the defendant is out on bond and freaks out at the end of the case and flees?

 

[fifteen89]

What random killer says "I can't track blood out of here" ????
Seriously? Game over.