Trial Discussion Thread #51 - 14.11.9, Day 41 ~announcement of the verdict~

[sorrell skye]

Masipa on Oscar Pistorius; "his evidence is important. He is only one who can tell court what happened." But it never occurred to her that he might be lying???

I think she's going to weigh OP's testimony against the law.

IMO, the law doesn't support his actions of shooting through a closed door at a "perceived" threat.

 

[minor4th]

Will she take into account OP's potential fear of the person behind the door?

Yes, I think she will. Well she'll decide if it's possible that Oscar really was afraid of what he thought was a burglar

 

[MeeBee]

Nooooo it's not common sense, it gives the impression that in South Africa an angry argument with a female, that keeps a witness awake for an hour in the middle of the night, and then shortly after there is a killing of a female partner, are sounds that can be completely disregarded.

As if angry hour long arguments are unimportant....think on that as an ominous sign for society.

If someone had found and hunted out that argument it's clear IMO than Steenkamp would be alive or at least something very different could have happened.

We simply do not know where the arguement was coming from nor did the witness, even. The security guard's report sheds doubt on it coming from OP's house. IMO, judge had no choice but to disregard this evidence.

 

[Giles]

Are we in a long break or a short one?

Back at half past...

 

[zwiebel]

Ppl filing back into court. Whoop says OP weeping earlier

 

[ColonelMustard]

The Judge was quoting Oscar's testimony when she "said that" a few times. That was not her opinion, that was just her quoting his testimony.

What she did say that WAS indeed her opinion, is that one of his statements indicates that he WAS thinking about the placement of his shots, and therefore was thinking at the time he fired. She said she would be getting back to that point later.

And no, susieq, you are not the only one to think he is going to be convicted. But it sounds like it won't be premediated murder. Which I still think it should be, because I still do NOT think all of that screaming was Oscar. The description of "blood curdling screams, like someone was in fear for their life, which reached a crescendo and then ended" was NOT Oscar, in my opinion.

I agree. Common sense.

She went with the timeline that was put on the record by the defense. Maybe, as someone else said above, she had to forget the grey, stick with the "black and white," to make a tight case for a lesser charge that will stand if/when appealed by the defense.

 

[LemonMousse]

Wasn't this always on the cards, though? I suspect that this is why Nel did not make as much of the timeline as we would have liked...because he knew it was ultimately irrelevant and impossible to prove.

I do think it will be Eventualis. Possibly even Directus.

 

[sleuth-d-]

As I'm calming down, I can see that you're right. They said she sticks to the law 100%.

Buuuuuut....

correctly, she has to stick with what has been presented in the courtroom, and what can be proven in law.
[most on ws, including me, are working with this... plus trying to work out what 'actually happened'... which is something different again imo]

 

[momrids6]

(I think he may have Warrdenburg Syndrome- look at the shock of grey)


http://cnnworldlive.cnn.com/Event/Oscar_Pistorius_trial_4?hpt=hp_t3

 

[zwiebel]

https://mobile.twitter.com/SkyNews/status/509968491781562368/photo/1

 

[zwiebel]

OP is 'in a huddle' with uncle Arnold, according to Whoop.

 

[DebinGA]

I predict the judge will reject any assertion that the shooting was an accident or that there was no intent to fire the weapon at the person behind the door, but she'll find that it is reasonably possibly true that Oscar thought there was an intruder in the toilet coming out to harm him.

At least m'lady noted the door opened into the room, which to me means OP could have blown away an intruder long before he left the cubicle, i.e. there was no need to shoot through the door.

 

[ColonelMustard]

I have learned first-hand in the US that our legal system is a system of laws, not justice. How naive I was before.
Sometimes, I guess there's justice - a quirk of luck, but always it's the law (or a fix .... I live in Chicago /Illinois. Both = corruption 101).

 

[AlwaysShocked]

I predict the judge will reject any assertion that the shooting was an accident or that there was no intent to fire the weapon at the person behind the door, but she'll find that it is reasonably possibly true that Oscar thought there was an intruder in the toilet coming out to harm him.

Which would still make him guilty of culpable homicide, correct?

 

[zwiebel]

View attachment 58596
http://cnnworldlive.cnn.com/Event/Oscar_Pistorius_trial_4?hpt=hp_t3

The two temperamental athletes together in your post. Hope for justice for Jennifer Ramsaran too.

 

[Really?]

ok.....you guys are giving me hope that this self centered murderer will be behind bars......I thank you for that.

 

[sorrell skye]

We simply do not know where the arguement was coming from nor did the witness, even. The security guard's report sheds doubt on it coming from OP's house. IMO, judge had no choice but to disregard this evidence.

I agree.

Even though it's entirely possible that the sound of an argument was coming from OP's house, My Lady cannot make that inference, as there is no evidence to prove that it was beyond a reasonable doubt.

 

[zwiebel]

Vinnie Politan (@VinniePolitan) tweeted at 10:20am - 11 Sep 14:

#bladerunner #OscarPistorius CRYING AS JUDGE DESCRIBES REEVA'S WOUNDS DURING #VERDICT #AtlantaAlive pic.twitter.com/zSfPbBizZm (https://twitter.com/VinniePolitan/status/509979818457579520)

 

[zwiebel]

Judge coming back into court now and Nel is smiling with Roux.

 

[zwiebel]

They're back....