WKMG - Homicide Charges Shortly, Grand Jury next week **MERGED THREADS**

[Broderick]

WFTV is now reporting at the top of their 6 PM newscast that detectives believe Casey Murdered Caylee and it was not an accidental death.

"spite"

 

[Chilly Willy]

Everyone is saying all kinds of stuff - the florida bar, which I stated before says that when a person has been arrested the grand jury will normally take a few days - IF the person has not been charged it can take longer

I'm sure NG will clear the air for all with lawyers there

Casey has not been arrested on murder charges so it likely take longer.

 

[jennyb]

Not long. You want mayo, or mustard?

Both please and extra pickles!

 

[Blink34]

I'm bringing this over from the Yuri support thread. Don't think Blink will mind. And she's right...it is a two tissue minimum. I thought maybe not everyone reads the Yuri thread (why would be beyond me) but this is definitely worth watching, especially now with the grand jury convening. This will help us all remember why, in case anyone forgot.

Originally Posted by Blink34
Det. Melich makes the cut in this YouTube video created as a Thank You to OCSO and TES.

Warning, it will break your heart, again. Between the photo of Yuri standing in the backyard amongst the evidence tags, and the close up of my man-saint, Tim Miller, it is a 2 tissue minimum.

But watch it anyway, it is dedication personafied to Yuri, Tim Miller and TES, and everyone with them and on here searching for answers for Caylee.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UyMjA2XVRH4

Not at all, thank your for your thoughtfulness and great suggestion!
B

 

[Thinaire]

Yahooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!

Have to swipe those squirrels and smileys! YAHOO!

I have been glued to CNN for the last 40 minutes watching Mike Galanos and Mike Brooks, great guys!

Can you imagine what this will do to the search for Caylee now? The groundswell of support that LE and TES will get from this news? :dance:

God bless LE, TES, all the wonderful searchers and people on here that love the lost.....

 

[Elley Mae]

I don't think there is a court TV anymore. I believe it is now called TruTv or something like that.

Thanks I'll have to check, we have verizon Fios I'm still at a loss, to many channels.

 

[MaedchenX]

WFTV is now reporting at the top of their 6 PM newscast that detectives believe Casey Murdered Caylee and it was not an accidental death.

Like others I have long suspected the same, still it is very terrible to hear. In my opinion they have far more evidence in support of this than we are aware of.

 

[PrayersForMaura]

wow this thread is moving fast!! This is all good news!!!!

 

[MOMto5]

Just heard the news! I am so glad this moment FINALLY came. I am praying that the grand jury lets the charges go through.

 

[parabeagle]

I have a really stupid newbie question

Will the GJ know this is the KC case or do they just get the evidence without a person attached to it?
Hope I asked that right..

Well, see, that depends. I don't know if it varies state to state, but here (KY), I've transcribed many many GJ hearings and the name of the defendant is not confidential. The reason being, part of the process of a hearing is also the prosecution interviewing the witnesses (whoever they subpoena...LE, CA, GA, friends, etc....) They will have to swear in stating their names for the record. During their questioning, they would obviously be asked if "KC" did this or "KC" did that, etc... But let's face it, even if they used aliases, everyone would know. And I don't know if anyone answered this or not, but I saw where someone asked if a GJ could get moved (change of venue) due to notorious nature of case. The answer is "no". Because the person's civil rights are not in jeopardy, they are not deciding guilt or innocence, the question before the jury is simply this...given all of the evidence, do we (the State) have enough evidence to proceed with CHARGES only...not conviction. The jury will not deliberate about her guilt/innocence and the questions to witnesses won't be geared towards proving her guilt, they will be more to prove that there is enough "evidence" out there to constitute probable cause for her indictment.

 

[Themis]

No, the defendent was taken into custody for ANOTHER charge, the grand jury can change that charge - the date will change when she is indicted, arrested and jailed for the new offense - LE might forgo the neglect charge for the homicide charge

Florida has that unusual lesser included offenses rule and she is charged with 3rd degree felony child neglect -- which elements may also be the lesser included elements for 1st degree murder of a child under the age of 12 due to aggravated child neglect. So, the time would run from the date she was arrested on the lesser included offense -- July 16, 2008 -- plus 175 days. Don't count the first day and do count the last day unless the last day falls on a Sunday or court holiday and then you go to the next court business day.

 

[Blink34]

Casey has not been arrested on murder charges so it likely take longer.

I would only add we are assuming that this news is verified and have not heard anything from Randy Means. That being said, I do belive they are meeting or have begun already. If it is the latter, it could be quick and more of a formality. Im hopeful.

 

[WillenFan21]

Like others I have long suspected the same, still it is very terrible to hear. In my opinion they have far more evidence in support of this than we are aware of.

ITA with you about them having more evidence than we have heard. There HAS to be something that they have that proves she did this. JMO

 

[Thinaire]

"spite"

Agree Broderick...so agree...

Casey is a coward first and foremost. Instead of having the knock down drag out with her mother, she took it out on Caylee. Caylee loved her grandmother...that was enough.

 

[gardenhart]

They can either give a true bill or a no true bill. They can basically say there is not enough evidence and convene one later when there is.

One interesting point and I don't know if it has any significance here or not. Prosecutors in Florida can do a direct "filing of information" without taking a charge to a grand jury for any charge except a capital crime. Of course it could be simply that this prosecutor has a policy of taking any serious charge to the grand jury.

 

[Elley Mae]

Florida has that unusual lesser included offenses rule and she is charged with 3rd degree felony child neglect -- which elements may also be the lesser included elements for 1st degree murder of a child under the age of 12 due to aggravated child neglect. So, the time would run from the date she was arrested on the lesser included offense -- July 16, 2008 -- plus 175 days. Don't count the first day and do count the last day unless the last day falls on a Sunday or court holiday and then you go to the next court business day.

Oh Themis now your messing with my brain!

 

[TURBOTHINK]

Grand juries operate in two different ways, depending on the jurisdiction and type of case. Where the defendant already has been arrested on a preliminary charging document such as a complaint, and the time is short before the defendant must have a preliminary hearing or be released, the grand jury does little investigation. It merely listens to some brief testimony, usually hearsay from the arresting officer if the jurisdiction permits grand juries to rely on hearsay, as most do; rubber-stamps the prosecutor’s charging decision; and thus deprives your client of his or her statutory right to a preliminary hearing. With such charging grand juries, there is little you can do unless your client wants to take the risk of testifying.

That is true...........I had not thought of that. The press release may just be smoke and mirrors they may be meeting as we speak.

Good post.

 

[jennyb]

As soon as she realizes she may truly go down for this I do believe she'll attempt suicide or feign one anyway. Watch for a midnight rush to the hospital. DRAAAAMA.

 

[TigerBalm]

I agree! I think a lot of people are looking at the Grand Jury as a sign LE might not have enough evidence to indict Casey for murder. I think/hope the GJ is an indicator Casey will be prosecuted for Murder 1. In Florida, Grand Juries HAVE to be called when someone is about to be prosecuted for a capital offense, or the person is a public official on a matter of public concern.

Yes ... yes ... yes!!


Grand Jury Indictment

The Fifth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution requires that charges for all capital and "infamous" crimes be brought by an indictment returned by a grand jury. The amendment has been interpreted to require that an indictment be used to charge federal felonies, unless a defendant waives his or her right to be indicted by a grand jury. The Supreme Court has held that this part of the Fifth Amendment is not binding on the states, so they can use grand juries or not, as they wish. As a result, each state has its own set of grand jury procedures. Some follow federal practices, but others make use of the indictment optional, and allow the prosecutor to file a complaint or information to formally charge the defendant with the crime.

Where the grand jury system is used, a panel of ordinary citizens is selected to secretly investigate criminal activity generally and issue an indictment called a "grand jury original" that initiates the criminal justice process. No judge, defendant or criminal defense attorney is present in state grand jury hearings. The number of jurors on the panel depends on the state in which the grand jury is being used, and a foreman is elected to take the lead in the investigation and prepare the indictment. After a grand jury indictment, law enforcement goes about to apprehend and arrest the defendant named in the indictment, which starts the criminal justice process.

 

[Elley Mae]

How long ago was it that Blink said that the GJ could be convened?