Caffeinatd thank you for all you are doing, I am also not happy with the progress of this case, but even if there is DNA it's still circumstantial evidence. In reading so much on crime, even weapons are considered circumstantial and anything they find is circumstantial without a recording of the murder.
I watched a Forensic File case once where they actually had a videotape of the murderer, but they still had to hold off. They finally found the gun in his home, and they still waited for more. They made this big grand deal about it being solved but were still a mess when it came to trial becaues it was a "circumstantial evidence" case. I was baffled. You have a video tape of the guy, you find the weapon in this dude's possession, why would you call it circumstantial, when to me, the viewer, I would consider it a smoking gun. Confession cases, same thing, they do not even think of confessions as a big smoking gun, and have to still piece together ever scrap of evidence.
I think it has more to do with Defense tactics as opposed to the evidence or Circumstantial Evidence. The pre-trial hearings, discovery, and the way the laws are set up is so geared toward the defense side of the coin, and most prosecutors seem to realize, that Defense attorneys can get away with things a prosecutor couldn't even dream of.
Case in point....Geragos, and all his red herrings.. When things got tough, Geragos would always pull out a red herring, delay because of potentially new evidence, this new evidence NEVER emerged. Geragos would sit and joke and laugh during the prosecution examination which would sway the attention away from the person on the stand and Geragos would pull little stunts here and there. He would actually get up and WALK around during the trial, when the proseuction was up talking!
Defense attorneys can make up stories, The Brown Van, the Mafia, Homeless People in a van, Satanic Cults, WITHOUT anything to stand on, no proof, just throw something at the jury, throw information online (Geragos had his henchmen at CTV Message Board coming up with inplausible theories) and then he had his good buddy stating that Conner was full-term and cut out of Laci's body, without having to prove-up and they CAN get away with it. It's not up to the defense to PROVE who the real killer is, it is up to the Prosecutor so basically most defense attorneys get away with their little side-show stunts.
Look at OJ Simpson - if the glove don't fit, you must acquit. OJ would have had to not take any inflammatories, eat salty food for a week and the glove would not fit, my hands can swell up and I can make it so a glove fits or not fit. OJ's blood was found at the scene, yet he got away with it.
Look at the way Michael Jackson and his attorneys orchestrated the hearings, and the way they put the victim and his family on trial, not the other way around; this is a lovely ploy for Defense attorneys.
Blame the Victim, come up with theories that are implausible, break-ins, homeless men, I would not put it past a defense on Janet's case to try intimating that she had a boyfriend, when we all know she DID NOT. Look at the threads here on who is the killer. Someone put boyfriend, a jealous girl, I read that and think to myself, guess someone has a defense attorney already plotting their defense, and I don't doubt that there's someone here trying to throw the trail in another direction, plotting little red herrings that don't have to be proven.
I'm not saying all Defense Attorneys are scum of the earth, but....defense attorneys get a liberal set of rules to follow while the Prosecutors have to be conservative and have a set list of rules they must follow, because of the appeal process etc. All it takes is a defense attorney leaking a false story...and you have the tide being turned to look in a different direction, and they are PAID to plant seeds of doubt, without even having to prove it up.
The Prosecution needs to put a bunch of little pieces together to make a huge puzzle and if they are going for First Degree, they need to gather all the little pieces and I would rather they take their time gather these little pieces so it cannot be ripped apart by little red herrings and little publicity stunts and bullcrap theories that make no sense, but still stick in a jurors mind. Once it's out, the Judge can strike it and it's still heard and never forgotten.
Okay enough ranting, gotta get ready for work.
(Sorry for being so long winded)
