Ocean: Welcome to my world! We are are on the same page here, as you kindly pointed out regarding my little outburst about the injustice of it all. All that's left of this family is a pile of bones. I think people these days are somewhat inured to the horror of such things for many reasons, but it's beyond frustrating to me to see those bones versus Chase Merritt, who has all the opportunity in the world to postpone, postpone, postpone; then show up in court and play on the jurors' emotions; have his attorney object to anything and everything, which certainly disrupts the process, sows "unreasonable doubt" in the minds of the jurors, etc. Such a game.
A trial spanning months and months, complete with three-day weekends, holidays, various and sundry other days off, can only make all the minutiae even more muddled for the jury. Congratulations, Chase Merritt! If you are convicted of making faces at the McStays, it will be a miracle!
Friday, I read this post when you first wrote it, but since then I've been unable to get it out of my mind all day.
So I did some soul searching of my own. It reminded me of how I was duped one time into believing what had been tweeted throughout another trial.
The negative online comments made about the prosecutor's performance didn't help matters either.
As embarrassing as it is to admit, I fell for it hook, line, and sinker already resigning myself into believing prematurely that justice would not be served for the victim.
I certainly couldn't use the excuse that I was just a novice about criminal trials since I had been closely following criminal trials for around 30 years at that time.
It was a new method at the time for trials that were done by tweets at the time. So I knew I had to adjust, and become familiar with methods that were different from what I had always known.
However, I did notice at the time that the courtroom tweeter seem to quote the points made by the defense the majority of time.
At the time I thought that was just normal, and because I wasn't familiar with tweeted trials back then.
Anyway, to say the least when the verdict came back in very quickly, and it was guilty, I was totally shocked but pleased of course.
Iirc, I was posting over on IS at the time. Most were highly upset thinking the tweeter had purposefully mislead everyone.
We later found out she was close friends with the defense, which later explained why the majority of tweets I had seen were of the defense.
I promised myself then I wouldn't ever be swayed by tweets or negative online comments, yet once again I seem to have fallen for it in this trial, and I feel so ashamed. I should have known better.
I don't know if you have listened/watched every bit of trial testimony done in real time without any editing.
I have not. I did try my best to endure it the first three days of testimony, but I found it impossible due to the style of these defense attorneys who waste so much time on long highly unnecessary cross examinations.
Since then I have relied solely on tweets, and summaries posted here.
THEN Tortoise was kind enough to transcribe actual word for word testimony which I'm extremely grateful. It opened my eyes and mind to how much I had really missed.
At least for me I know I have made a mistake by doing so.
Therefore, I will keep the faith that this jury will do the right thing, and justice will be served for the McStay family, and their love ones.
I will continue to believe this until I know otherwise which will be at the end of this case, and not a minute before.
I truly believe jurors are logical, and reasonable minded people.
So I will end with this by quoting Rick Distaso again during his closing in Scott Peterson's death penalty murder trial for it absolutely applies to CMs murder case as well.
Imo, it will all come down to this in the end after all of the evidence has been entered against CM..
'How many coincidences are you willing to believe, and still be able to call yourself reasonable people?'
Take care, and please keep the faith.
Ocean