CA - Joey, Summer, Gianni, Joseph Jr McStay Murders - Feb 4th 2010 #9

[Emi]

Cathy Russon on Twitter
Cathy Russon‏ @cathyrusson 3m3 minutes ago
#McStay - Hearing has started. Defense filed a motion yesterday to exclude jail conversations Merritt may have had w/family and friends while in custody. Sgt. Ryan Smith is on the stand, McGee questioning him. We WILL have audio of this later today.

 

[katydid23]

Cathy Russon on Twitter
Cathy Russon‏ @cathyrusson 3m3 minutes ago
#McStay - Hearing has started. Defense filed a motion yesterday to exclude jail conversations Merritt may have had w/family and friends while in custody. Sgt. Ryan Smith is on the stand, McGee questioning him. We WILL have audio of this later today.

I wonder what the defense's excuse is for wanting those jail house conversations excluded? I have heard those types of conversations played in other trials. The defendants know they are being recorded.

 

[MsFacetious]

The last weekly update. I linked all of the updates over the weekend.
I haven't seen complaints that this is biased but maybe it is too.

Prosecutors Press DNA, Finances & Location In Merritt Murder Trial Backstretch | SBCSentinel

 

[Bernina]

Chase didn’t botch the investigation though. If the police had done their best at the beginning then this was solvable.

So the bad investigation is on LE not Chase. Chase didn’t tell them to suck at their jobs!!

...and they might not have sucked at their jobs if they hadn't believed CM's "story", just saying.
1st thing I would have done is verify the "lunch" appointment. As of yet, there is nothing but CM's word.
"Last known visual".

 

[asyousay]

Cathy Russon on Twitter
Cathy Russon‏ @cathyrusson 3m3 minutes ago
#McStay - Hearing has started. Defense filed a motion yesterday to exclude jail conversations Merritt may have had w/family and friends while in custody. Sgt. Ryan Smith is on the stand, McGee questioning him. We WILL have audio of this later today.

That makes zero sense as if he is dumb enough to say something he shouldn’t of then that’s on him.

I have never been to jail but I know everything must be-recorded when you are in custody.

 

[Bernina]

I wonder what the defense's excuse is for wanting those jail house conversations excluded? I have heard those types of conversations played in other trials. The defendants know they are being recorded.

The only conversations/phone calls that are NOT monitored are those with attorneys. CM's been locked up enough times to know that. There is NO expectation of privacy.

 

[MsFacetious]

I just hope there is something relevant enough in the conversations to justify playing them. This trial is going to be long enough already and the jury have enough time wasted. There better be something good in them to take this amount of time.

 

[oceanblueeyes]

During jury selection they were all warned of and asked about conflicts concerning the prospective length of trial (4-6 mo. at that point), so I don't think the judge would allow any of them off the panel for that reason.

He seems to be very fair in giving them time for prior commitments or medical appointments, etc. so far, hopefully they are all committed for the long haul as long as the judge remains reasonable in that regard.

In the Hawaii (Capobianco) trial that lasted 6 months, they took two long breaks (a couple weeks in between prosecution and defense cases) and a break for one or more jurors who had planned vacations and were promised trial would be finished long before those dates (which of course it wasn't, that trial moved at a snail's pace, even compared to this one).

ETA: I have to add "IIRC" on the last break in the Capo trial, it was close to the end and they ended up losing one juror, the vacation break was discussed but rethinking it, I can't recall perfectly if they took the entire break or a few days, the end of that one was a grueling as the entirety.

I thought they were first told it would take three months out of their lives to be a juror on this case?

I thought it was later when it was stretched to six months?

If the judge has told them six months then he couldnt make them stay after then. That is the time they have committed to serving.Imo

And six months is ridiculous. This trial will not be over in six months either, imo.

How can it be when they rarely have had a full day of testimony from the very beginning?

Imo, they all have to be highly frustrated already.

They show up every day as expected, then either court will be cancelled altogether, or there will only a half day, or the court ends earlier than a normal day.

Its going to come to a head sooner or later. Jurors have lives too.

Imo

 

[asyousay]

I thought they were first told it would take three months out of their lives to be a juror on this case?

I thought it was later when it was stretched to six months?

If the judge has told them six months then he couldnt make them stay after then. That is the time they have committed to serving.Imo

And six months is ridiculous. This trial will not be over in six months either, imo.

How can it be when they rarely have had a full day of testimony from the very beginning?

Imo, they all have to be highly frustrated already.

They show up every day as expected, then either court will be cancelled altogether, or there will only a half day, or the court ends earlier than a normal day.

Its going to come to a head sooner or later. Jurors have lives too.

Imo

Yes they would of signed on for 3 months because it was only in the first week or so that suddenly it was stated it would be 6 months and as we know that was stated in the first week so it’s now got to be at least 7-8 months due to the pace.

IMO

 

[oceanblueeyes]

Yes they would of signed on for 3 months because it was only in the first week or so that suddenly it was stated it would be 6 months and as we know that was stated in the first week so it’s now got to be at least 7-8 months due to the pace.

IMO

Agree.

How many full days of testimony have they even had?

Whatever they consider a full day is most likely not what other trial judges everywhere else considers a full day.

Even their breaks, and overly long lunch breaks aren't within the norms. Imo

 

[oceanblueeyes]

I wonder what the defense's excuse is for wanting those jail house conversations excluded? I have heard those types of conversations played in other trials. The defendants know they are being recorded.

Hmmm. Yes we sure have heard those kind of conversations before during other trials..

We can all be assured if the DT is protesting them coming in it has to be damaging to their client.

It seems no matter where CM is he can't keep his mouth shut.

I wouldnt be surprised if he said something to a jail inmate too.

Imo

 

[Emi]

Cathy Russon on Twitter
Cathy Russon‏ @cathyrusson 3m3 minutes ago
#McStay - #BREAKING -EXPLOSIVE Hearing happening w/o jury present. We just learned San Bernardino County has been recording jail house visits from earlier this month with Merrit's family/friends using a digital recorder. Merritt had stopped using the jail phone that's monitored.

Cathy Russon on Twitter
Cathy Russon‏ @cathyrusson 3m3 minutes ago
#McStay - Merritt had been talking through the glass at visits, avoiding the phone. Cathy Jarvis - Merritt's girlfriend at the time of the murders - her name was specifically mentioned by Sgt. Ryan Smith as to her placing recording devices in visiting area.

Cathy Russon on Twitter
Cathy Russon‏ @cathyrusson 3m3 minutes ago
#McStay - Prosecutor Daugherty: We have evidence Charles Merritt attempted to sway Catherine Jarvis's upcoming testimony.

Cathy Russon on Twitter
Cathy Russon‏ @cathyrusson 3m3 minutes ago
#McStay - Judge denies defense motion to exclude the recordings. They WILL be played for the jury at some point. Catherine Jarvis will testify for the prosecution.

Cathy Russon on Twitter
Cathy Russon‏ @cathyrusson 5m5 minutes ago
#McStay - Merritt's family that is in the gallery for this hearing just walked out.

 

[Tortoise]

Wow!!! So she will be testifying. Can't wait.

 

[Niner]

To answer your question - sort of - Trial started 1/7/19 and we have finished day 24. Now whether they were FULL days of testimony - I highly doubt that part! LOL!

From 1/7 to 2/26 - minus a Monday holiday - is 30 days.

 

[Tortoise]

...and they might not have sucked at their jobs if they hadn't believed CM's "story", just saying.
1st thing I would have done is verify the "lunch" appointment. As of yet, there is nothing but CM's word.
"Last known visual".

Exactly, and if they didn't meet how could he have shook Joey's hand?

 

[asyousay]

Agree.

How many full days of testimony have they even had?

Whatever they consider a full day is most likely not what other trial judges everywhere else considers a full day.

Even their breaks, and overly long lunch breaks aren't within the norms. Imo

I can’t recall a fall day in weeks.

They always seem to start late or have a stupidly long lunch break and then finish early.

Sometimes we only get one out of the 3 and other times we get all 3 in a day. It’s been a real joy to watch the American system at work.

I only did 2 weeks jury service last summer and I had to be in every day at 9.30 and 1 hour lunch break and we didn’t finish and get outside until 4.30 the majority of the time. So glad I only did 10 days as I would hate anything any longer like this trial.

 

[oceanblueeyes]

That makes zero sense as if he is dumb enough to say something he shouldn’t of then that’s on him.

I have never been to jail but I know everything must be-recorded when you are in custody.

You sure would think no one would be that dumb, but those in jail do it.

I've seen this kind of evidence come in during several trials. They are either talking on the phone with someone, or yapped to inmates on the inside with them.

Go figure.

 

[Tortoise]

You sure would think no one would be that dumb, but those in jail do it.

I've seen this kind of evidence come in during several trials. They are either talking on the phone with someone, or yapped to inmates on the inside with them.

Go figure.

Ocean look at the latest tweets, he's tried to influence Cathy Jarvis' testimony through the glass.

 

[Plumeria5]

Cathy Russon on Twitter
Cathy Russon‏ @cathyrusson 3m3 minutes ago
#McStay - #BREAKING -EXPLOSIVE Hearing happening w/o jury present. We just learned San Bernardino County has been recording jail house visits from earlier this month with Merrit's family/friends using a digital recorder. Merritt had stopped using the jail phone that's monitored.

Cathy Russon on Twitter
Cathy Russon‏ @cathyrusson 3m3 minutes ago
#McStay - Merritt had been talking through the glass at visits, avoiding the phone. Cathy Jarvis - Merritt's girlfriend at the time of the murders - her name was specifically mentioned by Sgt. Ryan Smith as to her placing recording devices in visiting area.

Cathy Russon on Twitter
Cathy Russon‏ @cathyrusson 3m3 minutes ago
#McStay - Prosecutor Daugherty: We have evidence Charles Merritt attempted to sway Catherine Jarvis's upcoming testimony.

Cathy Russon on Twitter
Cathy Russon‏ @cathyrusson 3m3 minutes ago
#McStay - Judge denies defense motion to exclude the recordings. They WILL be played for the jury at some point. Catherine Jarvis will testify for the prosecution.

Cathy Russon on Twitter
Cathy Russon‏ @cathyrusson 5m5 minutes ago
#McStay - Merritt's family that is in the gallery for this hearing just walked out.

OMG!! What was he trying to sway her on?? WOW!!

 

[QueenBofOB]

...and they might not have sucked at their jobs if they hadn't believed CM's "story", just saying.
1st thing I would have done is verify the "lunch" appointment. As of yet, there is nothing but CM's word.
"Last known visual".

They SUCKED at their job, by believing the word of a TWICE CONVICTED FELON. And yes, they definitely should've checked out his story about the lunch meeting.