Closing Arguments- Chase Merritt Charged W/Murder of Joseph, Summer, Gianni and Joe Jr McStay #2

[LadyL]

Yes , one juror even asked if they could keep their notes after everything was over & JS paused , then said ok ( or sure).

yes, they were. There were tweets saying they were taking notes and I think I heard the judge reminding them to take their notebooks they 1st day he sent them to deliberations.

I wonder if that juror who asked may be thinking of using the notes for a book? what else would they need them for?

 

[HelenK]

I'd like to post a few photos of the family that perhaps haven't been seen by some. One is of Summer at a real estate picnic that I bumped into online and saved - have never been able to find it since. Another is of Joey as a young man, and then the babies, with Joey trying to be inconspicuous behind them. All so barbarically lost to the world.

 

[oceanblueeyes]

Not me . If they were actually deliberating I’d be fine with as long as it took. They just don’t seem to be spending much time deliberating , IMO.

That is exactly what has made me question this jury's deliberation habitual habits.

Throughout I have been very supportive of this jury, but no way.. no how is this typical jury behavior, and even more abnormal for a jury on a very serious death penalty case.

Fgs, they have had this case for a week now yet they have only deliberated a little over 20 hours.

They start late most days, take very long lunches, and have left early at times.

If they had worked diligently every day it would be totally different.

The judge said they could deliberate as long as they wished... which means they could deliberate even longer than normal hours. Nope. Their lunch hours often have been as long as their morning deliberation hours.

Can anyone ever remember any jury on a death penalty case only deliberating these amount of hours in a week? I can't.

Imo

 

[Sulamith]

Why did you feel like you had to cave to the others?

OT: Because I was the "odd man out" and I did not know then what I do now. Much younger back then. Defendant walking on the sidewalk of downtown Victorville. Cop pulls up beside him, cop knows he has been arrested for prior for drug charges. So, cops arrested him again. Just because of his past violations. Cops knew what he had done. No drugs found this time on the defendant. Obviously, I am no attorney, but looking back, I let the other jurors talk me into a conviction. Just because he had been arrested previously. FYI: I hate drug users, had a whole family of them. MOO

 

[la2cabo]

OT: Because I was the "odd man out" and I did not know then what I do now. Much younger back then. Defendant walking on the sidewalk of downtown Victorville. Cop pulls up beside him, cop knows he has been arrested for prior for drug charges. So, cops arrested him again. Just because of his past violations. Cops knew what he had done. No drugs found this time on the defendant. Obviously, I am no attorney, but looking back, I let the other jurors talk me into a conviction. Just because he had been arrested previously. FYI: I hate drug users, had a whole family of them. MOO

If he didn't have drugs on him what was he convicted of? Perhaps he was on parole/probation and that gave them probable cause to stop him? I don't live far from Victorville and the criminal element in that area never have anything nice to say about law enforcement. I suppose it comes with the territory.

 

[MissJames]

I wonder if that juror who asked may be thinking of using the notes for a book? what else would they need them for?

I went back to check . It was the female alternate who wanted clarification because her job was not one she could easily leave once she reported for work that day . She wanted to know if she would be excused if she just stayed at the courthouse in the event they needed her.
It’s the next to the last L&C trial video #195 that starts with rebuttal . She asks about the notebook at 1:53:20 .

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[Edmo]

The longer this takes, the less I feel of a guilty verdict, unfortunately.

 

[gitana1]

Not me . If they were actually deliberating I’d be fine with as long as it took. They just don’t seem to be spending much time deliberating , IMO.

Again, if they didn't care about this case they would hurry up and come up with a verdict.

I really don't understand the criticism that they aren't going faster. If they didn't care and were "lazy", they'd just come up with a verdict and be done with it.

The schedule may not be a full time job schedule but once again, this is a very heavy case involving the murder of two kids. It's a lot of data. They need a lot of breaks.

I remember a secretary complaining (in front of me) once when I was a young law student intern at the FPD that my morning and afternoon breaks were half and hour and hers were only 15 minutes.

The supervising attorney told her that she wasn't doing the intensely heavy work we were doing. We really need those breaks because it's so dense.

This is dense stuff they're doing. Many juries feel they can plow through but many juries also have it all fresh in their heads because it doesn't last as long as this trial.

I say give them a break.

 

[citygirl]

Okay. I am going with you. For now. I am fickle. LOL

 

[LadyL]

Again, if they didn't care about this case they would hurry up and come up with a verdict.

I really don't understand the criticism that they aren't going faster. If they didn't care and were "lazy", they'd just come up with a verdict and be done with it.

The schedule may not be a full time job schedule but once again, this is a very heavy case involving the murder of two kids. It's a lot of data. They need a lot of breaks.

I remember a secretary complaining (in front of me) once when I was a young law student intern at the FPD that my morning and afternoon breaks were half and hour and hers were only 15 minutes.

The supervising attorney told her that she wasn't doing the intensely heavy work we were doing. We really need those breaks because it's so dense.

This is dense stuff they're doing. Many juries feel they can plow through but many juries also have it all fresh in their heads because it doesn't last as long as this trial.

I say give them a break.

glad to have your experienced perspective

 

[geevee]

Richard K. De Atley‏Verified account @RKDeAtley 3m3 minutes ago
#mcstay jurors will resume deliberations Friday 8:30 a.m.

Jurors left at 3:47 today.

 

[LadyL]

Richard K. De Atley‏Verified account @RKDeAtley 3m3 minutes ago
#mcstay jurors will resume deliberations Friday 8:30 a.m.

Jurors left at 3:47 today.

sigh

 

[Mony Mony]

Richard K. De Atley‏Verified account @RKDeAtley 3m3 minutes ago
#mcstay jurors will resume deliberations Friday 8:30 a.m.

Jurors left at 3:47 today.

Maybe they want to beat traffic?

 

[lisette]

This is CRAZY!!

 

[Roundhouseman]

were they allowed to take notes? I thought they weren't but I could be confusing cases

Richard K. De Atley‏Verified account @RKDeAtley 3m3 minutes ago
#mcstay jurors will resume deliberations Friday 8:30 a.m.

Jurors left at 3:47 today.

Lets pray for a verdict tomorrow.

 

[geevee]

Lets pray for a verdict tomorrow.

This must be so difficult for the family.

 

[missy1974]

Richard K. De Atley‏Verified account @RKDeAtley 3m3 minutes ago
#mcstay jurors will resume deliberations Friday 8:30 a.m.

Jurors left at 3:47 today.

So they are leaving early today...... but starting early tomorrow ... I almost won't believe it until I see it tweeted tomorrow morning lol

 

[MsFacetious]

Maybe they want to beat traffic?

Do the jurors not live locally? It's been so long I don't remember. If they live locally there shouldn't be traffic to beat. If they don't live locally they aren't going to beat any traffic by leaving the room at 3:47. (So leaving courthouse about 4.)

 

[Recidivist]

Lets pray for a verdict tomorrow.

Perhaps they knew it was too late today for reading the verdict, so they decided to go in early tomorrow and render a verdict.

 

[Lilibet]

Again, if they didn't care about this case they would hurry up and come up with a verdict.

I really don't understand the criticism that they aren't going faster. If they didn't care and were "lazy", they'd just come up with a verdict and be done with it.

The schedule may not be a full time job schedule but once again, this is a very heavy case involving the murder of two kids. It's a lot of data. They need a lot of breaks.

I remember a secretary complaining (in front of me) once when I was a young law student intern at the FPD that my morning and afternoon breaks were half and hour and hers were only 15 minutes.

The supervising attorney told her that she wasn't doing the intensely heavy work we were doing. We really need those breaks because it's so dense.

This is dense stuff they're doing. Many juries feel they can plow through but many juries also have it all fresh in their heads because it doesn't last as long as this trial.

I say give them a break.

I just want to thank you, Gitana, for sticking up for the jurors. I have found the criticism of them to be very disturbing and a rather dangerous precedent, so I have been sitting on my hands. It helps to know that you think as I do that we should cut them some slack and give them a break. Working 8 hour days as some insist they should be doing may actually be less efficient due to the “dense stuff” they are dealing with. I have no doubt at all about their integrity at this point and I think all this speculative and snarky criticism of these individuals really undermines respect for the judicial system. I sincerely hope that isn’t the end game here.
Rant over. Back to sitting on my hands awaiting a guilty verdict.
JMO