Well said, my sentiments exactly.
NOT GUILTY CT - James McGrath, 17, athlete, fatally stabbed at house party fight, Shelton, May 2022 *ARREST*
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Yes - they've been present every day.
I heard the bailiff escorted the parents out of the courtroom after the verdict -- which makes sense since media films and hounds them entering/exiting court.
We also know the Court addressed a situation midway through the trial where there must have been an exchange between the camps outside the courthouse. Judge did not give the specifics. JMO
ETA:
Judge Murphy's warning
Early in the trial, Judge Shari A. Murphy issued a warning regarding an incident that occurred outside the courtroom after the day's proceedings. Details about the alleged incident were not immediately available. Judge Murphy emphasized that the court would not tolerate disruptive behavior towards court staff, the jury, parties, witnesses, or attorneys involved in the trial. She further stated that if such behavior were investigated and confirmed, the individuals responsible could be removed from the trial and prevented from attending the remaining proceedings to ensure safety, security, and fairness.
Court's warning
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I did not follow super closely at the beginning...what I got was RV goes home after being in all this chaos and stabbing four people and his mother is getting ready to leave for Florida next day. What time was this? He then leaves next day after multiple stabbings and witnesses? Why were the police not at his door? How many days before they contacted him ? I find it all weird it was only after Jimmy died that anyone called police? Two homes involved and so many people and little Raul gets on a plane to Florida with family. Did the mother not notice anything a bit unusual when he came home?
"When he got home, he said his mother saw his injuries and “just started screaming and crying.” His mother asked if he would join them for a trip to Florida, and he agreed.
Smith and Durso asked Valle about the texts he sent to a panicked Trafecante (GF) shortly after the incident. In the texts, he denied being there, and told her to stop texting people about the incident. Valle said he sent the texts because he was “panicking and I just didn’t want her to worry at all.”
Valle said he left for Florida with his mother the next morning. As he was leaving the airport after landing in Florida, he said, he found out that someone had died in the fight the previous night."
All of this is suspect. He would have been texted that Jimmy had died when it happened. News travels at lightning speed with kids. His mother didn't have a ticket for him so she had to have immediately purchased one that night for the next morning. I believe he got home from the attack late, like midnight? My understanding is Valle did not return for 2 days after there was a warrant out for his arrest. He didn't immediately return from Florida if memory serves me correctly. His dad brought him to the station. Police were at the murder scene immediately, but don't understand why Valle wasn't questioned and arrested that night. Plus, I think he probably ended up confessing to his mother that night and why she was crying and screaming. He had no visible injuries so no reason to be upset.
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Chiming in after a couple of days of thinking about this case. Here is my point. ALL of these kids behaved badly. NONE of these kids are BAD kids. My own kids have been involved with underage drinking and parties and even fighting. They think its funny. They think it is all fun and games. But what I've always tried to instill in my kids is that unintended things can happen during a fight like this. One punch can literally kill someone. Also, the fight you think you are "winning" could end up very different when a weapon is pulled.
It is very easy to look back on things and point fingers here and there. But what I find fault with is not addressing the notion that sometimes a victim shares in some of the culpability in their own death or injury. How do we quantify a persons own responsibility in a situation like this? For example, someone knowingly gets into a car with a drunk driver and the person crashes the car and the passenger dies or is injured. Is there zero accountability to the person who made the reckless decision to get into a car with a person they know is drunk?
I tell my kids over and over and over that no good can come from a brawl. No good can come from wild irresponsible drinking. This isn't to say that the victim got what they deserved, but what can someone expect when involved in this brawl? You think you've got the numbers on your side and it's funny and your videoing it, but not so funny when the tables are turned.
Like I said before, this is the state's fault. They OVERCHARGED! This was reckless homicide at worst and self-defense at the minimum. He was a kid. (They all were kids.) There was zero intent to murder proven. If anything, it was apparent that in the moment, he thought he was defending himself and didn't even realize he killed someone at first. And the state ha themselves to blame. They chose to give immunity to EVERYONE involved in this brawl because of their own hubris. They should have just charged with reckless homicide and offered a reasonable plea deal and everyone there should have been held accountable. Period.
It is very easy to look back on things and point fingers here and there. But what I find fault with is not addressing the notion that sometimes a victim shares in some of the culpability in their own death or injury. How do we quantify a persons own responsibility in a situation like this? For example, someone knowingly gets into a car with a drunk driver and the person crashes the car and the passenger dies or is injured. Is there zero accountability to the person who made the reckless decision to get into a car with a person they know is drunk?
I tell my kids over and over and over that no good can come from a brawl. No good can come from wild irresponsible drinking. This isn't to say that the victim got what they deserved, but what can someone expect when involved in this brawl? You think you've got the numbers on your side and it's funny and your videoing it, but not so funny when the tables are turned.
Like I said before, this is the state's fault. They OVERCHARGED! This was reckless homicide at worst and self-defense at the minimum. He was a kid. (They all were kids.) There was zero intent to murder proven. If anything, it was apparent that in the moment, he thought he was defending himself and didn't even realize he killed someone at first. And the state ha themselves to blame. They chose to give immunity to EVERYONE involved in this brawl because of their own hubris. They should have just charged with reckless homicide and offered a reasonable plea deal and everyone there should have been held accountable. Period.
was there a reason that we did not see the mother on the stand? Thanks for the details. It all sounds very "suss" as the kids say.
Yes, suss! I don't know why she didn't testify, maybe it would have incriminated him. Frankly I was surprised there were no witnesses for the defense. How is that not a red flag?!?
i think there is room to argue about the immunity but in no way should Valle not be held accountable because the state offered those deals. Someone on the jury did not want Valle held accountable even on the reckless charges. I would like to know the numbers on that. I assume most would be okay with reckless but they hung. I would expect the prosecutors will be talking to the jurors to understand where they were and make their future decisions on retrying the lessers based on that.
does a mother get immunity like a husband or wife? Did the father go to Florida too?
Good question! I don't know on immunity, and don't believe the father went to Florida, Valle said it was his mother and 1 (2?) brothers who originally were slated to go, then he went along.
To be fair, they offered him a plea for 40 years. Ridiculous. The kid was smart to reject it. And yes, I agree there should be accountability. But much like what happens with felony murder, if you are committing a felony and someone dies, even your own accomplice, you can be charged for that death as felony murder. Yet all of these other kids are off scott free. Whatever becomes of this lies in the hands of the prosecutor, much like the Karen Read trial.
I found this article from early on in this case. It has details people might be interested in. I'll clip some here.
House #1 assault on Heinz by Synder, DaSilva and Valle:
"The arrests announced Thursday – of a 16-year-old and two 17-year-old boys – were connected to the Lazy Brook Road incident, according to police, during which the three suspects allegedly assaulted a 16-year-old boy.
“One juvenile assaulted the victim with a helmet (Valle)
,” Shelton Police Lt. Robert Kozlowsky said in a prepared statement.
After a short time the Shelton students left the party, but several of the participants then engaged in a group text with the two sides bad-mouthing each other. A witness told police the St. Joseph students knew the location of the Laurel Glen Drive party.
House #2
One witness told police that the Honda Pilot made several passes past the party, and the occupants were throwing things from the vehicle and word spread that “those SJ kids are here,” according to the affidavit.
"Witnesses said the occupants exited the vehicle, and a witness told Bango several people said Valle had been flashing a knife through the vehicle’s window, according to the warrant.
The witness said he approached the St. Joseph students and tried to calm the situation, and Valle was holding what appeared to be a small pocket knife and was possibly trying to scare him."
A short time later, witnesses said one of the uninvited teens (from house #1, St. Joes) struck or shoved someone and “a big fight” started, possibly involving as many as 25 teens.
The fight went to the ground, with witnesses describing a pile of people rolling around. But the situation appeared to calm down. The group let Valle and his companion up and they began walking toward the Honda, and “everyone was leaving him (Valle) alone,” a witness said.
The witness said he watched as Valle suddenly turned and stabbed McGrath, who was standing nearby, according to the affidavit. Numerous witnesses at the scene also identified Valle as the person responsible, and picked him out of an 8-person photo lineup, Bango wrote."
House #1 assault on Heinz by Synder, DaSilva and Valle:
"The arrests announced Thursday – of a 16-year-old and two 17-year-old boys – were connected to the Lazy Brook Road incident, according to police, during which the three suspects allegedly assaulted a 16-year-old boy.
“One juvenile assaulted the victim with a helmet (Valle)
,” Shelton Police Lt. Robert Kozlowsky said in a prepared statement.
After a short time the Shelton students left the party, but several of the participants then engaged in a group text with the two sides bad-mouthing each other. A witness told police the St. Joseph students knew the location of the Laurel Glen Drive party.
House #2
One witness told police that the Honda Pilot made several passes past the party, and the occupants were throwing things from the vehicle and word spread that “those SJ kids are here,” according to the affidavit.
"Witnesses said the occupants exited the vehicle, and a witness told Bango several people said Valle had been flashing a knife through the vehicle’s window, according to the warrant.
The witness said he approached the St. Joseph students and tried to calm the situation, and Valle was holding what appeared to be a small pocket knife and was possibly trying to scare him."
A short time later, witnesses said one of the uninvited teens (from house #1, St. Joes) struck or shoved someone and “a big fight” started, possibly involving as many as 25 teens.
The fight went to the ground, with witnesses describing a pile of people rolling around. But the situation appeared to calm down. The group let Valle and his companion up and they began walking toward the Honda, and “everyone was leaving him (Valle) alone,” a witness said.
The witness said he watched as Valle suddenly turned and stabbed McGrath, who was standing nearby, according to the affidavit. Numerous witnesses at the scene also identified Valle as the person responsible, and picked him out of an 8-person photo lineup, Bango wrote."
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^^sbm
"The cases have been consolidated so that there will be one civil trial as opposed to multiple civil trials," Rosnick said.
You could tell from his face when the verdicts were read he was SHOCKED. He fully expected to be convicted of something. There is no way defense expected for him to walk outta there a free man. No way. The fact that they were hung on the manslaugher, reckless charge to me says there were definitely some pro-defense jurors who were never gonna send him to prison. JMO
yep at least one that wanted NG on everything.
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I disagree with the idea that gatherings like this are needed for adolescent development. I never attended a single party with underage drinking in my youth and I turned out fine. I dont see what is useful about mixing a bunch of impulsive young people with alcohol and no adult supervision and I can certainly think of negatives.
I get some parties and underage drinking is not uncommon and in most cases harmless...however big difference from the pervasive culture that seems to be tolerated in many areas whereby parents provide the booze, look the other way and fighting is the norm. The events that night were not isolated...I think it happened often and probably still does. The knife took it to a new level or no one would ever have known about it. Still not believing that RV and his family got on a plane and he was not visited by police as they discovered what happened.
Locals have said his grandfather is.
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I didn't, either. And I turned out fine, too.
We really have to stop normalize underage drinking in our society.
Nothing good comes of it.
And as you've so rightly pointed, there are tons of negative consequences that are attached to it:
Drunk driving injuries/deaths
Drownings/other accidental deaths and permanent injuries
Early ETOH dependency
Date rape
Alcohol poisoning
Mental health issues/mood disorders
Impaired brain development
I could go on.
But I won't. The point is made.
The negatives far outweigh any "Hey, aren't we all having fun acting grown up with our red solo cups?" so-called social acceptance positives.
JMO.
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