Found Deceased GA - Quinton Simon - Missing From Home - Mom ARRESTED- Savannah #4

[iamshadow21]

Agreed. We've seen docs in other cases where they've redacted siblings' names and other information but released them to the public record. Yesterday in the North Carolina case of Madalina Cojocari a news reporter argued successfully to get court docs and search warrants partially released. His arguments were that much was already known to the public anyway so releasing some of the information wouldn't negatively impact the prosecution, and keeping the docs sealed would cause the public to speculate. The judge agreed and will release some of the docs on Monday.

I know the circumstances here are different but still, historically docs have been released with sensitive information blocked out. I do believe keeping them sealed will cause the public to speculate - that's already happening. So which is worse, speculating on known information or creating imaginary scenarios due to a lack of information? MOO.

Choose your poison. Neither's great. But I don't know what the mood on the ground or the scuttlebutt is like now, locally, since the Youtube vultures packed up their monetised livestreams and decamped for elsewhere. Moscow, probably.

If the locals have simmered down a bit, the sealing might be the lesser of two evils. It might allow a jury pool to be formed by the time this goes to trial that can judge the case against LS on its merits rather than on public opinion. Quinton deserves this to be done right the first time around. No fumbles, no mistrials, no jury contamination.

Yeah, people are going to talk and theorise about what's being kept secret, but to be blunt - people have short memories. And there will be another sad, beautiful, probably white child who dies and captures everyone's attention very soon. Quinton's smile and deep brown eyes and curls will be forgotten by the general public, replaced by this new tragic baby. And by the time this goes to trial, people's memories of all the rumours they heard late '22, early '23 will have faded, and the courts can do their thing.

It's horrible, and as I'm typing it, I'm hating typing it, because Quinton will always be special to me, the first case I followed from the start on here. I cried when they found him. I'm crying now. But there will be other lost children, and the short memory of the people who aren't obsessed with crime like we are will work in the favour of getting a conviction for his killer.

 

[nhmemorymaker]

Choose your poison. Neither's great. But I don't know what the mood on the ground or the scuttlebutt is like now, locally, since the Youtube vultures packed up their monetised livestreams and decamped for elsewhere. Moscow, probably.

If the locals have simmered down a bit, the sealing might be the lesser of two evils. It might allow a jury pool to be formed by the time this goes to trial that can judge the case against LS on its merits rather than on public opinion. Quinton deserves this to be done right the first time around. No fumbles, no mistrials, no jury contamination.

Yeah, people are going to talk and theorise about what's being kept secret, but to be blunt - people have short memories. And there will be another sad, beautiful, probably white child who dies and captures everyone's attention very soon. Quinton's smile and deep brown eyes and curls will be forgotten by the general public, replaced by this new tragic baby. And by the time this goes to trial, people's memories of all the rumours they heard late '22, early '23 will have faded, and the courts can do their thing.

It's horrible, and as I'm typing it, I'm hating typing it, because Quinton will always be special to me, the first case I followed from the start on here. I cried when they found him. I'm crying now. But there will be other lost children, and the short memory of the people who aren't obsessed with crime like we are will work in the favour of getting a conviction for his killer.

I truly can feel your emotions. Life on Websleuths is like life in general...."We ALWAYS remember our 'firsts "....

My first on WS was the Daybell Vallow case.... so that is where it all began for me. And the rest is history, so to speak. ha!

 

[NoeticSoul]

Little Quinton would have been 2 today... but he doesn't get to celebrate Happy Birthday, little Angel. You will never be forgotten. Justice is coming.

 

[NoeticSoul]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1613678826713645058

 

[iamshadow21]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1613678826713645058

Oh, gosh, that screenshot is all full of the surviving sibs names. I don't think I knew them before, and I felt guilty seeing them.

I think if there are reports that are relevant to Quinton's case that include the siblings they should be clearly in or out of the proceedings, so I have no problem with the court addressing them, but I wish Brett Buffington would have covered the sibs names. They are victims in this and have a right to privacy.

 

[MissMalowe]

I must have either forgotten or never realized the number of children involved. I thought there were 3, but there were 4 kids?

And Leilanis birth year is 1984? She's 38? That must be an error in the attached paperwork? I notice there are other errors, such as 2 of the children having their names spelled 2 different ways on that same paperwork too though....

 

[iamshadow21]

I must have either forgotten or never realized the number of children involved. I thought there were 3, but there were 4 kids?

And Leilanis birth year is 1984? She's 38? That must be an error in the attached paperwork? I notice there are other errors, such as 2 of the children having their names spelled 2 different ways on that same paperwork too though....

One of the people named seems to be their own father... Someone didn't proofread this.

 

[NoeticSoul]

Agreed, that document sure does seem like a hot unprofessional mess! imo

eta (wish the kiddos names were redacted too!)

 

[wnk]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1613678826713645058

Would someone with more legal insight than me please explain how these documents could possibly be helpful for LS's defense?

Are they going to try to convince a jury that, based on [hypothetical... I do not know for sure what those documents state] past abuse of the children by other people, it could have been one of those other adults that killed Q? Even though she was the one at home with him at the time and who dropped his body in a dumpster?

Or am I missing something?

 

[iamshadow21]

Would someone with more legal insight than me please explain how these documents could possibly be helpful for LS's defense?

Are they going to try to convince a jury that, based on [hypothetical... I do not know for sure what those documents state] past abuse of the children by other people, it could have been one of those other adults that killed Q? Even though she was the one at home with him at the time and who dropped his body in a dumpster?

Or am I missing something?

IANAL - but I suspect because of the in camera nature (Ie. in chambers, not open) they're trying to get the judge to define exactly what from DCFS files is going to be allowed in or not, and build their defense accordingly. Someone with more legal expertise, help me out! I didn't even go to uni, and this isn't even my country's legal system! @gitana1 , are you around?

 

[mooseandcoffee]

Agreed. We've seen docs in other cases where they've redacted siblings' names and other information but released them to the public record. Yesterday in the North Carolina case of Madalina Cojocari a news reporter argued successfully to get court docs and search warrants partially released. His arguments were that much was already known to the public anyway so releasing some of the information wouldn't negatively impact the prosecution, and keeping the docs sealed would cause the public to speculate. The judge agreed and will release some of the docs on Monday.

I know the circumstances here are different but still, historically docs have been released with sensitive information blocked out. I do believe keeping them sealed will cause the public to speculate - that's already happening. So which is worse, speculating on known information or creating imaginary scenarios due to a lack of information? MOO.

I am always going to side with these decisions because having a fair trial is paramount over our right to know anything. We are bystanders. Also, the privacy of those kids is more important than our knowing anything.

 

[gitana1]

IANAL - but I suspect because of the in camera nature (Ie. in chambers, not open) they're trying to get the judge to define exactly what from DCFS files is going to be allowed in or not, and build their defense accordingly. Someone with more legal expertise, help me out! I didn't even go to uni, and this isn't even my country's legal system! @gitana1 , are you around?

Based on that first page of the motion, that seems correct. It looks like a motion in limine. But I can’t see the second page, which I imagine would exclude any portion of the documents, that has not been given to the defense.

 

[iamshadow21]

Based on that first page of the motion, that seems correct. It looks like a motion in limine. But I can’t see the second page, which I imagine would exclude any portion of the documents, that has not been given to the defense.

Thank you! *blows kisses* Legal stuff is really not my area. I've picked up bits and pieces from reading true crime (and fan fiction, funnily enough) but so much of the law is a mystery to me. It's so helpful having legal bods like yourself around to ask! And so generous of you to answer. I appreciate it.

 

[Knox]

Based on that first page of the motion, that seems correct. It looks like a motion in limine. But I can’t see the second page, which I imagine would exclude any portion of the documents, that has not been given to the defense.

@wnk- Thank you for asking the question, I wondered the same. @gitana1 Thank you for answering.

What is the purpose of motion in limine?

A motion in limine is a procedural mechanism that allows litigators to seek to exclude certain evidence from being presented to a jury – typically evidence that is irrelevant, unreliable, or more prejudicial than probative.

 

[wnk]

Thank you @gitana1 for the expertise and @Knox for the definition of motion in limine.

So, if I'm understanding this correctly, LS's defense team is seeking to determine which DCFS reports (which may be used to determine a motive, intent, or absence of "accident") are going to be admissible in court so that they can prepare a defense against that evidence, correct?


An interesting bit of "Today I Learned" from reading the wikipedia article about character evidence:

In the United States, character evidence is inadmissible in a criminal trial if first offered by the prosecution as circumstantial evidence to show that a defendant is likely to have committed the crime with which they are charged—the prosecution may not, in other words, initiate character evidence that shows defendant's propensity to commit a crime. However the prosecution may introduce character evidence for certain limited purposes after the defendant does so—after the defendant has "opened the door"—through the permissible methods and purposes explained below in "Character evidence offered by the defendant," to rebut what defendant tried showing through character evidence, and to "offer evidence of the defendant's same trait."[4]

FRE 404, in addition to dictating character evidence's permissible use in federal courts, also bars the prosecution's admission of "crimes, wrongs, or other acts"[5] to prove the character of a person in order to show action in conformity therewith (propensity). Evidence of other crimes, wrongs or acts is available for "non-character purposes," such as motive, opportunity, intent, preparation, plan, knowledge, identity, or absence of mistake or accident. In a criminal prosecution, the defendant can request to receive notice of this type of evidence if the prosecution intends to admit it at trial.

 

[Megnut]

May I submit character evidence for LS? I'd like to submit it in the form of a lawn chair.

...while the world was holding out hope, while LE was trawling thru trash...

Kind of says it all.

JMO

 

[Knox]

May I submit character evidence for LS? I'd like to submit it in the form of a lawn chair.

...while the world was holding out hope, while LE was trawling thru trash...

Kind of says it all.

JMO

I'll also provide a character reference. Mine will be video and still shots from a Tybee Island bar, Brett Buffington is going to help me out

 

[cass523]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1615705567325986818

 

[iamshadow21]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1615705567325986818

Denied. Take your medicine, LS.

 

[lcookster]

Denied. Take your medicine, LS.

Thanks for your WLOS.com posting. So she has a motion hearing today, 1/25. Looking forward to hearing any news coming out of this.