General Discussion Thread #5

[Interested Bystander]

I agree that is what the piece says but it is very negative for OP and not what one expects to hear from someone within his camp. Why would she say anything negative about the case at this point and not just keep quiet? I can only think that (1) they know they have lost or (2) they are putting up a smokescreen to cover the fact that they have have "something up their sleeve" so to speak. I am extremely cynical.

 

[Estelle]

The women's league of the ruling ANC party led a march in the capital Pretoria to commemorate Steenkamp's death, with many participants holding up posters denouncing violence against women. "Pistorius must rot in jail," one poster read.

In a statement, the league said its march was intended to make communities aware of the "barbaric conduct against women and children" in the country.

Private news channel eNCA ran an anniversary documentary in which Steenkamp's friends and family recounted how the law graduate turned model was vocal about such issues

http://www.rte.ie/news/2014/0214/504349-pistorius-steenkamp/

 

[Estelle]

Pistorius will be in the dock, but our justice system will be on trial.

One thing is clear, though: what you will see is not the regular justice system. It is one in which each side is on its best behaviour under international scrutiny. Millions are being spent. Reputations will be made and broken. Anyone who has had the pleasure of a morning in the local magistrate’s court will know that this is not how it happens for ordinary people caught in a shabby system where most accused are scared and vulnerable, the prosecutor overworked and underprepared and the bench irascible.

The media will turn it from a murder trial into a spectacle. It is a dream, once-in-a-lifetime narrative: a disabled but photogenic accused admired for his athletic bravado, a beautiful and loved victim, her penniless parents watching helplessly, an arsenal of guns, garages full of fast cars, and a tale of twisted love that went wrong on Valentine’s Day.

If you pitched this for a soap opera, it would be rejected as too far-fetched

http://www.bdlive.co.za/opinion/columnists/2014/02/13/media-is-the-elephant-in-pistoriuss-courtroom

 

[Estelle]

eNCA's star court and specialist reporter Karyn Maughan takes a look at the real Reeva Steenkamp.

Karyn Maughan worked on the special for almost a year, which includes never before seen footage of Reeva Steenkamp's life before she met Oscar Pistorius, as well as an account of what took place in the days leading up to her death.

"So much of the focus has been on Oscar Pistorius. eNCA felt it was important to take a long look at Reeva and bring her life to light," says Karyn Maughan. "She was much more than just the victim in this case, she was a very special person and touches many lives."

Besides Wednesday's broadcast, Reeva: The Model You Thought You Knew will be repeated on eNCA on Friday 14 February at 18:30 and Sunday, 16 February at 17:00.

Reeva: The Model You Thought You Knew will also be shown on e.tv on Monday 17 February at 20:30.

http://teeveetee.blogspot.com.au/2014/02/breaking-enca-special-documentary-reeva.html?m=1

 

[kittychi]

http://https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mmeVwNE0Lo8&list=UUI3RT5PGmdi1KVp9FG_CneA

An excellent video about Reeva: The model you thought you knew

I wasn't able to open that link for some reason; here is another try:

[video=youtube;-MedbKo8mgs]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-MedbKo8mgs[/video]

 

[Interested Bystander]

Mmm! Mozambique has no extradition agreement with South Africa. Dummy run, just in case?

 

[MURDERER_SERVANT]

I am not this hair...I am not this skin...
I am the soul that lives within...

Rumi

 

[Estelle]

Mmm! Mozambique has no extradition agreement with South Africa. Dummy run, just in case?

That's what I thought. He might plan to do a runner after the Prosecution has finished presenting their case about March 20 if it does not look good for him.

 

[Estelle]

I am not this hair...I am not this skin...
I am the soul that lives within...

RumiView attachment 41030

How true! Heaven has gained an angel.

 

[kittychi]

That's what I thought. He might plan to do a runner after the Prosecution has finished presenting their case about March 20 if it does not look good for him.

You have to wonder if they took a look at the landscape with the thought of living there.

:jail:

 

[Lyra500]

"A few words from my heart:

"The loss of Reeva and the complete trauma of that day, I will carry with me for the rest of my life."

"No words can adequately capture my feelings about the devastating accident that has caused such heartache for everyone who truly loved - and continues to love - Reeva.

"The pain and sadness - especially for Reeva's parents, family and friends - consumes me with sorrow.



http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-26184697


REST IN PEACE, REEVA

I have to say all this ostentatious 'grief' that the Pistorius camp insists on broadcasting is truly distasteful and really does add insult to injury.

The uncle has mentioned a Pistorius family gathering to remember Reeva where they will release balloons.


How dare they make a big song and dance about gathering to mark the anniversary of her death when OP is the one who caused it. Disgusting behaviour from a family which appears to have no class at all - this should not be about them at all but about Reeva and her family and real friends who loved her dearly. If. OP and his family had any real empathy and decency, they would not be touting their fake grief and bereavement around the world's press. They would understand that the only decent way for them to behave is to shut up and stay well out of the limelight.

I don't find his declarations of regret and undying love convincing in the slightest. The only thing he regrets is his potential loss of liberty and fortune.

It still amazes me that there are fans willing to accept his fabricated explanation of what happened that night. It makes me think that there are some people who would insist he was innocent even if the entire episode had been captured on film.

 

[kittychi]

Lyra500, I could not agree more. Where was the remorse a year ago?

 

[Interested Bystander]

Lyra500, I so agree. How can they not see that their behaviour is so distasteful?

 

[Pisto_lius]

My theory regarding the phone problems:

Since last year prosecutors tried to get access of OP's iPhone. The only one who can help them is APPLE - whom they contacted for this reason months ago.

But because APPLE isn't a SA located company, prosecutors need a judicial decision from the SA court for the US court to instruct APPLE to crack the code to OP's iPhone.

This implies that a SA judge must confirm the US court that any information of OP's iPhone is admitted as evidence in court.

Such confirmation can only be provided by the judge who is responsible for this criminal trial.

So, if previous reports are true that police has sent copies of supporting documents they had received from magistrate Desmond Nair to the FBI, I suspect that the US court resp. the FBI hasn't accepted these documents - because Nair has nothing to do with evidence that will be used in the forthcoming (murder case) trial. He was only responsible for the bail hearing but isn't responsible for the forthcoming (murder case) trial.

As we know the judge for this trial has been appointed only four weeks ago.

For this reason I suspect that police/prosecutors need the judicial decision of judge Masipa (and no one else) which they could send to the US court only after Masipa was officially appointed and gave them these judicial decision.

And this may be the real reason why police/prosecutors still have to wait for the assistance of APPLE.





Further information regarding the trial:

The office of the chief justice [judge Thokozile Masipa] has confirmed that two assessors will assist Masipa when the Pistorius trial starts.
http://ewn.co.za/2014/02/13/Assessors-appointed-in-Oscar-Pistorius-trial

 

[Pisto_lius]

I love this two reports regarding OP's *tribute* on the anniversary of Reeva's death :clap:. They confirm the feeling of all of us when we read it.


Pistorius statement a ‘PR exercise’

A statement released by murder accused Oscar Pistorius on the anniversary of the death of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp on Friday has been labeled by PR communications specialists as "distasteful".

They also felt that the paralympian’s statement was carefully timed in an attempt to "emphasise that it was an accident".

Although seemingly heartfelt, the statement "smacks of spin", said Janine Lloyd of PR Expert, a specialist in crisis communications and reputation management with 26 years’ experience in the industry.

Please, read more under http://citizen.co.za/128112/pistorius-statement-pr-exercise/

Oscar Pistorius Sparks Outrage After Posting Tribute to Girlfriend He’s Accused of Killing

While many couples were celebrating their love for each other on Valentine's Day, Oscar Pistorius had a more morbid tribute.

[....]

Some people were outraged by Pistorius’ tribute to Steenkamp since he is responsible for her death.

http://www.inflexwetrust.com/2014/0...tribute-to-girlfriend-hes-accused-of-killing/

 

[Estelle]

My theory regarding the phone problems:

Since last year prosecutors tried to get access of OP's iPhone. The only one who can help them is APPLE - whom they contacted for this reason months ago.

But because APPLE isn't a SA located company, prosecutors need a judicial decision from the SA court for the US court to instruct APPLE to crack the code to OP's iPhone.

This implies that a SA judge must confirm the US court that any information of OP's iPhone is admitted as evidence in court.

Such confirmation can only be provided by the judge who is responsible for this criminal trial.

So, if previous reports are true that police has sent copies of supporting documents they had received from magistrate Desmond Nair to the FBI, I suspect that the US court resp. the FBI hasn't accepted these documents - because Nair has nothing to do with evidence that will be used in the forthcoming (murder case) trial. He was only responsible for the bail hearing but isn't responsible for the forthcoming (murder case) trial.

As we know the judge for this trial has been appointed only four weeks ago.

For this reason I suspect that police/prosecutors need the judicial decision of judge Masipa (and no one else) which they could send to the US court only after Masipa was officially appointed and gave them these judicial decision.

And this may be the real reason why police/prosecutors still have to wait for the assistance of APPLE.



This what I was thinking about this too. So do you predict that the Judge would have already made the application so they will have it ready for the trial? Or would she have to wait until the trial and then order it to be done? Surely they would have to have it first. But they will surely get it - just a matter of when. They say they are ready so they must have got it by now.

So who will the Prosecutor be who will present the case of the State?
Gerrie Nel?

 

[Estelle]

Oscar Pistorius: Cracking the incorrect Apple ID

http://www.citypress.co.za/news/oscar-pistorius-cracking-incorrect-apple-id/


The most important excerpts from this report:

I had to laugh when Journalist, Karyn Maughan said ECN had been given the password and had been able to access OP's i-tunes music tastes as if to say so what is the problem? But the Defence was not fooled and knew there could be much more interesting things stored or deleted on that iPhone! It will be interesting to learn what they found out.

 

[Estelle]

http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/LIVE-UPDATES-Pistorius-trial-broadcast-bid-20140219

Very interesting tweets reported here

 

[Interested Bystander]

Pistorius trial broadcast bid

Judgement reserved until next Tuesday 11 am

Reeva's parents do not want a televised trial.

OP's DT seem to be functioning as though this is like any run-of-the-mill trial. How deluded can his DT be.


12:49 - Roux: Why can't this be like other trials? Why is this special? Because he ran fast around a track?


14:06 - Snyckers: This trial like no other; Pistorius legal team want to "order waves back into the sea" & undo digital developments.

14:05 - Snyckers on Roux questioning why this trial is special - the notion that this is just another trial is farcical, says Snyckers.


Article/tweets well worth a read:-

http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/LIVE-UPDATES-Pistorius-trial-broadcast-bid-20140219

 

[Pisto_lius]

The war is running - Right before the start of the trial documents of the state's ballistics experts was leaked to the media :furious:


Oscar Pistorius prosecution suffers setback

South African prosecutors who have accused Oscar Pistorius of murder now admit he may not have had his prostheses on when he fired the shots that killed his girlfriend, removing a key argument for premeditation.

According to a document obtained by local television news channel eNCA, the state’s own ballistics expert believes Paralympic star Pistorius was ``most likely’’ on his stumps when he shot Reeva Steenkamp through the bathroom door.

The National Prosecuting Authority said it had not leaked the documents.

``The defence has access to everything, to the docket and all evidential material we have,’’ said spokesman Nathi Mncube.

``We don’t give anything to any other person other than the defence and if it gets leak, it won’t be us, we can’t do that because it’s damaging to our case.’’

http://www.news.com.au/world/oscar-...-suffers-setback/story-fndir2ev-1226833320455

I hope the judge takes good note of this and draws its consequences. She should be able to find out who leaked these documents to ENCA by urging ENCA to reveal the source. And then she should put both parties under a gag order with the thread of punishment.

From the beginning OP's DT (and judge Bam) deplored an alleged *trial by media* but also from the beginning it was OP's DT - and no one else - who was forcing this. And now they do it again !

The DT don't want live-broadcast of the trial. And why ? Because they fear that a live-broadcast could damaging to their case. But they do everything damaging the state's case.