Deceased/Not Found IL - Yingying Zhang, 26, Urbana, 9 June 2017 #8 *Arrest*

Status
Not open for further replies.
  • #621
Here are some rules regarding how Federal courts work (I'm not sure these are the most recent but it's an interesting read.)
I was wondering earlier if the Prosecution will 'surprise' the defense.
I'm unclear whether it's possible, having read this.
Rule 16. Discovery and Inspection
 
  • #622
Death Penalty, Religious Questions Highlight Day 1 of Brendt Christensen Trial

Media was not permitted to sit in on the individual questioning sessions, which lasted multiple hours into Monday afternoon, far longer than the court’s original estimate

About half of the questions posed during the public selection process dealt specifically with the death penalty, including whether any jurors had strong opinions about it or whether they would feel precluded from imposing it due to religious beliefs

The trial, which has garnered extensive media coverage both in the U.S. and in Zhang’s home nation of China, could last more than a month. Shadid said the guilt phase of the trial will likely last two to three weeks. If Christensen is convicted of the top count, it’s likely sentencing would last a similar amount of time.

Christensen is due back in court when jury selection resumes Tuesday.
 
  • #623
He's pleading "innocent" and mental health has been taken off the table...
Does anyone know if the Defense is going to stick to the claim that he let YY out of the vehicle after a couple of blocks (and then try to poke holes I guess in all the evidence)??? -- is THAT their plan? seems crazy, but I can't figure out any other blueprint they have...
 
  • #624
He's pleading "innocent" and mental health has been taken off the table...
Does anyone know if the Defense is going to stick to the claim that he let YY out of the vehicle after a couple of blocks (and then try to poke holes I guess in all the evidence)??? -- is THAT their plan? seems crazy, but I can't figure out any other blueprint they have...
Unlikely cos police say they have proof he did not let her out. They allegedly have proof she was in his apartment and cadaver dogs' evidence that somebody was dead in that apartment even after meticulous cleansing.
I think it's more likely they will present him as a victim who had sought help with very 'lively' family background and a pre-disposition to violence, possibly.
FBI will need to prove that his visit to the college counsellors was actually part of his plan to kill a person, because they can because of his Fetlife and other online activity, his relationship with his girlfriend... Well they do not have to prove that actually... But, they might mention it.
I think it will be a mental health defense but it will be called mitigating factors leading to unhinged behaviour.
Mitigating factors may involve his family, his drug use and known side-effects, possibly other drugs he was using at the time, like corticosteroids, body-builders sometimes use them. he wore a body-builder black t-shirt at his last court appearance, before yesterday. No doubt he was making a point with it.
A brainstorm happened to him due to a combination of substances and a pre-disposition to act erratically/with extreme violence?
A merging of fantasy and reality whereupon he thought he was dreaming, does not recall etc etc.. This is pure speculation from me.
 
  • #625
He's pleading "innocent" and mental health has been taken off the table...
Does anyone know if the Defense is going to stick to the claim that he let YY out of the vehicle after a couple of blocks (and then try to poke holes I guess in all the evidence)??? -- is THAT their plan? seems crazy, but I can't figure out any other blueprint they have...

There has been no indication that the defense has any theory of what happened to her other than this, so until we hear their opening statement, your guess is as good as any.......
 
  • #626
Ben Zigterman on Twitter

They completed initial screening of 29 jurors today, so far 13 have been pre-approved to move on to the next round. If I recall correctly, once they get up to 70 pre-approved jurors, they will go to the next stage, which is selecting the 12 jurors and 6 alternates from this pool of 70.

So, 4-5 more days to get to 70. No idea how long it will take them to select the 18 out of the 70, but my guess would be that if they continue at this rate, they will be ready to start getting into the main event by the middle of next week -which would be right about at ten days, just as Shadid was predicting.
 
  • #627
Tuesday, June 4th:
*Trial continues-Jury Selection (Day 2) (@ 9am ET) - IL - Yingying Zhang (26) (missing on June 9, 2017, Urbana; not found) - *Brendt A. Christensen (28) indicted (6/30/17) on kidnapping (Federal charge) resulting in death of Yingying & 2 counts of giving false statements to FBI. Plead not guilty. Held without bond. DA will seek DP.
Trial started 6/3/19; should last about 5 weeks. Jury selection starts 6/3 & will probably take one week.
6/3/19 Day 1: Judge Shadid started the process of picking 12 jurors & 6 alternates. Jury selection: first group of 16 questioned this morning. After being questioned in open court, they were brought into the judge's chambers for individual questioning. They completed initial screening of 29 jurors today, so far 13 have been pre-approved to move on to the next round. Once they get up to 70 pre-approved jurors, they will go to the next stage, which is selecting the 12 jurors and 6 alternates from this pool of 70. Jury selection will continue on 6/4.
 
  • #628
Where are his parents during all this? Will they be attending.?
 
  • #629
Jury selection going slightly faster today. Judge has limited questioning to 1 lawyer from each side and has stated it should not exceed 5 minutes.
Nothing else new, so far.
 
  • #630
Where are his parents during all this? Will they be attending.?

His parents? That's a good question. Outside of his mother and siblings attending his initial court appearance way back in 2017, I have heard or seen nothing about any member of his family -outside of his now ex-wife. I am sure if some of his family members are sighted, the local reporters covering it will let us know. I've always found it striking how there is virtually no one sticking up for this guy -not even a slight word of protest or admonishment about presumption of innocence or waiting for the whole story to come out from any of his family members. I think that is quite telling.

FWIW, her parents and brother were in Peoria yesterday, but today they are watching from the courthouse in Urbana. My guess is that because nothing of note is likely to happen during jury selection, they will stay and watch from here, then once the main event begins, they will stay in Peoria and attend in person
 
  • #631
  • #632
Maybe this has been mentioned but I haven't found: has it been determined whether the police impersonator in the morning when YZ disappeared was the defendant or not?
 
  • #633
  • #634
copypaste of email notifcation, just now from CourtListener
inute Entry for proceedings held before Judge James E. Shadid: Parties present Attys Eugene Miller, Bryan Freres, and James Nelson, assisted by Dan Jacks, on behalf of the Govt and Defendant Brendt A Christensen with his Attys Robert Tucker, Elisabeth Pollock, George Taseff, Julie Brain, and Matthew Rubenstein, assisted by Julie Howe, for beginning of Jury Trial on Monday, 6/3/2019. In chambers, for reasons stated on the record, Court rules on the following Motions: 102 and 116 are denied with written order to follow; Sealed 238 and sealed 351 are granted, and therefore, Motion 108 moot; Sealed 350 is granted in part and denied in part; 353 is denied; 369 is granted, subject to a limiting instruction. In open court, parties indicate readiness to proceed to trial. Prospective jurors enter and are sworn in. Witness Lists and Indictment read in open court to prospective jurors. Jurors called and questioned. Prospective jurors retire to jury room. Parties convene in the Courts chambers for individual questioning of prospective jurors. Seven jurors have been qualified for further questioning at a later date and time. Brief recess at 1:30 PM. Parties reconvene in open court at at 1:40 PM. Prospective jurors enter and are sworn in. Witness Lists and Indictment read in open court to prospective jurors. Jurors called and questioned. Prospective jurors retire to jury room. Parties convene in the Courts chambers for individual questioning of prospective jurors. From the afternoon session, six additional jurors have been qualified for further questioning at a later date and time, making a total of thirteen for the day. Jury Selection to continue at 9:00 AM on Tuesday, 6/4/2019 with counsel directed to arrive by 8:45 AM. Dft remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshal. (Court Reporter NM/LC) (JRK, ilcd)
 
  • #635
Maybe this has been mentioned but I haven't found: has it been determined whether the police impersonator in the morning when YZ disappeared was the defendant or not?
I am under the impression that the answer is yes, but I could be wrong. Perhaps @dm92 can give a definitive answer.
 
  • #636
I am under the impression that the answer is yes, but I could be wrong. Perhaps @dm92 can give a definitive answer.


This is what the prosecution will argue and present evidence for. EH will testify about what happened to her that morning (guy in a black sedan like BC's claiming to be a cop), and they will also present her picking BC out of a photo lineup as most resembling the guy who tried to pick her up. Also, information from the jailhouse informant will be presented addressing this, as he claims BC told him he got YY into the car by posing as a cop. Additionally, the prosecution has ATM video footage of him dressed in a black t-shirt and wearing aviator sunglasses on June 9th, which is what EH describes him wearing. TEB's recorded conversations may also have relevance to this, as he may have explained to her how he got YY into the car as well -although I am not sure.
 
  • #637
copypaste of email notifcation, just now from CourtListener
Sealed 238 and sealed 351 are granted, and therefore, Motion 108 moot;

108 is the defense trying to get "Other serious acts of violence" thrown out as a non-statutory aggravator -in other words, MD's claimed sexual assault.

238 and 351 were filed by the Defense, so this seems like it might be bad news in regards to use of MD's claims by the prosecution.....
 
  • #638
They are now up to 37 pre-qualified jurors (need to get to 70). Opening statement may begin as early as Monday.

Ben Zigterman on Twitter
 
  • #639
108 is the defense trying to get "Other serious acts of violence" thrown out as a non-statutory aggravator -in other words, MD's claimed sexual assault.

238 and 351 were filed by the Defense, so this seems like it might be bad news in regards to use of MD's claims by the prosecution.....


This question is for everyone but dm92 seems to be the most knowledgable of court type doings. Could all of this hemming and hawwing just been a stall tactic and then like the day of trial they go for a plea deal??? They've seen the evidence we haven't and I'm gonna assume they know BC's gonna be found guilty.
 
  • #640
This question is for everyone but dm92 seems to be the most knowledgable of court type doings. Could all of this hemming and hawwing just been a stall tactic and then like the day of trial they go for a plea deal??? They've seen the evidence we haven't and I'm gonna assume they know BC's gonna be found guilty.
I don’t know, but I think the only way he could get a deal is if he can lead them to her body.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Staff online

Members online

Online statistics

Members online
96
Guests online
1,407
Total visitors
1,503

Forum statistics

Threads
632,360
Messages
18,625,306
Members
243,110
Latest member
ParalegalEagle13
Back
Top