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I don't know if this has already been discussed, I've only seen people saying that they're confused over whether or not RB walking free through the plea deal means that is it as far as charges against her go.
And I don't know if this site is acceptable for a link, but here's some stuff about double jeopardy in the USA
http://legal-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/double+jeopardy
From what I understand and what I can see in there and compare to the case, I don't see why RB couldn't face a murder charge after the trial if evidence comes up in court that makes the DA's office think those charges are warranted and have a reasonable chance of a conviction.
Although the accessory after the fact charge relates to Bella's death it's 'after the fact' and a murder charge is 'before/during the fact'. We only really have RB's testimony that there was probably at least 24 hours between Bella's death and the subsequent disposal of the body...but even that gives a time interval, and the fridge could give a longer time interval of up to several weeks. I could well be wrong, but I think there might be a potential for a murder charge? The problem is to get it to stick, because MM being acquitted would not automatically mean that RB is guilty....from a legal standpoint, as I understand it, RB would still be innocent and still subject to reasonable doubt in any trial on her, and MM's acquittal would not be evidence of RB's guilt (my understanding).
I'm not sure that a plea deal with MM would have been possible. He's claiming he didn't know about Bella's death, so what charges could be brought against him to plea down? They can't charge him as accessory after the fact if he says he thought Bella was with DCF/DSS. By claiming he didn't know Bella was dead, MM couldn't give useful evidence against RB as murderer...whereas she is offering testimony that she walked into a room and saw MM standing over Bella's dead body and that MM forced her into driving to the seafront where he dumped Bella's body. "I didn't know Bella was dead" wouldn't have the power that RB's story had.
As we do seem to be seeing some grounds for reasonable doubt, I do hope I'm not wrong about the double jeopardy thing and that the DA will bring a murder charge against RB. But, I do think it would be harder to convict her.
ETA, logically I must be wrong, because you can't simultaneously be an accessory after the fact and also a murderer, they're mutually exclusive and therefore subject to double jeopardy. Well that sucks.
ETA 2 .... I was going to suggest that maybe the plea deal can be withdrawn to end the jeopardy? I don't know if that would work. But the other thing is that if RB is deemed to be lying on the stand, surely that creates a situation akin to mistrial and would thereby end her jeopardy and allow the DA to reconsider the charges against her???
And I don't know if this site is acceptable for a link, but here's some stuff about double jeopardy in the USA
http://legal-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/double+jeopardy
From what I understand and what I can see in there and compare to the case, I don't see why RB couldn't face a murder charge after the trial if evidence comes up in court that makes the DA's office think those charges are warranted and have a reasonable chance of a conviction.
Although the accessory after the fact charge relates to Bella's death it's 'after the fact' and a murder charge is 'before/during the fact'. We only really have RB's testimony that there was probably at least 24 hours between Bella's death and the subsequent disposal of the body...but even that gives a time interval, and the fridge could give a longer time interval of up to several weeks. I could well be wrong, but I think there might be a potential for a murder charge? The problem is to get it to stick, because MM being acquitted would not automatically mean that RB is guilty....from a legal standpoint, as I understand it, RB would still be innocent and still subject to reasonable doubt in any trial on her, and MM's acquittal would not be evidence of RB's guilt (my understanding).
I'm not sure that a plea deal with MM would have been possible. He's claiming he didn't know about Bella's death, so what charges could be brought against him to plea down? They can't charge him as accessory after the fact if he says he thought Bella was with DCF/DSS. By claiming he didn't know Bella was dead, MM couldn't give useful evidence against RB as murderer...whereas she is offering testimony that she walked into a room and saw MM standing over Bella's dead body and that MM forced her into driving to the seafront where he dumped Bella's body. "I didn't know Bella was dead" wouldn't have the power that RB's story had.
As we do seem to be seeing some grounds for reasonable doubt, I do hope I'm not wrong about the double jeopardy thing and that the DA will bring a murder charge against RB. But, I do think it would be harder to convict her.
ETA, logically I must be wrong, because you can't simultaneously be an accessory after the fact and also a murderer, they're mutually exclusive and therefore subject to double jeopardy. Well that sucks.
ETA 2 .... I was going to suggest that maybe the plea deal can be withdrawn to end the jeopardy? I don't know if that would work. But the other thing is that if RB is deemed to be lying on the stand, surely that creates a situation akin to mistrial and would thereby end her jeopardy and allow the DA to reconsider the charges against her???
