Hello St. Crispian and All,
St. Crispian, thanks for letting us know that you also saw/heard the "Galanter" and "higher power" thing. As shocked as I was to hear that, it is nice to know I wasn't the only one to hear it (I would have thought I was losing my last marble
BTW, evidently someone else saw/heard what we did and wrote it up on an msn.com board. Here is what they remembered and wrote (I cannot recall the exact quote):
>>Even Yale Galanter noted the irony that the guilty verdict yesterday came on the 13th anniversary of his acquital in the murder trial. Galanter went on to say, "It was eerie. Almost like a higher power was making a statement." <<
As I think of it, I have to wonder if that was just a "Freudian slip" or in some way intentional. In the appeals process can't someone say I didn't win my case because my attorney didn't do a good job because of a, b and c? So was Galanter trying to throw a little "help" on appeal? Might this be possible?
Also, I'm wondering if anyone can speak to the appeals process in a criminal case such as this. Sadly, I am uneducated about it an do not fully understand. Does an appeal in this matter get submitted to a higher Nevada court or a Federal court? How long does this process usually take in the court to which it will be appealed?
Also, thinking of sentencing, what might we expect? Isn't kidnapping a Federal offense? Perhaps not in this case? These men were not transported across state lines by their kidnappers, but they were "lured" across them (i.e. out of their home states), then detained by force and threat of violence. OJ was found guilty of "conspiracy to commit kidnapping."
Can anyone well informed about the appeals process tell us what might occur at this point? My hope is that it will be a long long time before an appeal can even be heard and that OJ must, at least, remain incarcerated until that time.
Also, we have heard that this could be sentencing of from 5 years to life (who calculated that, or how did they?) I'd be very curious as to what the actual sentencing of years might be. I was trying to look up Nevada law, and am not very good at that. I found this:
http://www.leg.state.nv.us/NRS/NRS-200.html#NRS200Sec310
I was trying to figure out what the "conspiracy to commit kidnapping" might yield "in years" at a minimum. Is this a category A or B felony (NRS 200.310 Degrees) or something else?
Here were the counts:
Count 1 - Conspiracy to Commit a Crime (Gross Misdemeanor) - Guilty
Count 2 - Conspiracy to Commit Kidnapping - Guilty
Count 3 - Conspiracy to Commit Robbery - Guilty
Count 4 - Burglary While in Possession of Deadly Weapon - Guilty
Count 5 - First Degree Kidnapping With Use of a Deadly Weapon - Guilty
Count 6 - First Degree Kidnapping With Use of a Deadly Weapon - Guilty
Count 7 - Robbery With Use of a Deadly Weapon - Guilty
Count 8 - Robbery With Use of a Deadly Weapon - Guilty
Count 9 - Assault With a Deadly Weapon - Guilty
Count 10 - Assault With a Deadly Weapon - Guilty
Count 11 - Coercion With Use of a Deadly Weapon - Guilty
Count 12 - Coercion With Use of a Deadly Weapon - Guilty<<
As I look at kidnapping category B (2nd degree), I see: "2 years and a maximum term of not more than 15 years"
As I look at kidnapping category A (1st degree), I see:
"2. Where the kidnapped person suffers no substantial bodily harm as a result of the kidnapping, by imprisonment in the state prison:
(a) For life with the possibility of parole, with eligibility for parole beginning when a minimum of 5 years has been served; or
(b) For a definite term of 15 years, with eligibility for parole beginning when a minimum of 5 years has been served."
Then there is "Conspiracy to commit robbery":
http://www.leg.state.nv.us/NRS/NRS-200.html
I see this: "A person who commits robbery is guilty of a category B felony and shall be punished by imprisonment in the state prison for a minimum term of not less than 2 years and a maximum term of not more than 15 years."
Then burglary:
http://www.leg.state.nv.us/NRS/NRS-205.html#NRS205Sec060
Does this apply?
>> 4. A person convicted of burglary who has in his possession or gains possession of any firearm or deadly weapon at any time during the commission of the crime, at any time before leaving the structure or upon leaving the structure, is guilty of a category B felony and shall be punished by imprisonment in the state prison for a minimum term of not less than 2 years and a maximum term of not more than 15 years, and may be further punished by a fine of not more than $10,000.<<
So how about "all of the charges." I believe that the doubles we see were because there were two victims.
Does anyone have a particularly good idea of what we might actually see in terms of a sentence? Will the judge sentence on her own (what is her record in terms of sentencing, anyone know?), or does the jury have anything to do with it? How about our guesses for a sentence?
My guess (and I hope I am wrong)... Well, as much as I would like to see life without the possibility of parole, I think we might see 15 years with possible parole in 5 years. What are your educated opinions or guesses?
Wrinkles