NOT GUILTY South Africa - Anni Dewani, 28, shot to death, Gugulethu, 13 Nov 2010 #5

[JudgeJudi]

Mandy Wiener retweeted
Aislinn Laing @Simmoa · 3h 3 hours ago
Judge now sitting back, her face twisted in an expression of cynical disbelief. Is it an act, or has she already made up her mind? #Dewani

Mandy Wiener retweeted
Alex Crawford @AlexCrawfordSky · 3h 3 hours ago
#DewaniTrial Watching the Judge tackle the State's Adrian Mopp is a bit like watching a tiger toss a mouse around

Mandy Wiener retweeted
Aislinn Laing @Simmoa · 3h 3 hours ago
The Dewani case disintegrating before our eyes. The judge waving her arms exasperatedly, prosecutor Mopp squeaking indignantly in defence

Mandy Wiener retweeted
Alex Crawford @AlexCrawfordSky · 3h 3 hours ago
#DewaniTrial Occasionally, just ever so occasionally, the Judge asks a Q of the State which doesnt indicate she'd quite like to throttle him

Mandy Wiener retweeted
Alex Crawford @AlexCrawfordSky · 2h 2 hours ago
#DewaniTrial Dewani is leanly forward with a smile playing on his lips as the Judge repeatedly asks q's which the State struggles with

Mandy Wiener @MandyWiener · 2h 2 hours ago
I would really like to be watching the #DewaniTrial live right now. From @Simmoa and @AlexCrawfordSky it sounds like Mopp is being mauled.

Mandy Wiener @MandyWiener · 2h 2 hours ago
Traverso is so not Masipa “@rahimaessop: #DewaniTrial Judge asks question after question about apparent holes in the state's case.. RE”

 

[JudgeJudi]

Leigh-Anne Jansen @LA_JANSEN · 31s 31 seconds ago

#DewaniTrial The alternate argument around the question of separating the individuals. Traverso: who is going to answer that?
Mopp: As it pleases the court.

#DewaniTrial Mopp: There had to be a conspiracy within a conspiracy to falsely implicate the accused. It's almost beyond them.

#DewaniTrial Traverso: Will you agree with me that the state's case hinges on a single witness? He was an unsatisfactory witness.

#DewaniTrial Mopp: Not totally unsatisfactory to draw the proverbial line through it. Tongo was the only person who communicated with the accused.
Traverso: Is there any corroboration? No, is there?

#DewaniTrial Mopp: Indeed, that's the test. I have to make that concession. State closes.

 

[JudgeJudi]

Leigh-Anne Jansen @LA_JANSEN · 38s 39 seconds ago
#DewaniTrial Van Zyl: I'm only allowed to reply to the law. I have nothing to say about that. But I have 6 points on the merits, if you'll allow me. (Traverso allows)

#DewaniTrial VZ: According to his (Qwabe's) plea agreement... "Watti was sitting on the front passenger seat.."

#DewaniTrial VZ: Then in his testimony.."I think he was sitting. I think he was at the front seat. He was sitting, had firearm in left hand"

 

[JudgeJudi]

Leigh-Anne Jansen @LA_JANSEN · 26s 26 seconds ago

#DewaniTrial VZ: Then that phone call from Monde to Qwabe, my learned friend says Monde could only obtain that knowledge from Tongo.

#DewaniTrial But from the timeline there was contact at 18:37, then no contact between them (Monde and Zola) at all. Next call, at 21:33

#DewaniTrial VZ: My learned friend refers to Mbolombo's affidavit where he said he was not sure who the lady was, in support of Tongo.

#DewaniTrial But if you go to his evidence, that's not what he testified. In the record, he deals with that trip to his place of work.

 

[zwiebel]

I got distracted during the break.

Alex Crawford ‏@AlexCrawfordSky 2 mins2 minutes ago

#DewaniTrial Defence lawyer has not been idle during lunch, looking up and cross-checking a number of the State's claims

 

[zwiebel]

Alex Crawford ‏@AlexCrawfordSky 3 mins3 minutes ago

#DewaniTrial Defence now turning to whether Tongo knew the person to be killed was a business partner or Dewani's wife...

Alex Crawford ‏@AlexCrawfordSky 2 mins2 minutes ago

#DewaniTrial Defence tearing apart claims which seem to support Tongo's version. (Defence say case rests on credibility of Tongo)

 

[zwiebel]

Doesn't seem fair to me that defence allowed to make their argument, then come back and make another, after state's made theirs?

 

[JudgeJudi]

Leigh-Anne Jansen @LA_JANSEN · 30s 30 seconds ago
#DewaniTrial There was no uncertainty here, the person who had to be killed was the wife of this person

#DewaniTrial Then, my learned friend makes reference to Tongo's statement. He created the impression that at the time this was happening, he didn't know who these people (Qwabe & Mngeni) are, hence using 1st man and 2nd man.

#DewaniTrial My learned friend make reference to transcripts of what was said to the family. That must be tested. Like I said yesterday even if the accused is an appalling witness, it does not elevate Tongo's version to credible status.

#DewaniTrial Traverso: I obviously want to take time to consider the conclusion to which I've come. I will give my ruling to Monday 8 December.

#DewaniTrial Proceedings adjourned

 

[zwiebel]

Alex Crawford ‏@AlexCrawfordSky 3 mins3 minutes ago

#DewaniTrial 'If u r part of team of robbers + u know 1 of ur party is armed, and someone is killed, u going down on murder (so guilty plea)

EWN Reporter ‏@ewnreporter 2 mins2 minutes ago

#DewaniTrial VZ concludes his submissions. CS

Alex Crawford ‏@AlexCrawfordSky 2 mins2 minutes ago

#DewaniTrial Judge going to give ruling on Monday Dec 8

 

[zwiebel]

So judge is considering decision which she says she has already come to?

I think all the signs point to that being in favour of defence.

 

[zwiebel]

Aislinn Laing ‏@Simmoa 2 mins2 minutes ago

Anni Dewani's family look crushed as judge announces another delay in the case. #DewaniTrial

 

[zwiebel]

Apparently the Dewani family seem very happy, laughing and smiling in court.

 

[zwiebel]

Dewani's new date is the day before the Oscar Pistorius decision.

 

[zwiebel]

Aislinn Laing ‏@Simmoa 8 mins8 minutes ago

Meanwhile Dewani's august barrister Francois Van Zyl is chuckling with journalists, looking rather pleased with himself. #DewaniTrial

 

[zwiebel]

The judges in SA seem to allow themselves a really long time to make decisions. In countries that have juries, the odd time that a judge hears a case on their own, they usually make a decision much quicker than a jury.

It makes sense to me, as a judge is likely to come to an understanding of the case/evidence faster than a layman jury. Even a jury wouldn't usually take two weeks to come to a decision, but that's the amount of time Judge Traverso has given herself. Confusing, for me.

 

[PrimeSuspect]

:tyou: Z and JJ once again.

Oh well, I think we know the outcome.

 

[zwiebel]

Short summary of proceedings today.

ETA: forgot the link.
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-bristol-30190872

 

[PrimeSuspect]

I've got so many thoughts about this trial. Traverso takes nothing of SD's behaviour into account, yet Masipa did the exact opposite with OP, everything he did she measured as being of an innocent.
It is true, SD is innocent until proven guilty and I believe Traverso would need a signed confession from him to believe he's guilty. JMO

It should be interesting what will come of OP's appeal process.

 

[Interested Bystander]

Doesn't seem fair to me that defence allowed to make their argument, then come back and make another, after state's made theirs?

I think that is probably the norm. I think Roux came back after Nel had finished in OP's case.

 

[Estelle]

Should honeymoon murder accused Shrien Dewani be acquitted?

Yes 22%
No 78%

http://ewn.co.za/#divController

Dewani IMO needs to be put on the stand to answer questions.