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Jayson William's Trial

InvictaInvicta Member Posts: 262 ✭✭✭
edited April 2004 in General Discussion
I just watched the verdict of the Jayson William's trial on Court TV. He was found not guilty on the manslaughter and assult charges but found guilty of witness and evidence tampering. Obviously Jayson Williams isn's a cold hearted murderer but when somebody dies because of the reckless actions of another person then a crime has been committed. The gun did'nt go off by itself and kill Costas Christofi and even if the gun did go off by itself why did William's have a loaded gun in his house??? Williams was'nt even found guilty of possesing a weapon! The gun must have got out of the closet, loaded itself, then shot Christofi.

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    JgreenJgreen Member Posts: 2,579 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Interesting....

    I find it interesting that there is a line bewteen negligence and criminal negligence, but as with everything, it's shades of grey...

    All in all, probably the right verdict.
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    LowriderLowrider Member Posts: 6,587
    edited November -1
    The "right verdict" hell! If he'd been janitor Williams instead of basketball star Williams they'd have given him ten years.

    What about the coroner's contention that, had they got the guy medical attention immediately, he might have lived? The scumbags let the guy die while they were screwing-around trying to cover their *. No different than the woman who left the dude stuck in her windshield while she just parked the car in the garage.

    Lord Lowrider the Loquacious.

    Member:Secret Select Society of Suave Stylish Smoking Jackets

    She was only a fisherman's daughter,
    But when she saw my rod she reeled.
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    njretcopnjretcop Member Posts: 7,975
    edited November -1
    Only in NJ..........[:(!][:(!][:(!]

    njretcop@copmail.com

    vic.jpgdd.art
    Charlie
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    InvictaInvicta Member Posts: 262 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Out country is going downhill because of stuff like this.
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    dcon12dcon12 Member Posts: 31,950 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by Invicta
    I just watched the verdict of the Jayson William's trial on Court TV. He was found not guilty on the manslaughter and assult charges but found guilty of witness and evidence tampering. Obviously Jayson Williams isn's a cold hearted murderer but when somebody dies because of the reckless actions of another person then a crime has been committed. The gun did'nt go off by itself and kill Costas Christofi and even if the gun did go off by itself why did William's have a loaded gun in his house??? Williams was'nt even found guilty of possesing a weapon! The gun must have got out of the closet, loaded itself, then shot Christofi.




    What good is an unloaded gun? Don[?]

    "Right is Right, even is everyone is against it, and wrong is wrong, even if everyone is for it"
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    goldslammergoldslammer Member Posts: 1,060 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Rich and Famous = not guilty everytime, just ask O.J.
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    Night StalkerNight Stalker Member Posts: 11,967
    edited November -1
    quote:All in all, probably the right verdict.


    I think not. [xx(]

    NSDQ!

    American_IR_Flag.jpgr6team.gifNS_Crest.jpg

    "The Lord knows the way I take, and when He has tested me, I shall come forth as gold" JOB 23:10
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    idsman75idsman75 Member Posts: 13,398 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:why did William's have a loaded gun in his house??? Williams was'nt even found guilty of possesing a weapon!

    I have a loaded weapon in my house. Don't you?

    Why would it be illegal for him to possess a weapon on his own property?

    Do you advocate that BOTH should be illegal?

    I personally don't distinguish between negligence and criminal negligence. I don't think there is a distinction in my mind. Your choice to be a reckless idiot and leads to the death of another human being? I hope there's a wrongful death suit. No amount of money or damages could bring back a life but Williams needs to hurt--and I'm not talking about just feeling BAD because he got caught!
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    JgreenJgreen Member Posts: 2,579 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Folks, this is coming from a (gasp) attorney here. There has to be a limit, a line at some point, where we say that there is a difference between a crime and an accident.

    None of us were at the trial, none of us know all of the evidence presented.

    What seems to be the consensus is that he snapped the shotgun closed, and when it closed, it went off. I don't know the details, but I have a sneaking suspicion that Williams had his finger on the trigger, and had the thing cocked.

    I have a real problem with more and more things being crimes - you'd think that the Republicans on this board, who seem to be all up in arms against more government intrusion, would agree.

    This was extremely negligent, perhaps even reckless. However, you're really going down a slippery slope by looking to criminalize some negligence. Is it a crime because there was a gun involved? Is it a crime because someone was killed? Is it a crime becuase he was drinking? How many of you ever drove too fast and spun out in the snow? What if you had killed someone? How many of you have a beer or two when hunting?

    There's a good reason why it should be so hard to convict someone of a crime. Remember, there but for the grace of God go many of us here.
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    idsman75idsman75 Member Posts: 13,398 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    With all due respect (and I respect MANY who are in your profession) there are Republicans on this board who are tired of idiots doing things that will get more of our gun rights taken away in the name of "safety" or "the children".

    There are few "accidents" that can't be prevented by adhering to the 10 Commandments of firearms safety. A finger on the trigger with gun pointed at the limo driver was more than just negligent in my book.

    Up in arms about government intrusion? We pay our law enforcement agencies to intrude when someone recklessly takes the life of another. I'm not saying that it was negligent just because a gun was involved. Some may equate this to an automobile "accident" where the driver just "didn't see" the other guy. I equate it to driving 90 mph down a side street. A finger on the trigger is a choice. It's a choice to be uneducated in the realm of firearms safety. A gun pointed in the direction of another human being is a choice. It's a choice NOT to be aware of your surroundings.

    You're right. None of us have seen all the evidence. However, someone died and the 10 Commandments of Firearms Safety could have prevented it.
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    JgreenJgreen Member Posts: 2,579 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Idsman - You are 100% right about the 10 commandments of firearm safety could have prevented this. Hell, even ONE of them.

    I will say this - this is a VERY interesting issue. Gun ownership is a big responsiblity. What would have happened if the gun was just a few inches one way or the other? Life or death. Crime or negligence.
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    InvictaInvicta Member Posts: 262 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    The defense in this case said that the gun in question was prone malfunctioning and firing without pulling the trigger. If that is true why did William's have this gun loaded in his house?
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    mkirklandmkirkland Member Posts: 1,040 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I would have loved to been on that jury, not to steamroll him but to actually see and hear all of the evidence. What happened to the other people in the house? Were there any? and if so did they have their day in court yet? Well like they say better ten guilty men go free than one innocent man be jailed. The family will sue Mr. Williams and take all of his money, won't bring their kid back but hopefully it will hurt williams pocket book.
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    Night StalkerNight Stalker Member Posts: 11,967
    edited November -1
    mkirkland: I think the family has already recieved an undisclosed amount of money in a settlement with William's.

    NSDQ!

    American_IR_Flag.jpgr6team.gifNS_Crest.jpg

    "The Lord knows the way I take, and when He has tested me, I shall come forth as gold" JOB 23:10
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    bsallybsally Member Posts: 3,165
    edited November -1
    Found not guilty of the crime, but guilty of covering it up. Hmmm.
    "I didn't shoot nobody, but don't tell anyone I did." Makes a lot of freekin sense to me.[}:)]

    SALLY
    Committee member-Ducks Unlimited
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    goldslammergoldslammer Member Posts: 1,060 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    If I had shot someone in my house "accidentally" while I was drunk, tried to make it look like a suicide, delayed calling 911, and then took a swim to wash off any splattered blood before the police/ambulance arrived. I would be looking at 10+ years in prison for my negligence. But if I was a famous athelete, hired the best lawyers, and settled with the family out of court. I'd be in the running for ESPN's Man Of The Year. And thats truely sad, but sadly true.
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    joeaf1911a1joeaf1911a1 Member Posts: 2,962 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Just a couple of questions. Did he have a NJ. FID card and was it
    a legal purchase in NJ or thru a FID dealer for this gun, or not?
    Seems to me like (but may be mistaken, it was not)? If true, then
    what?
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