Verdict Watch

[Meni]

They can't answer general questions of law, they can only provide answers to the jury on specific questions.

Ok.
Got it.

I'm going to throw my kids in the pool while there's time!

[cboldt]

Guy and Bernie don't look happy. I mean--none of the lawyers look thrilled, but those two actually look angry or disturbed.

The only time the jury gets to manslaughter is by rejecting Murder 2.

I bet Bernardo is muttering "fscking punks" under his breath, thinking about how he wants to choke the jurors.  (/levity)

[annoyedbeyond]

Well then, "simple for Diana Tennis."  I share her opinion, FWIW, but I have more than a few hours of focused study on that issue under my belt.

Not really sure what you mean.

When she said was simple (and I think I put it in my post) was MS as compared to most/all the rest of the FL criminal code.

[MJW]

Diana Tennis says manslaughter is one of the simplest laws there is, so if they want clarification of it it sounds to her like there's one or two jurors stuck on manslaughter, the point of the question is to jolt that one (or two) out of her stuckness.

I hope she's right, but the manslaughter question really has me worried. Another hypothesis is they've decided on manslaughter and just want to dot the i's and cross the t's.

[annoyedbeyond]

The only time the jury gets to manslaughter is by rejecting Murder 2.

I bet Bernardo is muttering "fscking punks" under his breath, thinking about how he wants to choke the jurors.  (/levity)

Yep. That's what I think as well. If they're trying to clarify MS it means they've dismissed the murder count and probably are working past MS (I'm in the holdout juror camp).

[cboldt]

Not really sure what you mean.

When she said was simple (and I think I put it in my post) was MS as compared to most/all the rest of the FL criminal code.

I was replying to (and maybe took it out of context) . . .

Diana Tennis says manslaughter is one of the simplest laws there is, so if they want clarification of it it sounds to her like there's one or two jurors stuck on manslaughter, the point of the question is to jolt that one (or two) out of her stuckness.

So, I was thinking about the notion of "simple" being different in her mind, compared with a juror's mind.  It's simple to her, but maybe not simple to a juror.  That was the only point I was trying to make.

[annoyedbeyond]

I hope she's right, but the manslaughter question really has me worried. Another hypothesis is they've decided on manslaughter and just want to dot the i's and cross the t's.

I refuse to consider that.

LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA 

[MJW]

The only time the jury gets to manslaughter is by rejecting Murder 2.

But dismissing 2nd degree murder should have taken about ten minutes, and manslaughter is about a bad for GZ.

[nomatter_nevermind]

LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA 

Are you, like, skipping?

[annoyedbeyond]

But dismissing 2nd degree murder should have taken about ten minutes, and manslaughter is about a bad for GZ.

You're killin' me. 

[annoyedbeyond]

Are you, like, skipping?

That would be TRA LA LA! 

[cboldt]

(I'm in the holdout juror camp).

I was firmly in that camp, at first hearing the question from the jury, but Jeralyn makes a point on the main board that maybe they are just being thorough and going through the instructions page by page, making sure they understand EXACTLY what each phrase means.

I still lean to one holdout, but nobody outside of the jury room has any way to know.  The temptation to speculate is irresistible though.

[MJW]

You're killin' me. 

Some people see the glass as half full; others, half-empty. I assume it probably contains poison.

[annoyedbeyond]

I was firmly in that camp, at first hearing the question from the jury, but Jeralyn makes a point on the main board that maybe they are just being thorough and going through the instructions page by page, making sure they understand EXACTLY what each phrase means.

I still lean to one holdout, but nobody outside of the jury room has any way to know.  The temptation to speculate is irresistible though.

We didn't speculate we'd have nothing to do but our actual daily life stuff!

[annoyedbeyond]

Some people see the glass as half full; others, half-empty. I assume it probably contains poison.

My idol!