It happened last Friday, so you can understand why it was overshadowed.
But do not let it be overshadowed. Especially in light of the stupid, broadbrush and often mendacious rending of garments over the well-considered verdict in Wisconsin.
In 2017, Andrew Coffee IV opened fire on what turned out to police raiding his residence. His girlfriend died from a shot fired by police, and Coffee was tried for attempted murder, felony murder and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Friday, he was acquitted by a Florida jury, except on the last charge:
His girlfriend, Alteria Woods, 21, died during the raid after being struck by 10 bullets fired by a SWAT team member, including one shot that entered her chest, records show.
The second-degree murder count, defined as an intentional killing that was not premeditated, was in connection to Woods’ death.
Jurors seated last week for a trial that began Monday deliberated for about 11 hours before returning a verdict.
The jury began deliberating Thursday afternoon following closing arguments and worked until around 10 p.m. before being told to return Friday.
After court Friday, Coffee’s attorney Adam Chrzan said his client was relieved when it became clear the jury was acquitting him of the most serious charges.
“I think they weighed the evidence and applied the law and took into account the defenses that we were provided and we argued successfully, clearly, that there was some overreaction and overreach by the sheriff's department on that raid," Chrzan said. “They should have pulled back, they didn't. And this is what happens when you go into a volatile situation without all the information.”
The prosecutor is seeking the maximum penalty for the last charge--30 years.
Which is hideous prosecutorial overreach and indicates a high degree of salt, as my children are wont to say. The court should deny it.
For those interested, here are the demographics for Indian River County, Florida, where the trial was held. And here's who the County favored for President in 2020.
Sweeping narratives about "us" and "them" are cancer for the civic health of our nation. Don't get swept into the dustpan by them.
Well, Mr Rittenhouse was accused of a white-on-white crime, so there's that. What I find more interesting is the number of women imprisoned for self-defense who have appeared on social media over the past three days. People seem angry, bothered, or jubilant over court results, and the perception is that it all seems rather arbitrary. That depends on the competence (or lack thereof) in the professionals involved. The overriding sense is that lots of stuff is unfair. Especially that poor kid plugged for playing with a toy gun in an open-carry state. Or the rape victim doing serious time. Or ...
ReplyDelete>>>Well, Mr Rittenhouse was accused of a white-on-white crime, so there's that.
DeleteDepends on the media source you read. I saw a quite reputable newspaper say he had shot three black men--and that was after the verdict.
We all have our takeaways. What I push back against are sweeping narratives of race essentialism. I am reminded that in the same timeframe as the Trayvon Martin verdict, an adult black male was acquitted in rural New York for killing a white teenager under similar circumstances.
https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/roderick-scott/
Thus, the line between "local crime story" and "National Conversation" seems to be arbitrary. And that includes women imprisoned for defending themselves. I have no doubt there are lurking injustices in some of those cases, too.
We can all find evidence to support our narratives. I do, and it's easy. Do I "check my own temperature" to see if I am being objective, or am I being pushed along with a narrative?
Also, am I being "curated" by my newsfeed and the political bubble I live in?
Eric Garner, Tamir Rice, Walter Scott, George Floyd--they all look bad to me. The feds should have let a retrial go first in the third killing--20 years is too damn light for murder.
But for every prominent case, dozens go with barely a national mention--e.g., Daniel Shaver in 2016. Though I have to credit some of BLM's leadership for bringing that murder to my attention.
For my part, selection bias is a real problem I have to guard against. Right alongside normalcy bias, but that's a separate issue.