Jury acquits escort shooter

[jimmy olsen]

I don't care how good the lawyer was, these jurors must be dumb as hell.

http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/local_news/article/Jury-acquits-escort-shooter-4581027.php#ixzz2VTqmpHIc

Jury acquits escort shooter
By Michelle Mondo, Staff Writers
Updated 10:12 pm, Wednesday, June 5, 2013

A Bexar County jury on Wednesday acquitted Ezekiel Gilbert of murder in the death of a 23-year-old Craigslist escort.

Gilbert, 30, embraced defense attorneys Bobby Barrera and Roy Barrera Sr. with tears in his eyes after the not guilty verdict was read aloud by state District Judge Mary Román.

Outside the courtroom, Gilbert thanked God, the Barrera family and the jury for being able to "see what wasn't the truth" and for the "second chance."

Had he been convicted, he could have faced up to life in prison for the slaying of Lenora Ivie Frago who died about seven months after she was shot in the neck and paralyzed on Christmas Eve 2009. Gilbert admitted shooting Frago.

"I sincerely regret the loss of the life of Ms. Frago," Gilbert said Wednesday. "I've been in a mental prison the past four years of my life. I have nightmares. If I see guns on TV where people are getting killed, I change the channel."

The verdict came after almost 11 hours of deliberations that stretched over two days. The trial began May 17 but had a long hiatus after a juror unexpectedly had to leave town for a funeral.

During closing arguments Tuesday, Gilbert's defense team conceded the shooting did occur but said the intent wasn't to kill. Gilbert's actions were justified, they argued, because he was trying to retrieve stolen property: the $150 he paid Frago. It became theft when she refused to have sex with him or give the money back, they said.

Gilbert testified earlier Tuesday that he had found Frago's escort ad on Craigslist and believed sex was included in her $150 fee. But instead, Frago walked around his apartment and after about 20 minutes left, saying she had to give the money to her driver, he said.

That driver, the defense contended, was Frago's pimp and her partner in the theft scheme.

The Texas law that allows people to use deadly force to recover property during a nighttime theft was put in place for "law-abiding" citizens, prosecutors Matt Lovell and Jessica Schulze countered. It's not intended for someone trying to force another person into an illegal act such as prostitution, they argued.

[Ed Anger]

Who cares? Just a whore.

[Viking]

Timmy, it's Texas.

[CountDeMoney]

Don't mess wiff Texas.  Especially if you're a godless whore.

[DGuller]

Did he get his $150 back?

[Jacob]

You guys suck.

[Ed Anger]

You guys suck.

I lick. Big difference.

[11B4V]

Did he get his $150 back?

Bummer if he didnt.

[Caliga]

It's interesting that "he didn't mean to kill her" even though he pulled out a gun, aimed it at her, and pulled the trigger.

[CountDeMoney]

You guys suck.

Where were you to defend the Red Man this morning, dude?

[Viking]

It's interesting that "he didn't mean to kill her" even though he pulled out a gun, aimed it at her, and pulled the trigger.

Perhaps he just intended in maim her?

[Ed Anger]

You guys suck.

Where were you to defend the Red Man this morning, dude?

He was at the copy machine printing out leaflets.

[CountDeMoney]

It's interesting that "he didn't mean to kill her" even though he pulled out a gun, aimed it at her, and pulled the trigger.

Don't worry--when you try it, it'll be believable too.

MAH AIM

[Admiral Yi]

It's interesting that "he didn't mean to kill her" even though he pulled out a gun, aimed it at her, and pulled the trigger.

Especially given that the law says he's allowed to use deadly force.

[Berkut]

So the story here is that he paid her $150 for a hlf hour of her time.

She spends 20 minutes with him, then leaves. They do not have sex.

He then shoots at her with his assault rifle as her and her "manager" are driving away.

And his defense is that when she did not ahve sex with him, and refused to return his money, she was engaged in theft, and therefore he had the right to whip out his AR-15 and blow her away as she was driving away in a car.

And this works, because of some dumbass cro-magnon law about how you have the right to use deadly force to "recover" stolen property.

This is a fine example of the triumph of gun-nut culture, and the fact that it happened in Texas comes as no surprise whatsoever.