Fuck this shit, this is even more ridiculous than the OJ case.
He was using the lamest fucking excuse I have ever heard. How THE FUCK when you are living with somebody, is your first reaction upon hearing noise from the BATHROOM to fire through the door?
It worked for Butch. Course, he knew his girl was back at the hotel...
Unfortunately, when even a top prosecutors squares off against a top defense counsel, defense wins most of the time. That's the downside of the biased criminal system. That's even assuming that everything is on the up and up.
I'm not surprised at all at the outcome, especially given that it wasn't even a jury trial. Lawyers are trained to be much more comfortable with miscarriage of justice than lay people.
Quote from: DGuller on September 11, 2014, 07:48:33 AM
Unfortunately, when even a top prosecutors squares off against a top defense counsel, defense wins most of the time. That's the downside of the biased criminal system. That's even assuming that everything is on the up and up.
Lawyers are trained to be much more comfortable with miscarriage of justice than lay people.
If anything that is their goal in criminal trials, rather than a by product.
Don't worry, her family will sue in civil court and a few years later he'll be arrested for stealing memorabilia. It's all good.
Quote from: Tamas on September 11, 2014, 07:27:00 AM
Fuck this shit, this is even more ridiculous than the OJ case.
He was using the lamest fucking excuse I have ever heard. How THE FUCK when you are living with somebody, is your first reaction upon hearing noise from the BATHROOM to fire through the door?
Joe Biden told me to fire through doors.
Because SAfrican Justice is weird, we get of what he's not guilty of first. Also not guilty of fraud.
Can't defend his actions. He's not a Raven.
Quote from: Ed Anger on September 11, 2014, 08:23:26 AM
Quote from: Tamas on September 11, 2014, 07:27:00 AM
Fuck this shit, this is even more ridiculous than the OJ case.
He was using the lamest fucking excuse I have ever heard. How THE FUCK when you are living with somebody, is your first reaction upon hearing noise from the BATHROOM to fire through the door?
Joe Biden told me to fire through doors.
With a shotgun, though. Not with a pistol.
He is not guilty of premeditated murder. He could still be convicted of culpable homicide as he may not have meant to kill his girlfriend, but he fired four shots through his bathroom door clearly meaning to kill whoever was on the other side.
Meh, he'll walk. GET IT
Quote from: PRC on September 11, 2014, 10:35:55 AM
He is not guilty of premeditated murder. He could still be convicted of culpable homicide as he may not have meant to kill his girlfriend, but he fired four shots through his bathroom door clearly meaning to kill whoever was on the other side.
The little bit of reading I did on this said that the judge found that the government just couldn't prove beyond a reasonable doubt the mental state (premeditation) for the murder charged, but also concluded in her written decision that he had been acting recklessly by firing the shots.
So he has apparently already been convicted of the lesser offense, basically a kind of manslaughter, and it carries up to 15 years in prison (although no prison time has to be imposed). I haven't followed the story, but this hardly seems like an outrageous turn of events...
Quote from: CountDeMoney on September 11, 2014, 11:02:31 AM
Meh, he'll walk. GET IT
Naw, his defence didn't have a leg to stand on.
Lame.
Quote from: DGuller on September 11, 2014, 07:48:33 AM
Unfortunately, when even a top prosecutors squares off against a top defense counsel, defense wins most of the time.
If only.
Certainly not in the USA, not even close.
If I ever get into legal trouble I want his lawyers.
What was the prosecution theory on why he wanted to kill the chick?
She was a nice looking piece of snapper.
Quote from: Admiral Yi on September 11, 2014, 05:01:48 PM
What was the prosecution theory on why he wanted to kill the chick?
She was a nice looking piece of snapper.
How disrespectful. :mad:
Who knew famous people are incapable of killing people. :hmm:
Goering should have tried that defence at Nuremberg.
Quote from: Admiral Yi on September 11, 2014, 05:01:48 PM
What was the prosecution theory on why he wanted to kill the chick?
She was a nice looking piece of snapper.
Wife beaters don't only abuse ugly wives.
Quote from: Admiral Yi on September 11, 2014, 05:01:48 PM
What was the prosecution theory on why he wanted to kill the chick?
She was a nice looking piece of snapper.
The defense cut them off at teh knees, they didn't even really get far enough to provide something.
And he's declared guilty of homicide.
Quote from: Tamas on September 11, 2014, 07:27:00 AM
How THE FUCK when you are living with somebody, is your first reaction upon hearing noise from the BATHROOM to fire through the door?
TIA
(https://languish.org/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fcontent.internetvideoarchive.com%2Fcontent%2Fphotos%2F1016%2F04268613_.jpg&hash=503f392e10d0bb3299f85c0946d0df2538296ec8)
Pistorius frustrates me. Every time I see a picture of him, my first thought is that he is quite hot - and only then I remind myself that he is missing some crucial details. :frusty:
Quote from: Martinus on September 13, 2014, 02:53:24 AM
Pistorius frustrates me. Every time I see a picture of him, my first thought is that he is quite hot - and only then I remind myself that he is missing some crucial details. :frusty:
:bleeding: :bleeding: :bleeding:
:lol:
Quote from: Barrister on September 11, 2014, 08:51:18 PM
Quote from: Admiral Yi on September 11, 2014, 05:01:48 PM
What was the prosecution theory on why he wanted to kill the chick?
She was a nice looking piece of snapper.
Wife beaters don't only abuse ugly wives.
It's like he's never seen Twin Peaks.
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-29700457
QuoteOscar Pistorius given five years for Reeva Steenkamp death
South African athlete Oscar Pistorius has been given five years in jail for killing his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.
Judge Thokozile Masipa also gave Pistorius a three-year suspended sentence for a firearms charge.
The parents of Reeva Steenkamp told the BBC they were happy with the sentence and relieved the case was over. The defence said it expected Pistorius to serve about 10 months in prison.
Pistorius was convicted of culpable homicide but cleared of murder.
Prosecutors had called for a minimum 10-year term, and the defence had argued for community service and house arrest.
'Feeling of unease'
Pistorius showed little reaction to the sentence other than to wipe his eyes before being led away.
Defence lawyer Barry Roux said his client was expected to serve 10 months in prison, with the rest under house arrest.
Dup De Bruyn, a lawyer for the Steenkamp family, told Reuters that "justice was served", although he believed Pistorius would probably serve two years.
Pistorius's uncle, Arnold, said: "We accept the judgment. Oscar will embrace the opportunity to pay back to society."
He appealed to the media to "accept the ruling of court and let us move forward in this process and give us some degree of dignity and privacy".
He said the family would support and guide the athlete as he served his sentence.
The BBC's Nomsa Maseko, outside court, says opinion there was divided on the sentence, with some saying it was too light, others that it was fair.
Pistorius was taken away from court in a police van to Pretoria's Kgosi Mampuru prison. Our correspondent says Pistorius will be evaluated over the next few hours to decide where he will stay based on his disability.
Judge Masipa said she considered her sentence "fair and just, both to society and to the accused".
She said: "A non-custodial sentence would send the wrong message to the community. On the other hand, a long sentence would also not be appropriate either, as it would lack the element of mercy."
Judge Masipa said that nothing she could say or do could bring back Reeva Steenkamp, but "hopefully, this judgment on sentence shall provide some sort of closure for the family".
The judge begun reading her decision by saying there must be a balance between retribution, deterrence and rehabilitation.
In summarising the evidence, she described defence witness and social worker Annette Vergeer as "slapdash and disappointing".
Ms Vergeer had argued Pistorius would be "a lot more vulnerable than the normal man" in jail.
But Judge Masipa said she was sure prisons were equipped to cater for the requirements of a special needs inmate.
She also said she had a "feeling of unease" at what she called an overemphasis on the athlete's vulnerability.
However, she said Pistorius had made an "enormous contribution to society", in his charity work and in changing the public perception of disability.
The judge also said: "It would be a sad day for this country if an impression were to be created that there was one law for the poor and disadvantaged, and another for the rich and famous."
The three-year suspended term was for unlawfully firing a gun in a restaurant, in a separate incident before the Steenkamp killing.
The case may not yet be over, as both prosecution and defence have the right to appeal.
The prosecution service said it had not yet decided and the defence has not yet commented.
The International Paralympic Committee told the BBC it would not allow Pistorius to run at any of its events for five years, even if he were released early.
Pistorius, 27, an amputee sprinter who became the first athlete to compete in the Olympic and Paralympic Games, killed Ms Steenkamp on Valentine's Day last year.
He says he shot her by mistake, fearing there was an intruder in his house in Pretoria.
Ms Steenkamp, a 29-year-old model, reality TV star and law graduate, was hit three times by bullets fired by Pistorius through a toilet door.
The Onion has provided this helpful cheat sheet:
QuoteThe Onion's Tips For Not Accidentally Murdering Your Girlfriend
(https://languish.org/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fo.onionstatic.com%2Fimages%2F19%2F19593%2Foriginal%2F700.jpg%3F0526&hash=964b061cf7144dde5c99b2a00e4874fe9e1f3a5c)
In today's fast-paced world, it seems like just about any guy can accidentally kill his girlfriend at virtually any time. Here are some easy strategies to avoid inadvertently murdering your significant other:
Be sure to avoid firing a gun in the general direction of your girlfriend, regardless of the situation.
Shy away from doing anything that may cause your girlfriend a massive amount of blood loss, such as beating her, stabbing her, or shooting her multiple times.
Consider performing a task that has a low risk of accidentally murdering your girlfriend, like giving her flowers, taking her to dinner, or letting her continue living and breathing.
Remain generally cognizant of the fact that three gunshots to the head and torso will, in most situations, fatally wound a person, and that this fact will, therefore, likely apply to your girlfriend as well.
If there is a locked door in your home and there is even a remote possibility that the person you're currently dating is behind that door and could be immediately killed by the bullets you fire at the door, try not to fire a gun directly at that door.
In general, if there is something that you think might cause your girlfriend to stop living, don't do that thing.
They missed the mark with that piece.
I would nonetheless take it to the heart.
I'd be more concerned about suddenly having a girlfriend.
Shot through the heart, and you're to blame. You give love a bad name.
Quote from: garbon on October 21, 2014, 04:13:27 PM
They missed the mark with that piece.
That seems par for the course lately. They're more of an average American cop than Pistorius in that regard.
Quote from: alfred russel on October 21, 2014, 04:16:35 PM
Shot through the heart, and you're to blame. You give love a bad name.
:D
I think this is one of those cases where being legless probably helped rather than hindered having a light sentence.
I think he should get more than 5 years. He had a row with his girlfriend that got out of hand and he just capped her through the door in the heat of the moment. :hmm:
Quote from: Legbiter on October 21, 2014, 05:13:14 PM
I think he should get more than 5 years. He had a row with his girlfriend that got out of hand and he just capped her through the door in the heat of the moment. :hmm:
If that was proven, the jury would have convicted him of murder. The lesser sentence and lesser charge suggest they felt his story was plausible.
Quote from: Legbiter on October 21, 2014, 05:13:14 PM
I think he should get more than 5 years. He had a row with his girlfriend that got out of hand and he just capped her through the door in the heat of the moment. :hmm:
It is has been a while, but didnt the court decide the prosecution failed to prove the necessary intent to establish that theory?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-36719561
QuoteOscar Pistorius: Six years for Reeva Steenkamp murder
South African Olympic athlete Oscar Pistorius has been sentenced to six years in prison for the murder of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp in 2013.
He was initially given a five-year term for manslaughter, but was found guilty of murder on appeal last December.
He was taken immediately to jail. Both the prosecution and defence can appeal, but his lawyers say they will not.
Pistorius, 29, shot Reeva Steenkamp four times through a locked toilet door in February 2013.
He admitted shooting her, but said he had mistaken Ms Steenkamp for an intruder and acted out of fear.
Judge Thokozile Masipa said mitigating circumstances, such as rehabilitation and remorse, outweighed aggravating factors, such as his failure to fire a warning shot, for deviating from the prescribed 15-year sentence.
Shock and dismay
Many have expressed shock at Pistorius's sentence, which is much less than the prescribed minimum for murder. South Africans have taken to social media to express their unhappiness, with some describing the prison term as an insult.
Outside court, legal experts said the sentence was too little. "The judge was sympathetic and empathetic to Pistorius. It was clear in the tone of her entire judgement," one said.
But Judge Masipa said she had carefully considered the circumstances around Reeva Steenkamp's death and her sentence needed to be fair to both Pistorius and the family of the deceased.
South Africa has one of the highest murder rates in the world, and some say a short sentence will send the wrong message to would-be-offenders.
Dressed in a dark suit, Pistorius sat and listened to the hour-long session mostly with his head down.
He hugged his sister after the verdict, and was taken to Pretoria's Khosi Mampuru prison.
Ms Steenkamp's parents, Barry and June, sat quietly on the other side of the packed courtroom.
...
What is the point of sending the sentencing back to the judge that was over-ruled the first time? Did they expect her to realize the error of her ways this time?
Quote from: DGuller on July 06, 2016, 01:43:09 PM
What is the point of sending the sentencing back to the judge that was over-ruled the first time? Did they expect her to realize the error of her ways this time?
Agree. If the Appeals Court was convinced that they knew enough about the case to decide the verdict, they clearly knew enough to pronounce sentence.