Botham Shem Jean

[Cow Poke]

It could be the difference between murder and manslaughter (and it sounds right now like she probably is going to avoid a murder charge).

In Texas, murder requires intent - they would have to prove in court that she intended to shoot. That would be a loss, so the next best thing is manslaughter.

I know it's their job to defend her but I thought it was tone deaf that the police union head declared to the media that she was a good officer.

That's what I hate about "police unions" - their job is pretty much to protect and defend the officer regardless. I have never been a member of a police union - during the last months of police days, there were a number of officers attempting to bring a union into the picture --- and, fact stranger than fiction, the particular union would have been the TEAMSTERS UNION!

[Littlejoe]

Heard on the radio this morning that there was 10.4 grams of marijuana was found in the victims apartment. This is pure speculation but, his delayed reaction to her commands to "get on the ground" could be the result of impairment. There's no toxicology yet, so again, pure speculation.

[Cow Poke]

Heard on the radio this morning that there was 10.4 grams of marijuana was found in the victims apartment. This is pure speculation but, his delayed reaction to her commands to "get on the ground" could be the result of impairment. There's no toxicology yet, so again, pure speculation.

And if were in his own casa....

[Littlejoe]

And if were in his own casa....

Right...

[Cow Poke]

Right...

I love ya man!

[rogue06]

That's what I hate about "police unions" - their job is pretty much to protect and defend the officer regardless. I have never been a member of a police union - during the last months of police days, there were a number of officers attempting to bring a union into the picture --- and, fact stranger than fiction, the particular union would have been the TEAMSTERS UNION!

OTOH they do appear to be useful when local politicians are overeager to toss a cop under the bus to appease the mob.

[Leonhard]

That would be a loss, so the next best thing is manslaughter.

Unless she's put before a jury of people who just flat out refuse to convict a cop for any reason, I can't imagine how she'd escape manslaughter.

[rogue06]

Unless she's put before a jury of people who just flat out refuse to convict a cop for any reason, I can't imagine how she'd escape manslaughter.

If she had claimed that the room was still dark and she saw someone approaching her silently with what looked like a raised baseball bat or club of some sort...

[Leonhard]

If she had claimed that the room was still dark and she saw someone approaching her silently with what looked like a raised baseball bat or club of some sort...

Seriously?

[rogue06]

Seriously?

Just a possible scenario in which she could not be convicted. Of course if she didn't offer this defense immediately and no large club-like item was found next to the body (and didn't have his fingerprints on it) this storyline is an absolute no-go.

[Leonhard]

Just a possible scenario in which she could not be convicted. Of course if she didn't offer this defense immediately and no large club-like item was found next to the body (and didn't have his fingerprints on it) this storyline is an absolute no-go.

There's just something about a cop gunning down a person, within the sanctity of that persons home, that even if that person was defending themselves it could be brushed off with 'Yeah well you were mistaken about what home you were in right? You thought it was a robber in *your* home, right?'. That just doesn't seem like justice to me, even if it could be drawn up as accidental.

If its purely accidental, then its criminally accidental.

[rogue06]

There's just something about a cop gunning down a person, within the sanctity of that persons home, that even if that person was defending themselves it could be brushed off with 'Yeah well you were mistaken about what home you were in right? You thought it was a robber in *your* home, right?'. That just doesn't seem like justice to me, even if it could be drawn up as accidental.

If its purely accidental, then its criminally accidental.

I'm simply offering a potential scenario where a jury could decide that while a horrible accident took place it might not be deemed to be criminal in intent.

[Cow Poke]

OTOH they do appear to be useful when local politicians are overeager to toss a cop under the bus to appease the mob.

Well sure, the same way the teachers' unions can protect a teacher wrongly accused, but also protect teachers who should be in jail, not in a classroom.

[Cow Poke]

Unless she's put before a jury of people who just flat out refuse to convict a cop for any reason, I can't imagine how she'd escape manslaughter.

I can't imagine such a jury would survive voir dire, let alone exist in Dallas.

[Cow Poke]

There's just something about a cop gunning down a person, within the sanctity of that persons home, that even if that person was defending themselves it could be brushed off with 'Yeah well you were mistaken about what home you were in right? You thought it was a robber in *your* home, right?'. That just doesn't seem like justice to me, even if it could be drawn up as accidental.

If its purely accidental, then its criminally accidental.

I have seen nothing so far to excuse this officer's actions. Believe me, I'm looking.