Teen suspect indicted in Ga. baby slaying, also charged with 2nd shooting and robbery attempt

[AnotherMcIntosh]

"SAVANNAH, Ga. — A Georgia teenager shot a 13-month-old baby in the face while trying to rob the child’s mother, according to an indictment returned Wednesday that also charged the suspect with shooting another person in an unrelated robbery attempt earlier this month.
...
Elkins was also indicted on two counts in a second attempted robbery and shooting that happened 10 days before the baby was slain. On March 11, according to the indictment, Elkins tried to rob a person identified as Wilfredo Calix-Flores, pointing a gun at him while demanding his cellphone and wallet. Elkins shot Calix-Flores in the arm with the same caliber revolver used to kill the baby 10 days later, the indictment says. He is charged with attempted robbery and assault with a deadly weapon.
...
The suspect’s mother, Karimah Elkins, and older sister, Sabrina Elkins, were charged with evidence tampering. The indictment says they threw the revolver that police suspect was used in the shooting into a saltwater pond where investigators recovered it Tuesday. Doering said the gun is being tested to see if it can be linked to the child’s slaying.

Karimah Elkins and the suspect’s aunt, Katrina Elkins, were also charged with making false statements to police. The indictment says the aunt told investigators her nephew was at her house when the slaying occurred — which she also told The Associated Press and other news outlets. It says the suspect’s mother told police that her son was with her when the baby was shot.
...
http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/teen-suspect-indicted-in-ga-baby-slaying-also-charged-with-2nd-shooting-and-robbery-attempt/2013/03/27/32ad478a-9746-11e2-b5b4-b63027b499de_story.html

[JI7]

1. isn't this more evidence that he alone did this and the mother or someone else

was not behind the shootings ?

[AnotherMcIntosh]

3. IMO, it would be for normal-thinking people.

[UtahLib]

8. Cynicism can lead to some pretty nasty speculation.

That type of speculation, with no evidence to support it, should probably be kept to oneself. Hopefully, a lesson has been learned by those so quick to condemn based on what can only be described as intuition.

[dkf]

4. If anyone still thinks the mother is guilty they aren't reality based.

[premium]

6. There's still 1 or 2 that are insisting that the mother hasn't been cleared yet.

Sickening.

[Orrex]

12. The mother is apparently implicated in the collapse of WTC7

[dkf]

2. Wow. And to think his family was trying to keep him from being arrested.

If they had succeeded he would have done this again.

[Warpy]

5. Absolutely. Some punks belong in cages

and it's a public safety issue that should keep them there.

I don't know what's wrong with the kid, but he apparently enjoys shooting people. He needs to be off the street for a very, very long time.

[premium]

7. Yeah,

like the rest of his miserable fucking life if he's found guilty in a court of law.

[geek tragedy]

11. The entire family belongs behind bars for life.

For no other reason, to stop them from bringing more criminals into the world.

[Eleanors38]

9. Don't know what a trial will determine, but if the accounts...

are true, this is an example of a HyperPunk, one who uses the instant crime (robbery, home invasion) as an opportunity to indulge his murdering.

He's gone feral. Time for the warehouse.

[geek tragedy]

10. His defense attorney is a scumbag, fittingly

Elkins’ public defender has said he strongly believes his client is innocent. Gough has filed a court motion asking a judge to grant him access to mental health records of the slain boy’s mother, saying they could be important to determining whether she’s a credible witness.

“Obviously we’re concerned about her credibility her ability to accurately recall events and identify anybody,” Gough said. “If she suffers from any conditions that would do that, it would certainly be relevant to the case.”

You don't get to violate doctor/patient confidentiality so you can put the victim on trial, you evil bag of pus.

[premium]

13. I don't think the judge will grant that request.

It's nothing more than a fishing expedition, and a vile one at that.
It's pretty damn obvious that scumbag lawyer is trying to implicate her because that's pretty much all he can do.

[AnotherMcIntosh]

15. Under the Georgia Rules of Professional Conduct, it is unethical for a lawyer to make an

extrajudicial statement under certain circumstances to influence a criminal proceeding.

Under Rule 3.6(a),

A lawyer who is participating or has participated in the investigation or litigation of a matter shall not make an extrajudicial statement that a person would reasonably believe to be disseminated by means of public communication if the lawyer knows or reasonably should know that it will have a substantial likelihood of materially prejudicing an adjudicative proceeding in the matter."

http://www.gabar.org/barrules/handbookdetail.cfm?what=rule&id=80

Comment 5A(d) indicates:

"There are, on the other hand, certain subjects which are more likely than not to have a material prejudicial effect on a proceeding, particularly when they refer to a civil matter triable to a jury, a criminal matter, or any other proceeding that could result in incarceration. These subjects relate to:
...
"d. any opinion as to the guilt or innocence of a defendant or suspect in a criminal case or proceeding that could result in incarceration;

It is reasonable to ask, if this particular lawyer has made a public statement with respect to his alleged personal belief of the innocence of his client, why is he making the statement except for a belief that his statement "will have a substantial likelihood of materially prejudicing an adjudicative proceeding in the matter"?

[geek tragedy]

16. defense counsel stating that their client is innocent

won't prejudice the opinion of anyone whose IQ is higher than room temperature.

Not sure that provision applies to defense counsel.

Statement about the victim's credibility are a different story.

[AnotherMcIntosh]

17. I agree that it won't have an actual effect. The attorney's conduct is a departure from the norm.

An issue is whether he intended to have an effect.

I suspect that he wanted to have publicity for himself, an opportunity to be in the limelight.

[geek tragedy]

18. the discussion is "reasonably likely to influence"

or something like that.

Moreover, right to counsel and due process means at a bare minimum the right to repeat your "not guilty" plea outside of court.

I think the attorney is pond scum for going after the victim's medical/psychiatric records, but he's allowed to proclaim his client's innocence.

[Cal Carpenter]

14. kick

[JI7]

19. was the sister also arrested for lying or messing with evidence ?