Judge sequesters jury in trial of former Dallas officer who shot black neighbour

[Fan of Da Bearse]

This discussion thread was locked as off-topic by Omaha Steve (a host of the Latest Breaking News forum).

Source: The Guardian

Mon 23 Sep 2019 15.22 EDT

The judge in the murder trial of a former Dallas police officer charged with shooting and killing a black neighbor has taken the rare step of sequestering the jury.

Former officer Amber Guyger, who is white, has told investigators in Texas she mistook Botham Jean, 26, for an intruder after she mistakenly entered his central Dallas apartment one floor above hers.

The shooting in September last year, one of a series of high-profile killings of unarmed black men and teens by white US police, sparked protests, particularly because prosecutors initially moved to charge Guyger, 31, with manslaughter, a charge that carries a lesser sentence.

In contrast to high-profile cases like the killings of Michael Brown in Missouri and Philando Castile in Minnesota, Guyger shot Jean, an accountant who was a native of St Lucia, while she was off duty.

Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/sep/23/amber-guyger-botham-jean-jury-sequestered-trial

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Comin' home after a night at the bar, Amber?

[JI7]

2. maybe she is betting her whiteness and his blackness will get her off easy

and i wouldn't be surprised.

if it was the other way around it would be an easy conviction case.

[cstanleytech]

5. At the very least she needs to be convicted of negligent homicide.

[tishaLA]

4. She was sexting with her PD partner

minutes before she got "home" and shot him. Even better, the judge was livid today because the--as she phrased it--"elected DA" of Dallas spoke to the press yesterday in violation of her gag order. It's almost as if the DA's office doesn't want to win the case.

[More_Cowbell]

8. DA violating the gag order is probably the reason nt

[a kennedy]

9. She was on the wrong floor......

you could here her say “oh shit, and i’m Sorry”. She knew exactly what she was doing or she was soooooooooo drunk or stoned she didn’t really know. But that phone call to me says it all. She knew she screwed up big time. But she’s white, and sorta blond.... so she’ll walk.

[Haggis for Breakfast]

11. On the phone call, she can be heard telling the dispatcher

that she's afraid she's going to lose her job. She says this repeatedly, when she should be trying to assist Jean as he lay dying on the floor.

I don't see how she could have mistaken his apartment for hers in the first place. He had a mat outside his door and flower near it. Obviously it wasn't her apartment. Neighbors said they heard shots, but no conversation at all between her and Mr. Jean, so did she even say anything to him or just open fire ?

I think the reason the jury has been sequestered is to maintain the integrity of the trial as far as possible.

She shot this man in cold blood. He was unarmed, sitting in his own home, minding his own business, when she shot him. If you aren't safe in your own place, then where in the hell are you safe ? She MUST be convicted. There will be no peace in Dallas if she walks.

I lived in Miami when Arthur McDuffie was beaten into a coma (and died as a result) by cops, who were then acquitted. Riots broke out and Miami burned. Eighteen people died and hundreds of thousands of dollars in property damage followed.

I was living in California when Rodney King was beaten to a pulp (and into brain and cardiac damage which eventually contributed to his death) by the LAPD, all of which was caught on TAPE, and when they were acquitted, riots broke out (lasting for a week) and LA burned. Fifty people died, thousands were injured and over $1 billion in property damages ensued.

Dallas is right to be weary of how this verdict goes and does NOT want this to be their legacy as well.

[Mr.Bill]

6. I would imagine this is being done

for the safety of the jurors.

[B Stieg]

7. B.S. His music was too loud for this cop and her roomies.

Throw the book at her...

[Haggis for Breakfast]

10. There was no music.

He was sitting on the couch, watching a sporting event on the telly.

Also, according to his neighbors, he lived a quiet life.

[B Stieg]

12. Perhaps, but I was referring to her mindset

That was her first excuse, that the reason she stumbled into the wrong apartment was because his music was too loud (gospel singer).

[Sapient Donkey]

13. Does this mean the juries are locked away

and not allowed to go home, work, watch TV or use the internet? If so, how can anyone afford that if this goes for a long period of time?

[MicaelS]

17. They are staying in a hotel.

They may not access anything pertaining to the case, otherwise they can access any media.

The trail is expected to last two week.

Some employers compensate for jury duty at their regular wage. They might have to turn over their jury fee from the state.

[Tipperary]

14. I still do not understand how she got in.

Was his door unlocked?

And would she not have her key out to unlock HER apartment? Which would not fit in his lock,so that would make it obvious she was in the wrong place. Very weird.

[skypilot]

15. Yes. His door was ajar.

*

[NutmegYankee]

16. The sad reality is she is going to walk

She'll cry and repeat the "afraid for my life" bit and all it takes is one right-wing authoritarian to hang the jury.

It's not pessimism, just realism.

[MicaelS]

18. Guyger is toast.

The jury is majority POC and female.

The defense already admitted she did it.

She was having sex with her DPD partner. They were sexting when the shooting occured. So the defense pushing the idea she was overly tired is a false narrative.

[Omaha Steve]

19. After a review by forum hosts....LOCKING

Trial process is not generally LBN.