Greg of Rhymes with Right links to a case of justice gone wrong.
Summary for those who don't want to read.
Carolyn and Llyod are living together. Carolyn and Llyod decide they don't want to live together anymore. Llyod starts clearing out. In the process of clearing his stuff out he feels the need to show his now-ex what he thinks of her. He chokes her. Then leaves again, with more boxes. She does what I would have done; locked the door and armed herself. So Llyod breaks down the door and starts choking her again, at which point Carolyn shoots downward to warn him off. The bullet lodges in Llyod's pelvis and he dies from blood loss.
End of story right? She defended herself, there should have been an investigation, but "self-defense" becomes the outcome (notice broken door and chocke marks etc.) fini.
Nope, for defending herself and not becoming a statistic, the woman gets three years.
Why? According to the D.A. she could have called the police (and in the meantime he breaks in and chokes her to death) or left the apartment (where? Do you mean seeing her flee might not trigger some sort of reaction on his part?)
He BROKE DOWN THE DOOR. He had plenty of choices to. Such as calling the cops and saying; "I can't get my stuff out of her apartment." Or calling her and saying "What gives?" Or asking a mutal friend to intervene. Or getting a court order to get the rest of his stuff. Or calling her and saying "Okay, just put it out the door and I'll come and get it in an hourNo, he BREAKS DOWN THE DOOR AND CHOKES HER!
She didn't chase him about with the gun, she didn't come outside with the gun, she was in her own residence, and she had a right to defend herself. He had the choices, and when he faced a door slammed and locked in his face, he could have left.
But he broke, entered, and tried to kill her. And paid with his life.
The story should have ended there.
As they say, I'd rather be tried by twelve than carried by six, even if the outcome is as shitty a deal as this woman got. Too bad she didn't permanently maim him in the "pelvis".
Posted by: Mark at May 14, 2005 02:35 AMOh my, that is disturbing. I thought that sort of thing only happened in England.
Posted by: Sally at May 15, 2005 05:25 PM