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WildBill wrote:A lot of grunt work is performed by assistants in every type of business. Usually their managers get the credit ...

That's just the way life is.

- Jim

WildBill wrote:I am sure that some lucky assistant prosecutor, with low seniority, had to get a copy of the death certificate and write the court order for the judge to sign.

I have no idea. Maybe the defense attorney did it so that the case could be closed and he could get paid.

A lot of the grunt work in law offices is done by assistants who aren't lawyers. Erin Brockovich is a dramatic example of how that can work. (She's a real person, not just a character in a movie played by Julia Roberts.)

- Jim

WildBill wrote:... don't charges automatically get dropped when the defendant in a criminal case dies? I guess not. What about a criminal who dies on death row before he is executed? Does the State have to vacate his death sentence?

I think what makes this case unusual is that the deceased man had been found guilty and not sentenced yet. The case was still active in the court.

Everything that happens in court is based on a finding a fact. They can't just drop charges because they read on a website that the defendant died. (Wouldn't that be convenient?) Probably someone had to get the death certificate and move to dismiss the case, to clear it off the books.

I don't know what happens when a death-row convict dies before being executed.

Appeals sometimes survive the death of one or more parties. The infamous United States v. Miller case that upheld the the National Firearms Act of 1934 was decided after Mr. Miller had died. (He was shot in an unrelated crime.)

- Jim

The now-deceased shooter in this case claimed on a Facebook page to have dementia resulting from a head injury that he received in combat.

http://www.armytimes.com/news/2012/07/a ... a-071412w/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Note that this is only a report about a Facebook page, not actual medical evidence. I suppose a report will be issued a year from now and quietly buried.

As a general comment, impulsiveness and violent outbursts sometimes follow head injuries.

Also in Hutchinson, Kansas, Friday, a judge formally dropped the assault charge against the deceased soldier.

http://www.khou.com/news/national/162486346.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

- Jim

At this point I guess it's a moot question. It's now painfully obvious that the guy was a bomb looking for a place to go off.

- Jim

The deceased officer has been identified as Lt. Col. Roy L. Tisdale of Alvin, Texas.



The shooter died Saturday of a self-inflicted injury.

The third man who was injured has been discharged from the hospital.

The shooter had what they call a checkered history. He had been accused of felony theft and aggravated assault of a woman. He was supposed to appear in court on the latter case Friday and plead guilty.

http://www.stripes.com/scratch/4/fort-b ... s-1.181808" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Maybe someone who knows about military law can confirm whether being convicted of a felony in civilian court would be the end of a military career.

- Jim

According to news reports that were published today, a soldier at Ft. Bragg, North Carolina, fatally shot his commanding officer on base during a training exercise. He then shot himself with non-fatal results.

A third soldier was wounded by a ricochet. All reportedly, allegedly, etc.

No motive is known at this time.

http://www.armytimes.com/news/2012/06/a ... g-062812w/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Note: The Army Times is a commercial publication, not an official publication of the U.S. Army.

http://usnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/ ... g-shooting" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

- Jim