NY: "I didn't mean to shoot"

[duns]

I prefer to base my opinions on unsubstantiated and rampant speculation

When you do that you are really setting up a hypothetical scenario on which you opine and your opinion has no relevance to the actual case.

[seamusTX]

One shouldn't form an opinion on the correctness of the verdict in this or any other case based on media reports. To have an informed opinion, one should read the actual court reports. Has anyone done that?

Of course not. I'm not going to pay for or take the time to read what might be hundreds of pages of evidence and transcripts.

The guilty verdict is a fact, whether or not it was just in the grand scheme of things. The only point that I am trying to make (as stated in my original post) is that a man who says he unintentionally shot someone incriminates himself for manslaughter.

- Jim

[Purplehood]

I prefer to base my opinions on unsubstantiated and rampant speculation

When you do that you are really setting up a hypothetical scenario on which you opine and your opinion has no relevance to the actual case.

Then you are invited to skip my post and go to the next. I do it quite often myself.

Have a good day!

[Oldgringo]

One shouldn't form an opinion on the correctness of the verdict in this or any other case based on media reports. To have an informed opinion, one should read the actual court reports. Has anyone done that?

Excuse me, I'm having a problem with your statements above. Isn't an opinion just an opinion whether informed or not? We all have opinions. While my opinions seem to be far more correct and well thought out than many others, they remain only my opinion.

For instance, I opine that Mr. White was railroaded into his unfortunate statements and he was thrown under the bus for using a gun to protect his family and "castle" in a gun loathing state and a thorough review of the court records will prove that to be the case. Did his color come into play? I dunno'; but since yo axed, what was the ethnicity of the slain terrorist?

We all have opinions, dude. For the most part, one is not much better than the next - my opinions excepted.

From Merriam Webster On-Line:

Main Entry: opin·ion
Pronunciation: \ə-ˈpin-yən\
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin opinion-, opinio, from opinari
Date: 14th century
1 a : a view, judgment, or appraisal formed in the mind about a particular matter b : approval, esteem
2 a : belief stronger than impression and less strong than positive knowledge b : a generally held view
3 a : a formal expression of judgment or advice by an expert b : the formal expression (as by a judge, court, or referee) of the legal reasons and principles upon which a legal decision is based

[seamusTX]

Mr. White was railroaded into his unfortunate statements and he was thrown under the bus for using a gun to protect his family and "castle" in a gun loathing state

I see no evidence that he was railroaded or compelled to incriminate himself.

In any case, he made the statement; and if he's not in jail now, he probably will be soon. Maybe a better lawyer could have gotten him acquitted, but he had the lawyer that he had.

I think the same set of facts could have led to the same outcome in Texas, and not because of racism.

- Jim

[Oldgringo]

Mr. White was railroaded into his unfortunate statements and he was thrown under the bus for using a gun to protect his family and "castle" in a gun loathing state

* I see no evidence that he was railroaded or compelled to incriminate himself.

** In any case, he made the statement; and if he's not in jail now, he probably will be soon. Maybe a better lawyer could have gotten him acquitted, but he had the lawyer that he had.

*** I think the same set of facts could have led to the same outcome in Texas, and not because of racism.

- Jim

See asterisks added above, please.

* That is your opinion.
** A Johnnie Cochran would have had him out in a heartbeat. (That is my opinon)
*** I'se knows dats rat.

Enough of this jousting, , we're . Be safe, have a nice evening and a vigilant day tomorrow.

[C-dub]

I would have convicted him whether he said it was an accident or not. He knew they were coming over before they arrived, loaded up a couple of guns, and went outside. The article doesn't say whether he went out before or after they arrived, but it sounds like he went out before and waited. And he did this without calling the police. He pointed a gun at another person. All bad choices if you don't intend on pulling the trigger.

[Oldgringo]

I would have convicted him whether he said it was an accident or not. He knew they were coming over before they arrived, loaded up a couple of guns, and went outside. The article doesn't say whether he went out before or after they arrived, but it sounds like he went out before and waited. And he did this without calling the police. He pointed a gun at another person. All bad choices if you don't intend on pulling the trigger.

It must be me?

I see a similarity between this incident in New York and many of the threads on this otherwise august forum wherein certain of our members seem to be looking for an excuse to shoot someone.

What an old dolt I'm turning into. Please excuse me.

[duns]

[quote="seamusTX] I'm not going to pay for or take the time to read what might be hundreds of pages of evidence and transcripts.

The guilty verdict is a fact, whether or not it was just in the grand scheme of things. The only point that I am trying to make (as stated in my original post) is that a man who says he unintentionally shot someone incriminates himself for manslaughter.[/quote]

OK, since you haven't read the transcripts and neither have I, let's discuss as a purely hypothetical matter (i.e. not in relation to the White case) your point that to unintentionally shoot someone means manslaughter. You don't define manslaughter -- would I be right to think it requires an element of negligence? If am right on that, then if your gun goes off because one of your attackers grabs it -- so shooting one of the other attackers -- it would have been unintentional on your part yet not necessarily negligent on your part. Therefore, it appears your point is not correct that unintentional shooting always equates with manslaughter.

[seamusTX]

Please continue the discussion here: http://www.texaschlforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=34733" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

- Jim

[duns]

I would have convicted him whether he said it was an accident or not. He knew they were coming over before they arrived, loaded up a couple of guns, and went outside. The article doesn't say whether he went out before or after they arrived, but it sounds like he went out before and waited. And he did this without calling the police. He pointed a gun at another person.

You are making big assumptions there. From other more detailed accounts, it was like a scene from "Mississippi Burning" with the white mob turning their car headlights on the house, standing silhoutted in the headlights, and screaming threats to kill his family if he didn't come out. His folks were from the South and he had visions of the mob burning his house if he didn't go out. Yes, he presented a gun, but that was reasonable considering the circumstances. And apparently it went off when one of the drunken mob grabbed at it.