Quick update: We’re just about to leave the King County Courthouse after a second day of awaiting a verdict in the murder trial of Lovett “Cid” Chambers. The jury has gone home after deliberating all day Friday and all day today, and is due back at 9 am.
Again, incredible coverage Tracy – thank you. In an average murder trial (if one could ever be coined as such), do deliberations typically take days? Weeks? This has been a fascinating, albeit tragic look into how this facet of society’s facilitated.
In the double homicide trial in which I was a member of the jury, we all felt unanimously that he was guilty, and even the prosecutor felt they had no defense for him – it was very cut and dried – but we took an extra night to sleep on it to be sure, as it was a man’s lifetime of freedom at stake. I’m glad they’re obviously taking it seriously enough not to make a rash decision.
As someone who worked in the system, we have had verdicts in murder cases that ranged from 2 hours to several days. A lot depends on the amount of evidence to review, the complexity of the jury instructions, whether it is an up or down verdict or whether they have the option to consider lesser included offenses, whether they have to deal with a weapon ehhancement charge, and of course the personalities of the jurors.
Thanks Carole. And I agree AG, something like this should never be rushed.
In a comment on last night’s short blurb …
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https://westseattleblog.com/2014/04/jury-deliberations-resume-tomorrow-morning-in-morgan-junction-murder-trial/#comment-1282684
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…I included links to the verdict stories from the two previous murder trials we’ve covered since WSB became a business. Looking further into the coverage to see how long deliberations had lasted, since I’ve long since forgotten, in the Bushaw murder case – the trial was for the mastermind and getaway driver, after the two “triggermen” pleaded guilty – the jury deliberated what we described as “three full days” and then on the morning of the fourth, announced their verdicts. In the 59th/Admiral shooting case, it appears the jurors deliberated two partial days.
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Not necessarily indicative of anything here, but just a datapoint … TR
“This case is about a drunk guy with a gun.” A guy with a long and violent rap sheet, several identities, an outrageous liar – his wife must still be shock (at least she won’t have to put up with a slob who goes out drinking every night). So Chambers has zero credibility and his version of what happened is irrelevant. Ask his wife.
The last thing those two down and out stoners were looking for that night was trouble. And the idea that they would randomly attack some well dressed black guy driving a fancy car is absurd. No doubt Chambers mistakingly thought they called him the n word, and in a fit of drunken rage shot one of them in the back several times with an illegal and very deadly gun. He’s a public danger and should be off the streets.
Sorry, comment time is over.
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