tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6316617410436977874.post1398373419404743177..comments2024-03-25T02:53:26.373-04:00Comments on Women in Crime Ink: What Ever Happened to Jane?Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6316617410436977874.post-85400652662898664852012-01-15T13:32:33.742-05:002012-01-15T13:32:33.742-05:00I'm with Soobs. She said it all. Your job isn&...I'm with Soobs. She said it all. Your job isn't to decide punishment. Your job is to tell the truth and let the system do it's job. If you are against the death penalty, work to change that law, that's your right as an American Citizen. But to refuse to testify because a defendant MIGHT receive the death penalty is irrisponsible, and dare I say ILLEGAL? What if someone chose not to testify because they felt strongly that prisons were cruel? Or that "Jesus" has forgiven the defendant? IF all of us tried to base our testimony on our own beliefs, it could easily and quickly lead to anarchy.<br /><br />I ALSO want to know what a lesbian princess is,,,<br /><br />although it's an old article and I doubt there will be a response, I felt strongly about my answer and had to back up soobs.Holly Younghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06018238975930137729noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6316617410436977874.post-64124053331852262632008-12-06T09:40:00.000-05:002008-12-06T09:40:00.000-05:00I'm sorry, I just don't understand the hesitation....I'm sorry, I just don't understand the hesitation. Regardless of the sentence (even jurors are told NOT to speculate on the sentence), IMO, you get up there and tell the truth, to the best of your ability. This has nothing to do with "protecting your source" but everything to do with doing your duty as a human being. <BR/><BR/>BTW, can I ask WTH is a "lesbian princess???" Talk about salacious....Soobshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04187049593628263766noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6316617410436977874.post-89596515308185005722008-12-02T15:18:00.000-05:002008-12-02T15:18:00.000-05:00Sexpert Suzy Spencer will be our special guest Sat...Sexpert Suzy Spencer will be our special guest Saturday December 21st 2pm Pacific Time on TRUE CRIMES, the Internet radio show hosted by Burl Barer and Don Woldman. She will be interrogated in depth about her bizarre personal proclivities, her obsession with fuzzy slippers and Snoopy boxer shorts, plus hounded to tell all about WASTED. This will be a thrill for anyone who enjoys Suzy Spencer -- and that list is mounting rapidly.<BR/>It will be fun and informative and contain content bordering on good taste.<BR/>For a listen live link, visit http://outlawcrime.comBurl Barerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00246104277722164642noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6316617410436977874.post-34433662601490125882008-12-02T10:25:00.000-05:002008-12-02T10:25:00.000-05:00Shreela, I knew that Justin wouldn't walk free bec...Shreela, I knew that Justin wouldn't walk free because he was already serving a life sentence in Texas. Yes, he was eligible for parole after 30 years, but he'd been in trouble in prison, which made me believe he wouldn't be getting out.<BR/><BR/>Also, last year, as Vanessa and I talked back and forth about this, I wondered if I'd feel differently if he hadn't been serving a life sentence. And I wondered if I'd feel differently if he'd been -- and he wasn't -- a child molestor. I still don't know the answer to those two I-wonders.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6316617410436977874.post-68189399075353150692008-12-02T09:45:00.000-05:002008-12-02T09:45:00.000-05:00Shreela" - You raise interesting questions. That y...Shreela" - You raise interesting questions. That you had never considered the possibility of someone walking free because of a witness's personal beliefs is a pretty good indication that it doesn't happen often, if at all. I can say that it didn't happen in Suzy's case. The State used her transcript and the defendant was given the death penalty.<BR/><BR/>While hesitating to cooperate based on a personal belief is probably pretty rare, it is not uncommon at all for writers to refuse to testify to protect sources promised confidentiality. <BR/><BR/>It used to be that subpoenas to news media were rarely issued. My federal subpoena was the first of its kind in 10 years. <BR/><BR/>That said, I can tell you that my position did not allow a murderer to walk free. Before jailing me, the prosecutors told the judge that they would be seeking the death penalty and that the government could not indict without my cooperation. Neither of those statements turned out to be true. The government indicted the man without my information and prosecutors opted against the death penalty. The defendant "walked" when he was released on bond and fled the country.<BR/><BR/>The reality is the party most likely to "throw" a murder case is not a witness but the defendant. In cases where someone's life is on the line, it is not uncommon for witnesses to be intimidated or made "unavailable" one way or another.Vanessa Leggetthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15153019905187140814noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6316617410436977874.post-56890174834472172542008-12-02T08:20:00.000-05:002008-12-02T08:20:00.000-05:00Since I don't work in a crime field, I never thoug...Since I don't work in a crime field, I never thought about whether someone's personal beliefs might cause them to not cooperate with a trial because the death penalty is involved. How common is this?<BR/><BR/>Have any witnesses actually tried to 'throw a case' just because they didn't believe in the death penalty? <BR/><BR/>Have any suspected murderers walked because a witness didn't cooperate because of their personal beliefs?<BR/><BR/>Sorry, but I'm creeped by this; hopefully it doesn't happen very often.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com