tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6766906560812521746.post473048271672340431..comments2024-02-10T02:58:07.102-05:00Comments on Celestial Reflections: Will James Arthur Ray EVER Be Sentenced?LaVaughnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09147322061125012346noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6766906560812521746.post-41203782951218474252011-09-28T16:57:20.473-04:002011-09-28T16:57:20.473-04:00@KG, I would be surprised if he were sentenced to ...@KG, I would be surprised if he were sentenced to probation. I would also be surprised if he were sentenced to the whole nine. But I do think he'll do some time. <br /><br />There's nothing that peculiar about him being free on bond until sentencing because he <i>wasn't</i> convicted of murder. He was convicted of criminally negligent homicide. It's a class 4 felony in AZ. I would have preferred a manslaughter verdict, as would 8 of the jurors, but there we are. I hate to tell you but it's also not uncommon for criminals to be free pending appeal so even that's a possibility. But, again, it would surpise me. I don't think Darrow is a ditherer. I think he's cautious but not dithering and I came to be very impressed with his poker skills during the trial. He's good at appearing affable and even-tempered even when he slaps the lawyers down, which he did repeatedly, particularly with the defense attorneys. To understand what had happened, sometimes, you had to be watching those attorneys, not him. And you'd have know more about the law than I do to recognize that he was speaking in clear legal terms a lot of the time. He was also artful in his ability to let the defense attorneys run their sucks until they were blue in the face, disregard 90% of it and zero in on the relevant legal arguments. A lot of what seemed like mud to you and I seemed to be crystal clear to the attorneys and anyone who thinks he was caving to the defense right and left wasn't paying attention to their body language and their whining when he made statements that seemed kind of inscrutable to the layman. <br /><br />Personally, I think he has a bead on Ray and at one point alluded to his dishonesty. The reason, I think, that a lot of people are frustrated is that he's restricted by a number of legal issues. Ray is still free on bond because it's a first offense, it's only a class four felony, and he didn't try to jump bail or anything. Darrow could have been more of a hard ass about the whole thing and probably been within his discretion but it could have opened up other appellate issues. I've said before that I don't necessarily think it's a bad thing that he thinks like a defense attorney, if you take my meaning. It's downright funny to me that people keep comparing him unfavorably to Belvin Perry, who's a former prosector and <i>was</i> a real hard ass. Last I checked Casey Anthony is walking around free as a bird -- largely because the jury did not understand the relevant law when they went into deliberations. That's one thing you can't say about the jury in this case, judging by their own statements. The first juror who spoke to the press said Darrow explained the relevant law brilliantly, in this case, and given that much of this case was novel and probably precedent setting, that's saying something. <br /><br />My main reason for wanting to see Ray in jail is that he needs to be stopped before he causes more injury. Jail time would stop him cold for a while and at least slow him down in the future. The man's a menace.LaVaughnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09147322061125012346noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6766906560812521746.post-62735008910008193502011-09-28T13:29:02.734-04:002011-09-28T13:29:02.734-04:00@LaVaughn
You write: "... but I firmly beli...@LaVaughn<br /><br />You write: "... but I firmly believe it will end in the clink".<br /><br />I hope your prediction turns out to be correct. I hope this, mostly for the families of those who have died, as well as for all of those who have been injured by this man.<br /><br />But I also hope for a clink conclusion to this case, so that a precedent can be set: A loud clear message to all those would-be con men and con women, that says "you can't get away with harming people while you are trying to scam them".<br /><br />I suppose, I believe in punishment as a deterrent. But even for those that do not believe in this concept, the publicity of jail time rather than simple probation, would surely open the eyes of those who may embark on becoming involved with the likes of people like JAR in the future.<br /><br />Naive and trusting potential customers of JAR would much more easily associate with him and give up their money to him if he was on probation, than if they knew he was communicating with them via the internet from the clink. Encouraging these people about freedom this ...., and freedom that ...., while donning a bright orange suit in a 6'X8', is beyond ironical if not in fact, down right funny. Even the most naive, would see the irony and humour in that.<br /><br />However, and unfortunately, I'm not as firm as you in your belief about the clink. I don't claim to know how justice works, and I don't know if delays are par for the course in the court system, and if more delays are just the norm. <br /><br />I just see a man that has not been taken into custody, who has been convicted of murder, and has been on probation for 3 months. I see this man allowed to create his own TV internet scam sham while awaiting sentencing. And I see a judge who appears to be uber cautious with all of the bullshit the defense has thrown his way. On the Salty Droid site, Yakaru suggested that the judge might be a ditherer. Maybe.<br /><br />Doesn't look promising to me. Hope I'm wrong.drkathygrahamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10752418385277084177noreply@blogger.com