One of the most interesting things I’ve read in some time…
A criminal defense attorney in Chicago represented a client who was involved in a situation we’ve seen far too often in this destructive war: SWAT-style serving of a search warrant with no investigation or knowledge of who or what is in the house. In this case, a resident managed to get off four shots aimed low through his bedroom door at what he thought were violent criminal intruders, and he (as well as six children in the house) managed to avoid being killed by the 37 shots fired by police. Naturally, he was charged with attempted first degree murder and aggravated battery.
Here is the closing argument. Simple, powerful, effective.
Update: Reading this well-reasoned and detailed defense, I had no idea what else was floating around out there regarding this case.
Check out this ugly piece by Chuck Goudie at the Daily Herald: Chicago cops wounded, accused shooter walks
If Mr. Green, now 23, resumes the same line of work that he was in before his arrest, he may well have police visitors in his home sometime in the future.
Then, if Green starts shooting at police, the 12 people he’ll need won’t be jurors.
They’ll be pallbearers.
Apparently, Goudie, who wasn’t there and apparently didn’t bother to read the transcripts, merely looked at the the fact that police were shot and came to the conclusion that the person who did it should fry, regardless of the circumstances.
And he’s got plenty of support at a place like Second City Cop where the commenters are more anxious to volunteer to be the future pallbearers of the person who was defending his home (or to say that “this mutt will be dead within a few years”) than to ask questions regarding what actually happened.
Pingback: Justice or Gang Intimidation? « ricketyclick
That was inspiring! Justice is served. Our knight has slain the dragon.
Justice will only be served once those responsible are held accountable for their actions. The police, judge and the swat team are all implicated and should all be prosecuted to the full extent of the law for their gross negligence that could have cost 6 lives.
Luckily Kenny had a bedroom that was almost magical and a good defence!
If I hear lots of noise and yelling as my door is being broke down…I will shoot too. I got no idea who it is and aint waiting to be killed to find out.
Better outcome this time than most.
.
.
I think it had more to do with the fact that Kenny had the sense to stay down.
Does anyone else think there seems to be a shift away from police sycophants granting the police carte blanche in these situations? From the time of Katherine Johnston’s murder at the hands of crooked Atlanta Police officers we’ve seen a number of cases where the police don’t get the courtroom result they would like. That a couple of the former APD officers that were involved in Ms. Johnston’s murder are still in prison today may not be true justice but it’s certainly better than a 6 week paid vacation followed by absolution which seemed to be the general rule of thumb in such cases before Ms. Johnston’s murder was adjudicated.
I can tell you that I almost dropped dead from shock when a Virginia jury (southern Virginia no less) brought back a conviction carrying a maximum sentence of 10 years in the Ryan Frederick case in February 2009. Anyone familiar with the habits of Virginia juries were almost certainly just as shocked as I was. While it wasn’t an acquittal, those of us familiar with Virginia juries would have said the jury was being lenient had the sentence been life without parole. Well at least those of us that think life in prison is a lesser sentence than the death penalty.
“we’ve seen a number of cases where the police don’t get the courtroom result they would like”
Not enough, there are still convictions in these kinds of cases. Radley Balko, Injustice Everywhere and CopBlock are still reporting on as many of these kinds of incidents as possible (among other atrocities).