Manslaughter Defense Ruled Out in Abortion Slaying

[kpete]

Source: New York Times

Manslaughter Defense Ruled Out in Abortion Slaying


By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: January 28, 2010

Filed at 8:12 p.m. ET

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) -- The judge in the trial of a man accused of murdering an abortion doctor dealt the defense a major setback Thursday, ruling that the jury cannot consider a lesser charge of manslaughter.

The ruling came hours after Scott Roeder took the stand in his own defense and admitted killing Dr. George Tiller, saying he acted to save the lives of unborn children.

Roeder's attorneys had hoped to win a lesser conviction of voluntary manslaughter, which requires them to show their client had an unreasonable but honest belief that deadly force was justified. The charge carries a considerably lighter sentence than murder.

Roeder testified that he considered elaborate schemes to stop the doctor, including chopping off his hands, crashing a car into him or sneaking into his home to kill him.

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2010/01/28/us/AP-US-Abortion-Shooting-Trial.html?_r=1

[onehandle]

1. So we are down to a simple premeditated case of a man murdered with a gun in a church.

Roeder is toast.

[thereismore]

2. elaborate schemes: pre-meditation. nt

[spooky3]

3. and not insanity per legal definition

he was aware of what he was doing, capable of controlling actions and selling their consequences, and aware that society considered his actions wrongful.

[BadgerKid]

4. Murder 1 - Book 'em Danno. n/t

[customerserviceguy]

5. He's grandstanding

and eliminating the option of a lesser charge, which would still keep him in prison for all (or much) of his natural life, means that if there is one person on that jury who can be persuaded to last till the end, we will have a hung jury.

And another opportunity to grandstand.

[deek]

6. Considered chopping off his hands!?!?

At little gruesome for involuntary manslaughter, don't you think?

[REACTIVATED IN CT]

7. Excellent news n/t