Summer is here. The weather is hot. A thermometer I passed in town said it was 74, but it was lying, it felt like 90. And I need to take the car to Terry to make the air conditioning colder.
I set off on a little trip, just 13 miles to the next town, but for someone who seldom leaves Shawnee a little trip can be an adventure. I went to sus out Carla's new church, as I decided to go there on Sunday, her first Sunday there, and thought I'd find out how far, and exactly where it was.
I didn't see inside the church, but it looks lovely, very big. Carla was just coming out of the Parsonage next door when I pulled up, and she invited me inside and showed me round. Of course there were boxes piled up in all the rooms, she's just moved in, but I could see it was a really lovely, very spacious home, and with a big garden round it that she and her grandchildren are thrilled with. She is also thrilled to have a deck just outside the lounge, and said some garden furniture for it is going to be her first priority.
The church and Parsonage are on the edge of the country, beyond the garden there's a pond - also a source of excitement for the grandchildren - with trees and fields. I told her I'd be there on Sunday and I'm looking forward to it.
On the way back I stopped at the friendly Harvest Creek Store, and had a little lunch there. Have spent the rest of the day quietly reading.
The next big murder trial is lining up to start on Monday, picking the jury. They only have six jurors in Florida (unless it is a murder 1 trial, and this isn't, it wasn't premeditated) so it should be quicker, I'd have thought, to come to some agreement on a verdict.
The victim was a young lad of 17 walking home from a convenience store, wearing a hoodie, which is BAD thing, as usually only people up to no good wear hoodies, and they are very into stereotypes here. The defendant was a self appointed Neighborhood Watchman who called the cops and reported this young lad walking home, who seemed 'up to no good'. The police told him to back off, they would be there.
How would the following scenario have unfolded in Britain? The defendant would have backed off, the unarmed police officer would turn up in his patrol car, talk to the lad, talk to the defendant, send them both on their way, and the whole incident would have long since been forgotten. The kid would still be alive and the middle aged defendant would not be facing 20 years behind bars. Am I right?
But what happens in this gun crazy country? Defendant pulls out a gun, the kid is shot, and absolutely no one really knows what happened because there were no witnesses. The defendant - who has cuts on his head and face - said he was attacked and was defending himself with his gun. In Florida there is what they call 'a stand your ground rule' that is, anyone can pull out a gun and shoot dead anyone they think is threatening them. And obviously they do.
In the call to the police there can be heard the sound of someone in the background screaming for help. And this is a critical piece of evidence the judge has to decide on Monday whether to allow. Audio voice experts for both sides have listened to it over and over again, and can't agree - because it is too fragmentary - whether it was the victim or the defendant.
From the holiday snaps...
No comments:
Post a Comment