05-17-2012, 09:19 PM
(05-17-2012, 08:33 PM)username Wrote: Those few minutes are a black hole. Seemingly anything could have happened and the only person alive left to tell their story is Z.
No one really knows what happened in those critical few moments, and do you really want to send a man to life in prison on supposition instead of hard evidence? I think this could well be the defense closing argument. Bolster it up with eye witnesses to M beating on Z, physical evidence of injury to Z, and whatever else will speak to a self defense argument.
Imagine if this scenario had gone down the same way, but let's assume for a second that Z didn't have a gun... and however the altercation began M had killed him by repeatedly striking Z's head on the ground. Does anyone think for a second that Z's prior communication with 9-1-1 would be a defense for M having killed Z because he felt threatened and was being followed? You're not allowed to kill someone for that... and you're probably not allowed to beat the crap out of them either.
A good defense attorney is going to probably make that case as well... that the events leading up to the point that are documented don't matter. Z was in fear of his life during the actual physical altercation with M, and discharged his firearm.
This case is such a mess!