07-30-2012, 09:26 PM
(07-30-2012, 08:21 PM)fabulous Wrote: I have to wonder if the *acquittal* of Pettaway has something to do with the deadlock? I know the jurors were supposed to not know about it, but come on.... We know that's easier said than done.
Took the words right out of my mouth fabulous. Since the guilty verdicts on Friday virtually every local news break during commercials has mentioned the verdict, followed by, "co-defendant being acquitted by the judge" (Details at 11!). Even if jurors refrained from watching or reading the news or discussing the case with anyone, as instructed, it would have been nearly impossible to miss Pettaway's acquittal if you were watching any local program any time between Friday morning and Monday morning. I don't think it's a stretch to think that at least one juror heard this and assumed, because they were accused of the same crime, that the cases and evidence presented had been identical. Then they may feel as though they must have given the wrong verdict if the all-knowing judge, with his vastly superior knowledge of the law didn't even let the case get to the jury. They then must have decided that they couldn't compound the mistake by being part of the sentencing. I can't think of any other scenario where someone who voted 5 guilty verdicts 72 hours earlier would now not to be able to agree on ANY of the 4 sentencing options that could have been recommended. And was so adamant that the first note saying "deadlock" was sent to the judge after only 50 minutes.
As to the Victim Impact Statements, they are actually statements to the judge, not the defendant, to allow the judge to consider the impact in imposing a sentence. In the mitigation hearing, the jury only hears testimony from the defense side, and must weigh those mitigating factors, in any way they wish individually, against the death specification of which they found the defendant guilty. It's basically a last ditch appeal from the defense to the jury to override their previous decision by taking mitigating factors into account.
Finally, Maytee was the first to mention the safe, in her first statements to police. It was brought to Verbosky's attention when the police asked him, based on Maytee's statement, if he was aware of the safe.