Tensing Trial

[Nebuchadnezzar]

I can't believe there's no thread on this yet so I decided to start one.

Personally, I think the guy is guilty and should go to prison but I'm wondering why the Jury couldn't get a verdict?

Maybe Fred can help out here with what the charges actually mean.

Tensing, I think was charged with Murder and a lesser charge of Manslaughter, or was it Voluntary Manslaughter, if the Jury couldn't get to Murder.

Did the Prosecution overcharge like in so many other cases like this one?

I just don't know why the Jury didn't come to a verdict.

[kdgjr]

I wondered about this as well. If four wanted murder and eight wanted manslaughter, why didn't the default end up being manslaughter rather than mistrial?

If i'm on the jury and one of the four, I think I would have broken reasonable to get it done, but I guess that's not how it works.

[Nebuchadnezzar]

I hope Tensing is retried and instructions our more clear to where a verdict is made.

The guy is clearly guilty and needs prison time. 

From the video, he got that gun out fast and shot DuBos(sp?) really quickly. Did he mean to kill him? I don't know, it doesn't matter. His actions caused his death. 

Maybe Neglegent Homicide...Involuntary Manslaughter?

[fredtoast]

In most states all manslaughter charges are lesser included charges of murder. The way it works is first the jury tries to convict on the highest charge. If they are unable to convict then they drop down to the next lesser included. They keep doing that until they get a unanimous decision.

It takes just one person to get s "hung jury".