"and the car has at least four black men in it. " Murderer's lawyer to rely on racism at trial

[geek tragedy]

With the recent attention on Michael Dunn's trial for murdering Jordan Davis in Florida gaining attention again, it's probably worth noting just how ugly this one is going to get. From November of last year:

“Kill that mother**er, that mother**er dead, you dead bi**h, and then he sees that much of the shotgun coming up over the rim of the SUV which is up higher than his Jetta," Lemonidis told reporters. "And it’s-all he sees are heavily tinted windows, which are up and the back windows which are down, and the car has at least four black men in it. And he doesn’t know how old anybody is, he doesn’t know anything, but he knows a shotgun when he sees one.”

Lemonidis says his client was scared after the exchange he had with Dunn. He believed that the teenagers would call friends and have him killed. After the shooting she claims Dunn fled, thinking his eight shots had only scared the teens.

“He didn’t think he had harmed anybody and he just thought he had scared them off and he wanted to report it, but he didn’t want to go in a sense throw himself to the wolves, in a strange city without representation.”

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/28/michael-dunn-claims-shotgon-wielded-_n_2207287.html

Yep, sounds like a white supremacist cartoon version of how 'those people' behave. The strategy will be to count on a juror B37.

Probably his best bet, but loathsome behavior by defense counsel.

Judging from the comments to local news stories, very good chance at least one ignorant asshole racist will make it onto the jury:

http://www.news4jax.com/news/witness-says-he-saw-teens-get-out-of-suv-after-shooting/-/475880/20790378/-/item/1/-/o5xcxr/-/index.html

[dkf]

1. Obviously a desperate clinging at straws. He might as well claim insanity.

[geek tragedy]

3. Jacksonville area jury pool is not going to be full of racial enlightenment.

Could work.

[NightWatcher]

7. Pick me pick me. I'm in Duval County

To be honest, I'd lie to get on the jury and then bully the rest of them to find him guilty of everything. I would stop short of the death penalty.

[dkf]

12. The law is impartial, juries on the other hand...

I can't speak for.

Then again being on a jury is a drag and completely thankless.

[NightWatcher]

2. Black = Fear.... So killing any black person is self defense?

We need to review the standard of fear necessary to claim self defense.

If he was so justified in defending himself, why did he run away? To sober up? To think of a bullshit shotgun story? To think that he'd claim self defense?

[geek tragedy]

4. Because he was afraid those black teens were gang members who could call up their friends

and have him whacked.

He fired at least two bullets as it was driving away. Clear cut murder case, but jurors are idiots with great frequency.

[CanonRay]

13. Especially, apparently, in Floriduh

I'd say odds of getting a racist prick on the jury are about 1 in 3.

[hfojvt]

8. there are several other factors

people making death threats can cause fear in the person being threatened (although often when people say "kill that mofo" what they really mean is just "beat him soundly" or they are just shooting their mouth off emptily)
being outnumbered can cause fear
seeing a weapon can cause fear

not much of a case here though since
a) no weapon was found
b) he seemed to have the option to run away
plus
c) 8 shots? seriously? Sounds panicky, but he also sounds way to unstable to have been allowed to carry a loaded gun in the first place.

[premium]

5. Why didn't this asshole just fucking

DRIVE AWAY?

[geek tragedy]

9. Clues from his Facebook page and girlfriend.

http://www.news4jax.com/news/Slain-teen-honored-with-airport-sendoff/-/475880/17595476/-/behx4qz/-/index.html

On Michael Dunn's Facebook page, there are pictures of him with his girlfriend, Rhonda Rouer, who police said was inside the Gate store at the time of the shooting.

There are also indications on the page of Dunn's political views, what some might call anti-government. In his "favorite quotes" section of his personal profile page, one quote is from Judge Andrews Napolitano from Lies the Government Told You. It reads:

"We should abolish the federal income tax, prohibit eminent domain, impose term congressional limits, make Congress part-time, return the power to elect senators to State legislatures, abolish the Federal Reserve system, and prosecute for malfeasance any member of Congress who cannot articulate where the Constitution authorizes whatever he or she is voting for."

http://www.firstcoastnews.com/rss/article/309216/3/More-Michael-Dunn-discovery-released

Rhonda Rouer tells police when they parked next to a car with loud music at the Gate Station on Southside Boulevard November 23rd, Michael Dunn said "I hate that thug music" as he had said to her before. She went inside to buy wine and chips, and heard several shots fired while she was inside.

Racist wingnut who just couldn't handle black kids disrespecting him.

[premium]

10. Hopefully,

this is admitted into evidence as to the type of character he is.

[geek tragedy]

11. The "thug music" line certainly must. Political stuff probably not.

The silencer he had in the back seat as well as the nun-chuks indicate this guy had a taste for violent fantasies.

[Blue_Tires]

6. If Corey blows this one, she should be the NEXT person on trial...

[sinkingfeeling]

14. "...he knows a shotgun when he sees one.” Apparently not, since none was found.

[gollygee]

15. Fled the scene (by a long shot) + no shotgun filed

= obvious lie.

But yeah, he has a chance to get off.