The jail house snitch is often used as a key witness in some criminal cases by the District Attorney’s Office. The most memorable jail house snitch used in a Nashville , Tn. murder case was in the case against Perry March. The Snitching Blog reported on the case of Sivak v. Hardison where the 9th Circuit
Can intoxication be a defense to a first degree murder case ? It can be a defense to one element of the case . In most criminal cases , the State of Tennessee must prove the Mens Rea or criminal intent of the defendant’s mind. In a first degree murder case , the state must
Adam Liptak who writes the Sidebar column for the New York Times reported on the case of Robert Rosario . Mr. Rosario was convicted of murder based upon the testimony of two witnesses who picked him out of a lineup. One problem existed . Mr Rosario claims to have been in Florida on the
In most murder cases a firearm is used . After someone is shot , blood is usually present at the crime scene . Can homicide detectives use blood found at the scene to make their case ? The blood left behind may provide some clues as to what happened . One method of bloodstain analysis is blood
No time for blog posts for awhile . I was in a first degree murder trial last week . I learned a few time honored lessons in the courtroom . Dress for success still applies in a criminal jury trial .
Here are a few tips :
Lawrence Buser of The Memphis Commercial Appeal recently added up the costs of the death penalty trial of Jessie Dotson.Jury selection took place in Nashville,Tn. and the jurors were taken to Memphis for the trial.Mr.Dotson was convicted in the first degree murder of six men , women , and children . The trial
https://youtube.com/watch?v=JCwlaLyjtcA%3Ffs%3D1%26hl%3Den_US
NPR featured a story on Betty Ann Waters . Ms. Water’s brother was wrongfully convicted of a murder he didn’t commit. DNA evidence proved he did not do it 18 years later. In an effort to exonerate her brother , Ms. Waters goes to law school , gets her degree and later frees
A Gallatin , Tennessee man was released from the Sumner County jail based upon DNA evidence.Chris Cannon of Nashville’s News Channel 5 reported that District Attorney Ray Whitley nolled the murder charge against. Joshua Singletary was accused of murdering Lydia Gutierrez.However ,it appears that Mr.Singletary remains a suspect.
This case is but another example
The verdict came in on Raynetta Dossett Leath’s murder trial in Knoxville.Ms.Leath was found guilty of First Degree Murder.She will receive an automatic life sentence.
A murder mystery is unfolding in a Knoxville Criminal Courtroom on the retrial of Ms. Raynella Dossett Leath. Ms. Leath’s first murder trial ended with a hung jury when the jury could not reach a decision.Day Eight of the trial starts today.
David Leath was found dead of a gunshot wound in his bed. Ms. Leath’s defense is that her husband committed suicide.However, a firearm’s expert for the State of Tennessee testified at the first trial that the firearm was fired three times the day of Mr.Leath’s death and it was the second shot that killed Mr. Leath.Knoxville criminal defense attorney James A.H.Bell offered proof that Mr. Leath was depressed and his health was poor.
The jury could not reach a verdict in her first murder trial in 2007.In closing Mr. Bell argued " If you believe Ms. Raynella murdered her husband you have to believe she is nothing but a serpent of Satan". This line did two things. It personalized his client by the use of her first name.Second, it used biblical imagery which works well in the South without violating the rules against quoting the bible in court.