OT - Oscar Pistorius trial verdict

Submitted by MikeCohodes on

So there has been a partial verdict in the trial of former Olympian Oscar Pistorius, for his killing of his model girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp. The judge today ruled not guilty for premeditated murder. However, the judge then called a recess for the rest of the day, and the court will be back in session tomorrow to rule on whether or not he is guilty of a lesser charge (i.e. manslaughter). That is an odd legal system they have down there in South Africa - they announce a verdict on the main charges, then take a recess until the next day before announcing the verdicts on the other charges. Never seen that before in a trial.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-29143540

What do you think the verdict will be tomorrow? Guilty of manslaughter or negligent homicide? How much jail time do you think the Blade Runner deserves?

<EDIT> If you follow the link from the BBC, there's a handy chart at the bottom of the article that spells out what some of the lesser charges Oscar can get convicted of, and what their jail sentences typically are (in some cases there are mandatory minimums).

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B-Nut-GoBlue

September 11th, 2014 at 9:24 AM ^

I'd say he'll be guilty of something. Such a bizarre story and chain of events. Again, I'd guess he gets S. Africa's manslaughter equivalent. Prison time, I'm not exactly sure about.

Joined: 09/30/2011

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MikeCohodes

September 11th, 2014 at 9:45 AM ^

I sent a tweet to the mods for them to weigh in. If this is too OT, they can bring it down & I'm fine with that, chalk it up to a lesson learned. I thought it was fine because:

a) we've been discussing Ray Rice and Roger Goodell in multiple threads, and all Rice did was punch his girlfriend, not kill her

b) because it beats another coaching changes/start Shane over DG/fire everyone thread that have been prevalent here lately.

c) its still about sports

Again, if the mods feel differently, they can delete the post and I'll be fine with it.

Joined: 08/28/2012

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ijohnb

September 11th, 2014 at 9:59 AM ^

think that banning OT topics for the most part during football season is a little too restrictive.  Clearly not my call at all, but basketball season is every bit the event that football season is now and OT lives during basketball season.  I personally miss the OT topics when there is not a whole lot to talk about during the football season or when people affirmatively want to talk about something else, anything else, like say in the week after an epic drubbing to an arch rival and before a showdown with Miami(NTM). 

Joined: 09/21/2009

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B-Nut-GoBlue

September 11th, 2014 at 3:43 PM ^

This, 100%.  ESPECIALLY after a depressing weekend primetime ass-kicking.  I mean, I'm about to buy a house, can we talk about some home improvement stuff instead of the miserable weekend we just had and the unknown future that lies ahead?

Joined: 09/30/2011

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michgoblue

September 11th, 2014 at 10:02 AM ^

But I think all of your points are valid. The Ray Rice thing is no more relevant to michigan sports than this story (other than my secret conspiracy theory that the Rice thing somehow puts John Harbaugh on the hot seat and that he resigns at season end to take over the Michigan HC job, leaving in please the entire staff, including Hoke who accepts the job as DL coach bc he loves Michigan). And, anything is better than the aforementioned threads. Also, the board has been really quiet lately.

Joined: 11/16/2009

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LSAClassOf2000

September 11th, 2014 at 10:12 AM ^

Speaking for the mods, I get a little flustered at the unnecessarily narrow definition of "No OT" people chirp about in these threads, and perhaps it is a communication issue though the rules do get posted and reposted on occasion. There are indeed "OT" things which can stand during the season - the difference is that the definition narrows somewhat. This thread, for example, is indeed within the guidelines of "allowed OT" as it is a major international sports headline, or major enough perhaps. Pistorious is a well-known name, so it definitely qualifies as "allowed OT". 

Joined: 01/07/2011

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BornInAA

September 11th, 2014 at 9:46 AM ^

Don't care - obscure person from a country 6000 miles away. 

If TV wasn't looking for the sensationalist "cripple" killing "model" angle nobody would hear about this story.

If he were a normal non-medaling olympic running with a normal looking girlfriend no one would care.

Joined: 11/21/2009

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ijohnb

September 11th, 2014 at 10:09 AM ^

those gloves don't fit.  He is certainly accentuating it, but nobody wears gloves that fit that tight.  How do you reconcile this fact with his clear guilt, you ask?  Because he did it, but certain evidence was actually planted.

Joined: 09/21/2009

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Ryno2317

September 11th, 2014 at 2:14 PM ^

Go do this:  1.  Put on leather gloves and go do something physcial.  (In other words, get sweaty); 2.  Take them off and don't touch them for six months; and 3.  Try to put them on six months later when you gained weight and stopped taking your medication.  I assure you they wont "fit" either as they will be difficult to get on your hands until they stretch out.  They were his gloves, nothing was planted, and he killed his wfie.  Is this an OSU blog or something? 

Joined: 10/14/2013

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Ryno2317

September 11th, 2014 at 5:27 PM ^

What opinion is "well formulated" and "agreed upon by many?"  What?  That evidence was "planted" or the gloves someow were not his?  With the exception of the defense team, there is no agreement that anything was planted or that those gloves were not Simpson's. 

I equate such unsupported conspiracy theories more with OSU-tyoe people rather than with those that went to Michigan.  Sorry,  I do. 

Joined: 10/14/2013

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ijohnb

September 11th, 2014 at 10:34 AM ^

talking about gallons of blood here, drops of blood.  The gloves did not fit him, period.  It was obvious when he was even handling them before he put them on.  They were too small.  It was like a man trying to fit on his wife's gloves. 

Joined: 09/21/2009

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Princetonwolverine

September 11th, 2014 at 5:54 PM ^

The manufacturer of the gloves stated the gloves found would have fit OJ.

Let's not forget the very rare Bruno Magli shoe prints found in the blood at the scene. None of the police nor investigators nor neighbors wore them.

Oj said he "would never be caught wearing those "ugly ass shoes". That was until the video was found showing him wearing those Bruno Magli shoes and another showing him wearing gloves matching those found.  

When he gets out of jail he will continue his search for the Columbian drug gang that did it.

Joined: 10/10/2010

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ijohnb

September 12th, 2014 at 9:52 AM ^

not on the gloves or in the vehicle.  That is one of the bigger perceptions about that trial.  The blood that was found near his home or on his possessions were little more than trace amounts.  That was the reason for the defense extensive questioning of those handling the evidence.

Joined: 09/21/2009

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