Will Sam Riddle walk?

[bartock]

So 1 person being foolish on the jury represents the city?
Convenient that you ignore the fact that the 11 other jurors wanted to convict.

This is a situation of one juror, not the entire city. Of course I would expect no less from you: Ignore the 11 so you can claim the 1 represents the city.

She's from Auburn Hills.

[jt1]

She's from Auburn Hills.

Interesting. I guess that will kill some people's arguments.

[dtowncitylover]

Unbelievale. I haven't followed closely, but just unbelievable. Apparently, that one jureor was very cold towards the other jurors, would not sit with them, and accuse them of already finding Riddle guilty. What a crock. Now, while all the others will talk, she won't. One juror was near tears when talking about being implied as a racist.

Some things in Detroit never change.

[Downtown Lady]

Some things in Detroit never change.

Again, the juror in question is not from Detroit.

[dtowncitylover]

Again, the juror in question is not from Detroit.

Excuse me, some things in Metro Detroit never change.

[mikeg19]

Was listening to 97.1 and they were talking about it. I really can't believe this shit. I mean, 1 person completely unwilling to hear arguments and than have the audacity to claim everybody else in the jury is racist because it's a black man on trial. Doesn't matter if he's black, white, Latino, whatever. If he's guilty he's guilty. Some people just can't get past race and I really don't understand it.

She was probably the one who got Kwame to only serve 99 days in jail.

[Bobl]

To answer the question: Apparently so.
An observation: There are some "too big to fail" players who are breathing more easily right now, at least temporarily.

[Bobl]

My high school civics class was many moons ago. Thanks, Mr McMillin, but my memory is not what it once was.
Can a forum member refresh my brain, and explain from which municipalities the jury in this federal case was pulled from?

[Brittz]

Suburbanites hate coming into the city so they will convict quickly as they want to return to their neighborhoods. I was on a federal jury and one woman wanted to get out because her husband did not want her to be in the city. Now this was 20 years ago. Things probably have not changed. Why did this jury talk to the press after the judges asked them not to. If we want to have juries from our peers, we should make sure they represent us. If this was a middle east man they would have done the same thing. The two that spoke from Macomb county may have decided before the end of the trial. That's one the most unfair racial deciding counties in the state.

[Brittz]

HOORAY to this juror!

[wobbly]

Bobl according to www.mied.uscourts.gov it's Jackson, Lenawee, Macomb, Monroe, Oakland, Sanilac, St Clair, Washtenaw & Wayne counties. That's not a jury of Detroiters and dtowncitylove claim that Temperance, Croswell & Jackson are part of "Metro Detroit" probably wouldn't be shared by folks who live in those places.

As I wrote above it is hard to hang a jury. Maybe things happened exactly as the talkative jurors claim. But a lot of what they said could be said in frustration and exaggeration by the majority of any hung jury.

[Brittz]

Brittz, are you f'in kidding me? My statement verbatim was: "Pulling a gun = "bad boyfriend"? Understatement of the year." and you interpret that as hostile rather than observational? Seriously, are you kidding me?

Look, you are completely entitled to your opinion which may differ from mine, but once you start throwing out random, unnecessary comments about how I'm lucky that the gun wasn't in my face, you've crossed a line.

You are still lucky.

[Brittz]

That was pretty harsh. Was it necessary?

Go with Dl take a hike.

[Buy American]

So 1 person being foolish on the jury represents the city?
Convenient that you ignore the fact that the 11 other jurors wanted to convict.

This is a situation of one juror, not the entire city. Of course I would expect no less from you: Ignore the 11 so you can claim the 1 represents the city.

The juror is from Auburn Hills. I stand by my statement that the City will never heal as long as people [[and I am talking about this dumb juror) don't look at cold hard facts instead of concentrating on the color of ones skin. Obviously she's been paid off by someone.

And I would expect no less from you jt...typical comment from someone who has a different kind of ax to grind.

[Ravine]

Yeah yeah whatever. Take it outside, goddamit.

You can see, in my earlier post, that my view of Riddle walking, or not walking, is centered around the issue of the Big Fish [[Monica Conyers, and what a fish it is) having been caught, already.
The thing that really frosts my ass, here, is that because of the way this whole thing went down, people like me, who don't even want to have [[or bring) race into the discussion, are pretty much forced to deal with it as part of the discussion.
I'm not blaming anyone, specifically, for that, and maybe on some level, race is supposed to be part of the discussion [[although I, myself personally and only from my dang standpoint, am not willing to buy into that.)
It just bugs me, you know, and it reinforces my dread that here in the U.S., and more so in Detroit, the Race Thing is getting worse, not better, and that we are never, ever, ever going to have it behind us.

[daddeeo]

I really think this lady looked at the vote to acquit as a payback for real or imagined slights she's had over the years. Simple as that.
The case seemed a slam dunk to most people who heard a lot a damning evidence against Riddle.
Jury selection will decide the next trail just like it did this one. Too bad, the facts come in second when some jurors decide a case.

[R8RBOB]

The government made a grave mistake placing 10 Whites on a jury to try a Black man in a Black city. The government was so afraid that Riddle would get a Black jury that they purposely avoided submitting jury request to Detroit residents and went outside the city to get jurors. It appears during voir dire that they could scrap just two Black women to serve on the jury, one alt and Ms. not guilty and she was from Auburn Hills. Again, 10 Whites was stacking the deck. They could have had 3 or 4 Blacks on the jury and maybe one of them could have calmed that juror down and examine the evidence. Instead we get The Riddler 2.0

[MaxDetroit]

In stereotypical fashion for Metro Detroit, it was reported on either DIV or XYZ yesterday that the verdict was being delayed by "a Detroit woman" who disagreed with the other jurors. Now we learn she's from Auburn Hills. Blacks actually live that far north of 8 Mile? Who knew. She's also reportedly a flight attendant. I wonder what lucky airline employs this charmer. Seems like she would be filing a grievance if someone other than a "person of color" dared to ask for a drink of water.

[Patrick]

I really think this lady looked at the vote to acquit as a payback for real or imagined slights she's had over the years. Simple as that.

Sure she did. She probably felt like an outsider within the pool anyways.

[eastsidechris]

I love Sam Riddle, but he got caught trying to play the game and the audio tapes don't lie--he's guilty as hell.

With apologies to the writers of The Wire, that juror didn't just play the race card, she played the whole deck.

[jt1]

The juror is from Auburn Hills. I stand by my statement that the City will never heal as long as people [[and I am talking about this dumb juror) don't look at cold hard facts instead of concentrating on the color of ones skin. Obviously she's been paid off by someone.

And I would expect no less from you jt...typical comment from someone who has a different kind of ax to grind.

Once again, your lack of clarity is the issue. If you had stated that Metro Detroit will never heal as long as people don't look at cold hard facts instead of concentrating on the color of ones skin. I hope you also apply this logic to white and black alike.

Don't blame me that your lack of clarity is an issue. There is no axe to grind but your agenda and lack of consistency should be addressed.

At least we both agree that Riddle, Conyers and the entire lot hould be in jail.

[Goose]

What we had here today is some good ole' jury nullification by one perhaps due to racial preference.

actually, isn't jury nullification used in association with the jury disregarding the law and finding the opposite, such as "the man didn't pay his taxes, there is a ton of very clear evidence, and the judge instructs the jury that if they find the man didn't pay his taxes they must find him guilty" and then the jury deliberates, finds and agrees that the man didn't pay his taxes, but finds him innocent anyway.. .this nullifying the former law by the process of precedent..... im no lawyer, but thats what i thought it was....

[R8RBOB]

So it's someone else's fault that this juror decided to focus on skin color and avoid the evidence, eh? Blame the system, "The Man" etc. etc.

Come on, dude. Get real. Quit passing the buck. This woman was/is a racist idiot. Racist idiots come in all shapes, colors and sizes, and this lady is one.

Well dude, this problem could have been solved by having a all-White jury. Would that made you happy to get some blood in the water?

[Bobl]

Thanks, wobbly.

[Thruster315]

Long time lurker, first time poster here.

I sympathize with this woman- if she truly believed Riddle to be innocent based upon the facts she heard, then she needs to vote her conscious. She shouldn't be coerced to fall in line with the others even if it is eleven against one. That being said- did she skew the taint the facts in her head with the race card?

Judging from the words she has said according to the Freep- she most definitely did. What she failed to grasp is that her stand wasn't pro-African American at all. It was the opposite; what she did wasn't for civil justice- it not only shamed her race with her ignorance but it also did nothing to help rid Detroit of a criminal.

Sam Riddle walked today but it won't be for long.