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Well, in the US, you can't beat someone to death for stealing your wallet.
I hope.
I do have some degree of empathy for people who take one punch and it kills someone, which was not their intent. In Austin recently there was a man who confronted a man outside a bar, who had just grabbed his wife's boobs in the bar. The husband shoved the man, who then fell and you guessed it, died of a head injury from his fall on the pavement. Likely in part because he was very drunk, and head injuries are more severe when the person is drunk. I'm having a hard time thinking the husband should be charged with anything at all, but he was.
This guy? Murder.
Someone doesn't know the difference between murder and manslaughter. Thankfully, laws in the U.S. distinguish between the two, and the perp was charged appropriately.
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"I don't understand. But I don't care, so it works out."
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Delahanty
Someone doesn't know the difference between murder and manslaughter. Thankfully, laws in the U.S. distinguish between the two, and the perp was charged appropriately.
I do know very well the difference.
And manslaughter has some element of unintentionality in it. Or, some element of passion that's overwhelming. Like confronting the person who killed your child. Unintentionality - taking one hard punch and the person somehow dies from it. Or putting a patron at a carnival ride in a seat you know has been repaired sloppily. Driving really recklessly and drunk with your friends in the back of your pickup.
This was intentional. And unnecessary. Once he got the wallet back, he was made whole again and didn't have to beat this man for 5 minutes.
It's up to a DA what to charge specifically, and it may be this victim had a long, long history of harming others and so that's why the charges were reduced - because that's what he could get by with in a jury trial with no real sympathy for the victim.
So yeah. I think almost all of us know the legal difference between murder and manslaughter, thanks.
A five minute beat down is a bit overkill...far beyond any lesson being taught...
It isn’t like he tackled him and the guy hit his head or something...he rained blows upon the dude for five minutes.
Totally agree...and a step further, it was not this guy's job to TEACH him a lesson...that is vigilantism.
This wasn't about self defense. That aside, I live in a free state, so if you come at me with a knife or a baseball bat and I shoot you, no DA would charge me with homicide because I didn't respond with a knife or baseball bat. You break into my house and even if you don't have any weapon, I can still legally use deadly force against you. No proportionality needed.
If this thief hadn't been a scumbag pos none of this would have happened. While what happened to him is a horrifying way to go, I don't feel sorry for him. Who knows how many people he stole from before and would have stolen from after meeting the wrong guy? Morris was not made whole after getting his wallet back. He had to run this scum down and wrestle his wallet back. There is no reason a law abiding citizen should have to go through something stupid like this happening to them just going to the store. Stealing someone's wallet is a HUGE deal for some people, maybe he had just enough money in it to cover food and bills that month. For well off people getting your wallet stolen is an inconvenience, for others it can be a financial disaster.
Mess with the bull your gonna get the horns, I think the charges against Morris should be dropped.
I'm still waiting to see what else we find out about this "hero". Something is very off in him to me. Witnesses said the man was begging and pleading, and at least 2 people tried to pull Morris physically off of him. It's like he was in some kind of crazy trance. At least one New Orleans newspaper is looking into prior incidents that may involve him, but of course we don't know anything really yet. His defense is supposedly self-defense, but I fail to see how can claim that since he is the one who chased the robber.
From the New Orleans Advocate:
"A man with Morris’ name and date of birth has prior arrests in the area of Tampa, Florida, on allegations of marijuana possession and domestic violence battery, according to court records"
I'm still waiting to see what else we find out about this "hero". Something is very off in him to me. Witnesses said the man was begging and pleading, and at least 2 people tried to pull Morris physically off of him. It's like he was in some kind of crazy trance. At least one New Orleans newspaper is looking into prior incidents that may involve him, but of course we don't know anything really yet. His defense is supposedly self-defense, but I fail to see how can claim that since he is the one who chased the robber.
From the New Orleans Advocate:
"A man with Morris’ name and date of birth has prior arrests in the area of Tampa, Florida, on allegations of marijuana possession and domestic violence battery, according to court records"
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