A Juror in the Michael Dunn case who I know only as "Ms. Valarie" came forward today and said that she felt that he was guilty and that he effectively got away with murder...
Ms. Valerie, Juror #4 thank you so much for having the courage to embrace common sense...and not being afraid to come forward and say YOU found him guilty and that you don't believe that crap about him being afraid for his life.
One of the jurors who convicted Michael Dunn of attempted murder after he fired into an SUV during a fatal argument believes he should have been convicted of first-degree murder.
"I believed he was
guilty," Ms. Valerie said in an interview with ABC's "Nightline" early
Wednesday. Also known as Juror No. 4, she asked that her full name not
be given in order to protect her identity.
A Florida jury on
Saturday night convicted Dunn of three charges of attempted
second-degree murder for shooting into an SUV full of teenagers after
arguing about their loud music. He was also convicted of one count of
shooting into the vehicle.
But a separate
first-degree murder charge in the death of 17-year-old Jordan Davis
resulted in a hung jury. Prosecutor Angela Corey said she would seek a
new trial on the charge.
Dunn faces 60 years or more in prison for the attempted murder charges when he's sentenced next month.
On the murder charge, Valerie said the jury split over the issue of self-defense.
Florida law says the use
of deadly force is justifiable if someone reasonably believes that the
force is necessary to prevent imminent death or great bodily harm.
In his testimony, Michael Dunn insisted that Jordan Davis threatened him and that he saw a gun. Police never recovered a weapon.
Ms.Valerie said the jury's
first vote was 10-2 in favor of a murder conviction. Over nearly 30
hours of deliberations, the vote became 9-3.
Ultimately, the jury convicted Michael Dunn on the charges of attempted murder.
Ms. Valerie said all the
jurors felt Dunn crossed a line when he continued to fire at the SUV as
it fled the scene in Jacksonville. In their minds, any threat Dunn may
have felt before had passed.
"We all believed that there was another way out, another option," she said.
But for Valerie, it never should have happened at all. Michael Dunn could have chosen another path.
"Roll your window up, ignore the taunting, put your car in reverse ... move a parking spot over. That's my feeling."
Ron Davis, the victim's
father, told ABC's "Good Morning America" he believed Dunn should have
been found guilty of first-degree murder. But the father said he thought
jurors tried hard to render a just decision.
"We believe absolutely with all of our hearts that they did everything
that they could to come to what they believe was the most just
decision," said Jordan Davis' mother, Lucia McBath. "We do now know that
they were torn."
The revelations from the
juror come after prosecutors released recordings of nine phone calls
Dunn made while he awaited trial in a Florida jail.
Some of the conversations were mundane, while others revealed a man who calls himself the victim and the victor.
"Like, I'm the f***ing victim here," Dunn said. "I was the one who was victimized."
"I mean, I don't know
how else to put it," Dunn continued. "They attacked me. I'm the victim.
I'm the victor, but I was the victim too."
Other comments by Dunn highlighted his negative perception of the teens.
"When the police said
that these guys didn't have a record I was like, you know, I wonder if
they're just flying under the radar," he told his fiance, Rhonda Rouer.
"Because they were bad." He actually should have said "Because they were Black, therefor they had to be bad."
It was November 23, 2012,
when Dunn pulled into a gas station in Jacksonville, parking next to a
red Dodge Durango with four teenagers inside.
The teens had come in
for gum and cigarettes; Michael Dunn, meanwhile, had just left his son's wedding
with his fiancee, who'd gone inside the convenience store for wine and
chips
.
Michael Dunn didn't like the loud music -- "rap crap," he called it -- coming from the teens' SUV. So he asked them to turn it down.
What followed next depends on whom you believe. Michael Dunn says Jordan Davis threatened
him, and he decided to take matters into his own hands upon seeing what
he thought was the barrel of a gun sticking out of the Durango.
But prosecutors say it
was Michael Dunn who lost control, firing three volleys of shots -- 10 bullets
total -- at the SUV over music he didn't like.
After learning almost
six hours later that he had killed Jordan Davis, Michael Dunn testified that he became
"crazy with grief," experiencing stomach problems for about four hours
before taking a nap.
"My intent was to stop the attack, not necessarily end a life," he testified. "It just worked out that way."
Yet Rouer, His fiance testified that Dunn had never mentioned any weapon to her -- be it a shotgun, a stick, a barrel or a lead pipe.
In fact, police found a
basketball, basketball shoes, clothing, a camera tripod and cups inside
the teenagers' Durango. There was no gun in the vehicle.
Micheal Dunn himself never
called police. The first contact he had with them was at his home in
Satellite Beach as he was being apprehended.
Arguing that he wasn't
in a rational state of mind, Michael Dunn admitted, "It makes sense that I
should have (contacted authorities). We didn't. I can't tell you why." I could tell you why , because he knew he was in deep doo doo by then, that's why!
Ron Davis ,father of the slain teenager, Jordan Davis wants another trial.
"I want Michael Dunn to
be tried and found guilty of killing my son, letting him know that it
was wrong to kill my unarmed 17-year-old," Davis said. "All the other
17-year-olds out there, they shouldn't have to fear the adults with the
guns that are running around here shooting them at will."
I second that! Thanks again Ms. Valarie!
8 comments:
According to the analyst on CNN, they said it was 1st degree or bust. Is this wrong? Was the jury allowed to consider lesser charges?
I'm really not sure Ang!
I heard pressure from the nation caused them to go after the highest...beause had he gotten a manslaughter charge, folks would still be mad... and still call for her head.
It was one charge or nothing for each situation. Unlike other states where you can charge with homicide and the jury has to determine if it were Murder 1, Murder 2, Manslaughter, Depraved Indifference, etc...Florida makes you pick the charge and is still bound by the Double Jeopardy Rule.
Well the good news is that they could go back to trial and go for murder 2 but I think it would be a waste of tax payers dollars since I'm pretty sure with the convictions they have, he won't be getting out anyday now
Dunn could have taken a plea, Dunn didn't take a plea is simple he felt he did nothing wrong. Dunn felt he was above the law which he has proven over and over again by committing fraud several times even against even his own parents. Add to that his statement to Strolla that he doesn't understand how they reached a guilty verdict on 4 charges you can see he clearly thinks he was justified in his actions. The entire country has said otherwise.
This case is a complete debacle!! The Attorney General will have to step in.
All the defense had to do was to create the shadow of a doubt in ONE jurors mind. They did that. It's not that hard....a matter of developing eye contact with the ones more likely to buy the "dangerous black kid" story. As jurors agree to interview..we will likely find out that it was one of the white yokels who held out!
Post a Comment