In the 911 tapes she admits that she mistook the victims apartment for her own. In the body cam video she admits it again. She never administered aid even though she knew she shot an innocent man.
What are you saying? Your first sentence backs my point, a horrible mistake. And your second sentence? It still doesn’t show premeditation. And premeditation is the most important word in the legal definition of murder. She deserves manslaughter or criminally negligent homicide, but according to the LEGAL definition of murder, she did not commit it.
Certainly the moral opinions of our FReeper family do not decide the case. Those jurors decide and the judge’s instructions were quite clear: Here she is. Do whatever you want with her.
Other state laws do not matter. Only Texas law matters. Perhaps we will hear some after-verdict juror interviews, but I will not hold my breath. She admitted that she intended to kill him. She did in fact kill him. It was up to her defense to prove that the killing was justified. That is an affirmative defense and the jury decided that she was not justified. The jury could have justified her and they did not.
Now sentencing. If they give her 5 years, then they are saying this is a tragic accident. If they give her 99 years then they are making an example of her. Look for 25 years or so, and she serves every day of it.
Correction and contradiction heartily welcomed. I never learned anything from somebody who agreed with me. And you do not need to be a lawyer either!