A chat room helped Westerfield prosecutors

San Diego Union Tribune ^ | 12/12/02 | Alex Roth

[CW_Conservative]

Call the jurors names if you want, they did their jobs contientiously and I will not fault them for doing so. They saw all the evidence, up close and personal. You saw only a portion by remote. I'll take their ignorance over yours anyday.

I haven't even begun to criticize those 12 disgraces. You can afford to be a parrot for the prosecution, those idiots were given the power to kill, so they could not.

[EllaMinnow]

SIGNONSANDIEGO NEWS SERVICES
December 30, 2002

SAN DIEGO – Prosecutors want the judge in the David Westerfield case to get the automatic appeal process going quickly if the "evil, selfish, cold-hearted child killer" is sentenced to death on Friday as expected.

"In 1996, the Legislature declared that capital punishment should be imposed expeditiously and created strict time limits for capital appeals," prosecutor Jeff Dusek wrote to Judge William Mudd.

"The first step requires this court to certify the record for completeness within 90 days of imposing a death sentence, unless there is good cause."

The same jury that found Westerfield guilty of kidnapping and murder recommended that he be put to death by lethal injection.

Mudd is expected to pronounce judgment on Friday. He conceivably could reduce the sentence to life in prison without parole, though that is unlikely.

In documents filed last week, prosecutors said no detective had it in for Westerfield – as his attorneys claimed – and that the finding of a special circumstance of murder during a kidnapping was warranted.

"Frankly, any other decision would have been unexplainable," Dusek wrote. "The jury's decision was right and appropriate. It must not be reduced."

The evidence that the 50-year-old Sabre Springs resident took the 7-year- old from her bed, killed her, then dumped her naked body off an East County road was overwhelming, the prosecutor wrote.

"The defendant has shown himself to be an evil, selfish, cold-hearted child killer," Dusek wrote. "Civilized society cannot contemplate the enormous cruelty shown by the evidence in this case."

Westerfield's attorneys argued that officers investigating the second- grader's slaying violated the defendant's "due process" rights under the Fifth, Eighth and 14th amendments to the Constitution.

Attorneys Steven Feldman and Robert Boyce questioned the San Diego Police Department's search of the defendant's home and car, and the way he was interrogated.

[demsux]

bite me

[demsux]

bite me

[BARLF]

Mark

[CAPPSMADNESS]

Hear's hoping that you and yours enjoy many blessings during 2003!!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!

any resolutions??? :)

[BARLF]

Thanks Capp and a Happy New Year to you!

No resolutions.........:(

[bvw]

Red, what does Dusek mean when he says "The defendant has shown himself to be an evil, selfish, cold-hearted child killer"? Notice he doesn't even name Westerfield -- just "the defendant" -- as if ANY defedant chosen would be equally shown to have been "evil selfish cold-hearted".

Ignoring the murder itself, what things showed Westerfield to be evil? To be selfish? To be cold-hearted?

[Jaded]

I hope all of you have a safe New Year's Eve.

Here's hoping that each of you will have a wonderful New Year. Hope to see you all back.

*Happy New Year*

[I. Ben Hurt]

Thank you Jaded and a very happy new year to you too. I have my black eyed peas all cooked and ready to eat tomorrow to ensure good luck in the coming year. (Wonder who started that rumor?)

[BARLF]

In less than two hours we will have a New Year(at least where I live) and I will have to remember that when writing checks!

I don't like black-eyed peas, maybe that is why I have so much bad luck?
LOL

Happy New Year to all.

[bvw]

Eat some fish heads withe the eyes in 'em. Sardines ok.

[Jaded]

The black eyed pea thing? Probably the same person who started the cabbage/boiled New England Dinner tradition/ superstition. The one time a year I have to suffer it. LOL. Ketchup in a large enough quantity will cover up any food one finds not to one's liking. Gak

[I. Ben Hurt]

I don't like black eyed peas either. The first of my bad luck in the new year is having to eat them. Yuk!!

[bvw]

When I was a kid, catsup was an important part of every meal. Everything tasted better with ketchup on it. Now I am older and my injury-related bursitis screams at me for anything but the most limited katsup consumption.

[CAPPSMADNESS]

balck-eyed peas??? Boiled dinner??? I thought that everyone in the world ate saurkraut and pork with sinkers on New Years Day??? At least that's what my mom used to tell me....


And I like boiled dinner btw.... especially with a huge corned beef briscuit :p~~~

[Jaded]

I was told it was a southern thing. Used to eat greens too. I'd like to change all of those family traditions with mine. The Bushes eat hamburgers. I could do that tradition. LOL

Have a great one!!

[Freedom2specul8]

~HAPPY NEW YEAR!~

[TexKat]

Happy New Year to you also.

[Ditter]

Happy New Year to you too Kim!