Jury sentences Harris to 20 years in prison, $10,000 fine (Clara Harris murder trial)

Houston Chronicle ^ | February 14, 2003 | By ALLAN TURNER

[MeekOneGOP]

AP 2-7-2003
Defendant Clara Harris reacts as she
testifies about her husband's affair.

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Harris sentenced to 20 years in prison, $10,000 fine
Jurors today sentenced dentist Clara Harris to 20 years in prison and a $10,000 fine for the July 24 automobile attack on her adulterous husband, David Harris. They deliberated for well over six hours before reaching the decision. With video, photo gallery

[MeekOneGOP]

Please let me know if you want ON or OFF my Clara Harris murder trial ping list!. . .don't be shy.

[dagar]

Disgusting.

[MeekOneGOP]

I could infer a lot from that. What's disgusting?...

[MAWG]

" Disgusting"

Really? Why?

[greccogirl]

I don't care what the law says. Watch, she'll be out in five years. And hubby will be forever dead. Although he didn't deserve to die he was obviously a jerk of major caliber, his own parents wouldn't take his side. Of course the comic figure in all this is the mistress. These women are everywhere. Maybe this will cause some of them to think twice.

[PAR35]

She was married about 10 years, she'll do about 10 years in prison. Sounds about right. She was provoked, but she should not have made his daughter watch.

[MAWG]

" Watch she'll be out in about 5 years."

In Texas, she'll be eligible for parole in 10 years, no sooner. Those convicted of murder typically serve 85% of their sentence and sometimes do 100%

[dogbrain]

I wonder how this would have turned out if the gender roles were reversed?

She needs to do the ENTIRE 20 years, and not an hour less.

[angkor]

I'd say that if you want to run over your spouse repeatedly in a public parking lot, you gotta' pay the piper.

[Cicero]

She reminds me of Eva Peron.

[ofMagog]

Her defense should have been she is a widow...

[69ConvertibleFirebird]

require her to serve half of her assessed sentence before she could become eligible for parole.

I think 10 years mandatory is fair. After all, he was in the middle of cheating on her when she attacked him with her car. As long as she is in for at least the 10 years I'm OK with it.

In the "old" days the punishment for adultery was death... Then again, I think that was the punishment for being a witch too. She seems like a witch.

[dennisw]

Thanks for all your Clara coverage. I'm so glad she wasn't allowed to slide. That's what people were thinking a few months ago.

[Bonaparte]

"She reminds me of Eva Peron."

Cicero, you just hit the jackpot! I knew that stunning performance of hers reminded me of somebody. The whole trial was nothing but a soap opera. They should have hired a violinist during Harris' testimony. The judge lost control of her courtroom and never regained it. Even during sentencing, Harris had no respect at all for the bench's admonitions to remain quiet. She really does deserve an Oscar.

[PAR35]

I don't have any current knowledge, but some years ago in another southern state, the standard sentence was life (eligible for parole in 7) for a standard spousal killing, with most guys serving about 8-10 years if they behaved inside. They would serve longer if the spouse was well connected or if there were aggrevating factors.

Spouse killers were actually considered pretty good parole risks.

[Bonaparte]

"...you gotta' pay the piper."

When the civil trial is concluded, she will have paid everything she owns, has owned or will own. David Harris had a lot of productive years ahead of him, and I don't think his daughter is letting go of this. But Harris can make it all back, even without her dentist's license. As I said, she has a great career ahead of her in Hollywood -- this is, if she can control her homicidal tendencies.

[dogbrain]

...she should "hook-up" with O.J.

[Houmatt]

"Probation -- scratch that," Magness said. However, she also told them to "scratch" a life-in-prison penalty.

Jesus H. Mahogany! She wanted a first degree murder conviction but not the maximum penalty? Does she really think she was representing the People of Texas?

"But it won't stop the Gail Thompson Bridges of the world from doing what they do," Parnham said, referring to the David Harris' mistress.

What a piece of work. This afthole KNOWS the jury did not buy his attempt to pin David Harris's death on his mistress, and he still regurgitates that pabulum. If Mia Magness had half a brain she would have objected the second that came out of his mouth.

[ChemistCat]

I'm so freaked out. This is exactly the sentence I would have imposed. That NEVER happens. (Well, except for one thing. She should spend that 20 years in total debt bondage to the man's daughter. I'm big on restitutive justice.)

He deserved to die, IMHO; the daughter didn't deserve to have to WATCH.