OAKLAND

The jury also found that Mehserle, a Napa County resident, had used a gun during the crime. However, Judge Robert Perry threw out the gun conviction today, saying it was not supported by the evidence.

"the law is where facts go to die" - Steve Aylett

Good to know that institutional racism is alive and well in 2010.

They did him no favors with that sentence. The man is pretty much a walking target.

I wonder what the judge thinks Mehserle killed Grant with? candlestick? lead pipe? kindness?

+ credit for time served, which is?????

maybe Grant's head just spontaneously exploded all by itself

it means the dude will be out in a few months

The jury also found that Mehserle, a Napa County resident, had used a gun during the crime. However, Judge Robert Perry threw out the gun conviction today, saying it was not supported by the evidence.

"the law is where facts go to die" - Steve Aylett

― the Whiney G. Weingarten Memorial 77 Clique (Shakey Mo Collier), Friday, November 5, 2010 8:52 PM (12 minutes ago) Bookmark

this is slightly-imprecise reporting. the gun enhancement was thrown out, because in its formulation is included an assumption of INTENTIONAL USE, the question of which is sorta the crux of this entire thing.

people gathering right now downtown for rally (as heard from my open window on 6th floor @ 14th and broadway), but no sign of danger or anything.

so the jury basically issued contradictory verdicts. way to go Los Angeles

That gun conviction should only matter in degrees of murder 1st-3rd. In involuntary manslaughter, intent is of no matter so the jury fucked up in the initial sentencing afaic.

maybe Grant's head just spontaneously exploded all by itself

i know you were joking, but he got shot in the back. nobody's head 'sploded.

maybe mehserle should have gotten more time for being a moron, but whatever. i never bought that he was some kind of deranged homicidal maniac. i'm inclined to believe he shot the wrong weapon simply because shooting someone with a gun at that kind of close range, at that angle, right into that kind of surface, is extremely dangerous to yourself and everyone around you. seems more likely to me that he was scared stupid and poorly trained. i have no doubt that if the victim had been white, he would have gotten a lot more time and that really sucks.

Judge said that it was his muscle memory that led him to do the shooting. So actually, he was so WELL TRAINED to use that gun that he couldn't not draw it and fire it into Grant's back.

i don't understand why this sentence was a surprise to anyone.

Unsurprised, still dismayed.

The kid was restrained, was he not? why would there be any need for a weapon of ANY kind to go off? He intentionally pulled a weapon on a restrained man, then executed him. Intentional or not, someone's child is dead because of poor training/stupididty or whatever and he should have to suffer the full consequences of said action...cop or not. Not surprised by the verdict, but this is still very disgusting and we shouldn't be so jaded as to brush this off as business as usual. People have served more time for harming animals (Michael Vick, anyone?).

i have no doubt that if the victim had been white, he would have gotten a lot more time and that really sucks.

this is the real issue

who knows, maybe if the victim had been white, he wouldn't have shot him - though the thing is, the gun enhancement, as mentioned upthread, didn't make sense. the fact that mehserle is gonna do any kind of time for this is some kind of accomplishment. i was under the impression that historically, a guy like mehserle wouldn't have gotten any time at all.

he fact that mehserle is gonna do any kind of time for this is some kind of accomplishment. i was under the impression that historically, a guy like mehserle wouldn't have gotten any time at all.

^this.. not that it is much comfort

Spinspin: i read earlier today in an SF Chron article that it was some kind of common misnomer that he was cuffed/restrained

"After careful analysis of the video, it is clear that both Grant's hands were behind his back, a position hands are commonly placed in by police officers in order to handcuff individuals," the Oakland police filing said. It concluded that Grant had been "restrained and unarmed" when he was shot.

Whoa, Jean Quan is in the lead in the Oakland mayoral race! Ranked balloting, I KISS YOU.

I saw that race as Corrupt vs. Clueless vs. Kaplan

this fucking guy

it's cool; he "did his best"!

One man's life was needlessly taken, a second man's life and career were devastated. Nothing this court can do or say can remedy the harm that came from that tragic incident.

way to man up, bro

I saw that race as Corrupt vs. Clueless vs. Kaplan

Yeah, I voted for Kaplan too, but Perata as mayor would've been so gross.

ahhhh i see how the math works now: one black life is worth one devestated white career + a year in the can.

Cowardly_Racist

1:17 PM on November 17, 2010

If I had made such a deadly mistake, I know I'd be beside myself.
Mehserle has shown all the emotion of Barry Bonds in court.

"the court finds that no reasonable trier of fact could have concluded that Mehserle intended to fire his gun"

because it's not reasonable to think that a man who stepped back, drew his gun (while having trouble getting it out of the holster) and then fired it at an unarmed restrained man ever intended to do so? pretty sure that when you pull a trigger on a gun you are intending to fire said gun. wmlynch finds the court to be a complete fucking idiot.

no you don't understand, he thought the gun was a banana! "oops! my bad"

it's all so clear now

wouldn't be surprised if bart cops were equipped with food to patrol food-free bart.

Mehserle = 2 years

lame

― the Whiney G. Weingarten Memorial 77 Clique (Shakey Mo Collier), Friday, November 5, 2010 1:42 PM (6 months ago)

He'll be out in 2 weeks:
http://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2011/05/31/mehserle-to-be-released-after-11-monts-in-prison/

amazing.

oh well, it's not like, if Oakland riots, anyone will be able to tell the difference.

oh well, it's not like, if Oakland riots, anyone will be able to tell the difference.

― akm, Tuesday, May 31, 2011 8:39 PM (40 minutes ago)

Dude, the previous riots were in my neighborhood. The difference was quite noticeable. It's been almost a year, and I'm still kinda pissed off.

http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/255702_2035024630723_1097417438_2415145_7975363_n.jpg

just an innocent dead black guy, no big deal

oh well, it's not like, if Oakland riots, anyone will be able to tell the difference.

fuck you?

Doesn't AKM live in our fair Oakland?

Apologies if that's the case

buying a house in Berkeley for the good school district last i recall

dead black man = http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/06/28/MN281K3NTO.DTL&tsp=1.3 million

what a deal!

The settlement with Wanda Johnson, which includes no admission of fault by BART or any of the officers she sued

he fell on the bullet iirc

OPD so corrupt and fucked up, the feds threaten to take over

Police Chief resigns...

His announcement comes a week after U.S. District Court Judge Thelton Henderson warned Oakland officials that the city has failed to meet the terms of a consent decree to reform the department in the wake the "Riders" scandal, in which several officers were charged with beating or framing drug suspects in West Oakland in 2000. As a result, the judge said the city faces court intervention that could amount to a finding of contempt or a takeover by federal receivership.

"Although the Court hopes that Defendants are able to turn this tide in the next several months without further judicial intervention, it remains prepared to take appropriate further corrective action if necessary," Henderson said in the proceeding last week.

actually Batts was pretty competent. A lot of that court-mandated stuff is bureaucratic, and has hamstrung OPD by requiring a larger number of officers to work desk jobs.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bytMNoKNeRA

http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/wed-october-26-2011/parks-and-demonstration---oakland-riot

Andrew commented | 52 minutes ago

**** you, Stewart! - A's fans

http://sfist.com/2012/01/31/aquapy_lake_merritt_returns_with_ti.php

i am very possibly moving to oakland for a few months. would def appreciate any decent quotes on rent prices. i'm looking for a shared house on the cheap in a neighborhood that's at least like a 2.5/10 on the safety scale, and i'm trying to avoid any gentrificationy situations. i am pretty broke all the time. friend of a friend who lives there says he works one day a week as a waiter and has no trouble paying for rent/groceries but we don't believe him.

Check out Crimespotting for a general idea of what you're getting yourself into:

http://oakland.crimespotting.org