Comments on: Trial begins in the worst mass-murder in Indianapolis history: I’ll be your guide http://trueslant.com/austinconsidine/2009/10/12/trial-begins-in-the-worst-mass-murder-in-indianapolis-history-ill-be-your-guide/ Death, life and the anatomy of the changing heartland Wed, 05 Oct 2011 09:10:39 -0400 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Steve Weinberg http://trueslant.com/austinconsidine/2009/10/12/trial-begins-in-the-worst-mass-murder-in-indianapolis-history-ill-be-your-guide/comment-page-1/#comment-641 Steve Weinberg Tue, 13 Oct 2009 11:31:42 +0000 http://trueslant.com/austinconsidine/?p=3237#comment-641 From a geographical distance, I cannot discern whether the defendants might be innocent. Because I write about wrongful convictions on my T/S blog, naturally the question of actual innocence enters my thinking as I read some of the phrasing in Mr. Considine's account. I hope that he and Indianapolis journalists are carefully examining, through investigations independent of the police and prosecutors, what might be dubious eyewitness accounts. I also wonder about the world view of the judge in the case. Sometimes a judge-only trial results in greater truthtelling than a trial with a jury. But if the judge is reflexively pro-prosecution (or, less likely, reflexively pro-defense), then the outcome desired by society--justice--might be difficult to achieve. From a geographical distance, I cannot discern whether the defendants might be innocent. Because I write about wrongful convictions on my T/S blog, naturally the question of actual innocence enters my thinking as I read some of the phrasing in Mr. Considine’s account. I hope that he and Indianapolis journalists are carefully examining, through investigations independent of the police and prosecutors, what might be dubious eyewitness accounts. I also wonder about the world view of the judge in the case. Sometimes a judge-only trial results in greater truthtelling than a trial with a jury. But if the judge is reflexively pro-prosecution (or, less likely, reflexively pro-defense), then the outcome desired by society–justice–might be difficult to achieve.

]]> By: Brian In NYC http://trueslant.com/austinconsidine/2009/10/12/trial-begins-in-the-worst-mass-murder-in-indianapolis-history-ill-be-your-guide/comment-page-1/#comment-639 Brian In NYC Tue, 13 Oct 2009 01:30:45 +0000 http://trueslant.com/austinconsidine/?p=3237#comment-639 Keep us posted Austin, shit like this fascinates me. Keep us posted Austin, shit like this fascinates me.

]]> By: Bob Cook http://trueslant.com/austinconsidine/2009/10/12/trial-begins-in-the-worst-mass-murder-in-indianapolis-history-ill-be-your-guide/comment-page-1/#comment-637 Bob Cook Mon, 12 Oct 2009 14:28:50 +0000 http://trueslant.com/austinconsidine/?p=3237#comment-637 Thanks for following this. I'll be interested to see how things go. One interesting subplot will be Brizzi himself. A notorious self-promoter, Brizzi is now the subject of a disciplinary complaint with the Indiana Supreme Court's Disciplinary Commission for comments he made about two cases, including the Hamilton Avenue killings, that the commission said went beyond his duty to inform the public of charges filed. http://www.indystar.com/article/20091008/LOCAL18/910080469 Brizzi responded by saying he put himself -- no joke -- "in a bit of a pickle," and that the timing of the charges was "suspicious" given the start of the trial. No mind that his Hamilton Avenue statements were made in 2006, so the commission has taken a while to get to him. And then one of the family members of those killed is saying that Brizzi lied when he said publicly he consulted the families before deciding not to seek the death penalty -- and that two deputy prosecutors asked the family not to say it's changed its mind about wanting the death penalty. http://www.fox59.com/wxin-hamilton-ave-murder-folo-093009,0,4029886.story Thanks for following this. I’ll be interested to see how things go. One interesting subplot will be Brizzi himself. A notorious self-promoter, Brizzi is now the subject of a disciplinary complaint with the Indiana Supreme Court’s Disciplinary Commission for comments he made about two cases, including the Hamilton Avenue killings, that the commission said went beyond his duty to inform the public of charges filed.

http://www.indystar.com/article/20091008/LOCAL18/910080469

Brizzi responded by saying he put himself — no joke — “in a bit of a pickle,” and that the timing of the charges was “suspicious” given the start of the trial. No mind that his Hamilton Avenue statements were made in 2006, so the commission has taken a while to get to him.

And then one of the family members of those killed is saying that Brizzi lied when he said publicly he consulted the families before deciding not to seek the death penalty — and that two deputy prosecutors asked the family not to say it’s changed its mind about wanting the death penalty.

http://www.fox59.com/wxin-hamilton-ave-murder-folo-093009,0,4029886.story

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