I was part of a jury that just acquitted a guy of manslaughter.

[Mayland]

Self-defense. Also found him not guilty of felony aggravated assault. Hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life.
I don’t know how self-defense laws are writtten in other states, but I’m guessing he would have been found guilty of one or both offenses in other locales.

 

[goldmom]

Deets?

 

[dgordo]

 

[Mayland]

Deets?

I don’t who Deets is, so no. I live in North Dakota.

 

[BonzoFury]

Self-defense. Also found him not guilty of felony aggravated assault. Hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life.
I don’t know how self-defense laws are writtten in other states, but I’m guessing he would have been found guilty of one or both offenses in other locales.

case link?

 

[goldmom]

I don’t who Deets is, so no. I live in North Dakota.

Details…

 

[WadeLookingbill]

Self-defense. Also found him not guilty of felony aggravated assault. Hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life.
I don’t know how self-defense laws are writtten in other states, but I’m guessing he would have been found guilty of one or both offenses in other locales.

Man, that's a tough one to be empaneled on. Nice job fulfilling your civic duty, a lot of people try to squirm out of these responsibilities so credit to you.

 

[Mayland]

case link?

https://www.kxnet.com/news/local-news/details-from-october-minot-shooting-death/amp/
I don’t know if this what you’re looking for, but here’s a story about the case that isn’t behind a paywall.

 

[Mayland]

Man, that's a tough one to be empaneled on. Nice job fulfilling your civic duty, a lot of people try to squirm out of these responsibilities so credit to you.

Thanks. Trial started Monday. We delivered the verdict about an hour ago. I always thought I wanted to serve on a jury, and I’m glad it was an interesting case, but my emotions are at an all time high right now, knowing I set free a guy that took a life. But my conscience is clear because I truly feel like I made my decision based on law and facts.

 

[Whiskeydeltadeltatango]

https://www.kxnet.com/news/local-news/details-from-october-minot-shooting-death/amp/
I don’t know if this what you’re looking for, but here’s a story about the case that isn’t behind a paywall.

The guy came back after leaving and you gave him.self defense.. there has to be more details.

 

[HawkMachine]

I don’t who Deets is, so no. I live in North Dakota.

Think it's Deez brother.

 

[Bonerfarts]

This you?

 

[SoDakHawk]

You were correct on the Not Guilty call. The victim refused to leave his house, guy pulls a gun on him and tells him to leave. Victim goes and gets a friend and comes back to the house, banging on the doors, and aggressively approaches the guy. He stood his ground.

 

[bunsen82]

The guy came back after leaving and you gave him.self defense.. there has to be more details.

Huh, the guy who came back aggresively went after the home owner, and thats when he shot him. It is borderline. But think I would agree as well. Effectively the FAFO situation. Now was the violence higher than the situation required, maybe, but he was 2 to 1, and it is hard to say how in danger he felt.

 

[HawkMachine]

Thanks. Trial started Monday. We delivered the verdict about an hour ago. I always thought I wanted to serve on a jury, and I’m glad it was an interesting case, but my emotions are at an all time high right now, knowing I set free a guy that took a life. But my conscience is clear because I truly feel like I made my decision based on law and facts.

I was also on a jury this year.

Took 6 days.

Extremely difficult/demanding/tense.

We didn't throw the entire book at him but it was a large enough book that I believe he will die in prison.

 

[hawkjt]

The guy came back after leaving and you gave him.self defense.. there has to be more details.

The victim came back w friend and confronted the shooter.
Tough call. Hitting the victim in face w firearm sounds like assault.

Shooter should have called police when they came back.

Nobody should die like this.

 

[Mayland]

The guy came back after leaving and you gave him.self defense.. there has to be more details.

Well of course there’s more details. There was about two days of testimony. I’ll try to summarize best I can.
4 guys, early 20’s are hanging out in a garage changing oil on one of the guy’s cars and smoking pot. The deceased guy’s dog gets loose and he’s chasing him down the alley when he comes across the other guys. Dead guy’s drunk; bac about .18. He’s 34 years old, considerably older than the other guys, and they don’t know each other. At first everybody’s pleasant, dead guy wants to smoke pot with them, other guys say no.
Guy gets super belligerent, threatening to fight. Very clear from security camera footage and testimony that the younger guys repeatedly ask him to leave and state they don’t want to fight. At one point the future shooter hits the uninvited guy with a gun in his hand. Guy leaves and states clearly he’ll be back.
Fast forward about 3 minutes and guy comes back with a buddy. Three of the 4 guys bolt and start running. The shooter comes out of the house with a gun in hand and starts talking with a next door neighbor, an older lady who has come out of the house to see what all the commotion is about. At about that moment, the two older guys converge on the shooter and disappear away from the neighbors view. But she explicitly hears the shooter saying twice he didn’t want to fight. Seconds later she hears, but doesn’t see the shooting.
She calls 911. The dead guys friend stops being aggresssive. The shooter immediately puts the weapon down and tell the neighbor to call 911(which she already has). That’s basically it. I’ll add we couldn’t really see much on the security cameras but could hear evidence.

 

[95Hawk]

What’s the per diem these days? And did you try to manipulate the lunch order so the judge would be forced to host a lunch for you at a fancy restaurant?

 

[SoDakHawk]

Not guilty. Sleep easy tonight.

 

[THE_DEVIL]

Think it's Deez brother.

He goes by the name Nuts

 

[bunsen82]

Well of course there’s more details. There was about two days of testimony. I’ll try to summarize best I can.
4 guys, early 20’s are hanging out in a garage changing oil on one of the guy’s cars and smoking pot. The deceased guy’s dog gets loose and he’s chasing him down the alley when he comes across the other guys. Dead guy’s drunk; bac about .18. He’s 34 years old, considerably older than the other guys, and they don’t know each other. At first everybody’s pleasant, dead guy wants to smoke pot with them, other guys say no.
Guy gets super belligerent, threatening to fight. Very clear from security camera footage and testimony that the younger guys repeatedly ask him to leave and state they don’t want to fight. At one point the future shooter hits the uninvited guy with a gun in his hand. Guy leaves and states clearly he’ll be back.
Fast forward about 3 minutes and guy comes back with a buddy. Three of the 4 guys bolt and start running. The shooter comes out of the house with a gun in hand and starts talking with a next door neighbor, an older lady who has come out of the house to see what all the commotion is about. At about that moment, the two older guys converge on the shooter and disappear away from the neighbors view. But she explicitly hears the shooter saying twice he didn’t want to fight. Seconds later she hears, but doesn’t see the shooting.
She calls 911. The dead guys friend stops being aggresssive. The shooter immediately puts the weapon down and tell the neighbor to call 911(which she already has). That’s basically it. I’ll add we couldn’t really see much on the security cameras but could hear evidence.

Its a borderline case, but yes I think you made the right decision likely based on the applicable laws.

 

[Bro D]

I was on a jury late last year and was the foreman and we decided not guilty for a guy charged with some bullshit. Anyway, he robbed a ton of people a few months ago and is in prison /csb

 

[Mayland]

The victim came back w friend and confronted the shooter.
Tough call. Hitting the victim in face w firearm sounds like assault.

Shooter should have called police when they came back.

Nobody should die like this.

Yep. There was a lot we struggled with, primarily hitting the guy with the firearm. Before we deliberated I was ready to return a guilty verdict on the felony aggravated assault. But after reviewing North Dakota statute, I just couldn’t do it. I should add I was jury leader. First roll I think about 8 of us were non-guilty two or three were guilty and one or two were really struggling. We talked about this for about three hours. Went home and deliverated on the manslaughter today. I think the facts and evidence were clearer for a not guilty decision on the manslaughter, but we deliberated for about 4 hours, I think just because of the seriousness of what we were deciding.
The never thought this would affect me the way it did. I’ll struggle with it for awhile probably.

 

[Mayland]

What’s the per diem these days? And did you try to manipulate the lunch order so the judge would be forced to host a lunch for you at a fancy restaurant?

$100/day plus mileage. Pizza for lunch today. Other days lunch was on our own.

 

[Carolina. Hawk]

Victim came back looking for trouble and found some trouble.

 

[Mayland]

I was on a jury late last year and was the foreman and we decided not guilty for a guy charged with some bullshit. Anyway, he robbed a ton of people a few months ago and is in prison /csb

I feel like that may be in store for this guy. If he would have been on trial for being a shitbag, it would have taken us 30 seconds to find him guilty.

 

[Mayland]

One thing I did come away with is a belief in the American judicial system. It may not be perfect but it works really well.

 

[DeangeloVickers]

Why not Minot? I'll add this story to the list reasons.
I've spent a fair amount of time in Minot and each time I left I hoped I would never be back.
You did the right thing OP, that's self defense... though shooting him was probably extreme. He probably could have just as easy gone in the house and called the cops.

 

[HawkMachine]

He goes by the name Nuts

 

[Mayland]

It was also interesting for me to learn the definitions of self-defense, excessive/deadly force, and trespassing. They were all slightly different ( in the eyes of the law) than what I would have guessed.

 

[TennNole17]

Are you allowed to be discussing case now? I genuinely don't know

 

[HawkMachine]

Why not Minot?

Air Force by chance?

Really the only reason to live there if you ask me.

 

[Mayland]

Why not Minot? I'll add this story to the list reasons.
I've spent a fair amount of time in Minot and each time I left I hoped I would never be back.
You did the right thing OP, that's self defense... though shooting him was probably extreme. He probably could have just as easy gone in the house and called the cops.

Minot’s pretty safe. I’ve never felt uncomfortable, but I tend to avoid situations like this.

 

[JMNSHO]

I saw a community theater production of 12 Angry Men last month. It was really good. Have you ever seen it OP?

 

[Mayland]

Air Force by chance?

Really the only reason to live there if you ask me.

Basically born and raised. Have also lived in Fargo and spent three years in Iowa (that’s how I found this board) attending graduate school at ISU.

 

[Whiskeydeltadeltatango]

Huh, the guy who came back aggresively went after the home owner, and thats when he shot him. It is borderline. But think I would agree as well. Effectively the FAFO situation. Now was the violence higher than the situation required, maybe, but he was 2 to 1, and it is hard to say how in danger he felt.

I read it as the guy who got pistol whipped came back and shot the homeowner.

That's why it didn't make sense.

 

[Jerome Silberman]

I don’t who Deets is, so no. I live in North Dakota.

Joshua Deets. He was a former Texas Ranger that served as a tracker for the Hat Creek Cattle Company.

 

[Mayland]

I saw a community theater production of 12 Angry Men last month. It was really good. Have you ever seen it OP?

Yep. Was thinking about that movie while we were deliberating. People on the jury were great. Very respectful and thoughtful and willing to listen to facts and evidence, while trying not to let emotions cloud judgment.

 

[millah_22]

Yep. There was a lot we struggled with, primarily hitting the guy with the firearm. Before we deliberated I was ready to return a guilty verdict on the felony aggravated assault. But after reviewing North Dakota statute, I just couldn’t do it. I should add it was jury leader. First roll I think about 8 of us were non-guilty two or three were guilty and one or two were really struggling. We talked about this for about three hours. Went home and deliverated on the manslaughter today. I think the facts and evidence were clearer for a not guilty decision on the manslaughter, but we deliberated for about 4 hours, I think just because of the seriousness of what we were deciding.
The never thought this would affect me the way it did. I’ll struggle with it for awhile probably.

It's okay to get therapy.

 

[Mayland]

It's okay to get therapy.

My conscience is clear. I’ll be fine, emotions just running a little high right now.