Archive for July 6th, 2010

Truckin’, got my chips cashed in…

Tuesday, July 6th, 2010

I’m seriously tempted to steal borrow Jay G.’s “Play Stupid Games, Win Stupid Prizes” tag.

In addition to the Satan worshiping Mr. Davis, we have a story out of Houston today. It appears that a truck driver jumped out of the cab of his truck on a major local freeway. The initial reports were rather mysterious; how and why did he get out of the cab and onto the freeway, anyway?

According to the gentleman’s business partner, it appears the gentleman in question intended to crash his truck into an overpass column, and then planned to file a fraudulent claim on his insurance for the truck. The business partner appears to have been aware of this, as he was following behind the truck in a SUV, and stopped the truck after the driver jumped out.

And what of the driver? “The man died when he slammed onto the pavement…”

Question: I believe insurance fraud is a felony. Since the business partner was aware of, and from what the article says, an active participant in the plan, could he be charged under the felony murder rule?

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Statesman Eye for the Killer Guy (part 2).

Tuesday, July 6th, 2010

Irving Davis is appealing his death sentence again.

Mr. Davis was convicted in 2007 of killing a 15-year old girl and sentenced to death. However, that sentence was thrown out, and Mr. Davis got a new sentencing hearing. He’s upset because, during that hearing, the prosecution brought up his religion. Mr. Davis feels that this unfairly infringes on his right to freely exercise his religion, as well as prejudicing the jurors against him. The prosecution argues that it was okay to introduce this evidence in order to refute claims by the defense that Mr. Davis was “nothing but a pacifist” while on Death Row; and anyway, if it’s appropriate to introduce affiliations with violent gangs, why isn’t it appropriate to introduce religious affiliations? Especially if the religion in question “condones and encourages human sacrifice and other illegal acts.”

Oh, by the way, the particular religion Mr. Davis has chosen to practice is Satanism.

Jurors were shown, over defense objections, Davis’ drawings depicting satanic symbols, books removed from his cell that included “The Satanic Bible” and a pentagram tattoo on his chest. Prosecutors also introduced a grievance form that showed Davis complaining about being denied a gong, candles, chalice, black robes, a vial of blood and other items he said were needed to practice his religion.

What, no goat?

Posted in Clippings, Law | Comments Closed