Watson Murder Case - Discussion

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I.....does Australia have a death penalty?

:rofl3:


ummm... that would be a no

but im sure the authorties will feel really really bad about having to put him in jail - we def are a kitty whipped society down here these days
 
Just maybe, maybe, maybe, he is innocent, but has as much faith in the law as I have. In a foreign country which has already found him guilty of murder in the press, informal media, and in the coronial report, he probably doesn't fancy his chances in a trial. The safest way out may be what he is doing. Eighteen months vs 20 years sounds like a no brainer to me. Recently an australian was arrested in Bali and to expedite her release and return home she, likewise, pleaded guilty on the assurance there would be no jail time. I think when you are facing the crap-shoot of a trial, you play the odds and take the risk you are comfortable with. Manslaughter just means he failed to rescue her, not that he actively mudered her with intent eg. pedestrian runs in front of your car you're guilty of manslaughter. The case can't be that good if the prosecutor accepted the plea, he also took the best odds from his point of view. If he was confident of a murder conviction he would have insisted on a trial. There is no absolute truth it's just relative to where you are!
 
JB:
Just maybe, maybe, maybe, he is innocent, but has as much faith in the law as I have. In a foreign country which has already found him guilty of murder in the press, informal media, and in the coronial report, he probably doesn't fancy his chances in a trial. The safest way out may be what he is doing. Eighteen months vs 20 years sounds like a no brainer to me. Recently an australian was arrested in Bali and to expedite her release and return home she, likewise, pleaded guilty on the assurance there would be no jail time. I think when you are facing the crap-shoot of a trial, you play the odds and take the risk you are comfortable with. Manslaughter just means he failed to rescue her, not that he actively mudered her with intent eg. pedestrian runs in front of your car you're guilty of manslaughter. The case can't be that good if the prosecutor accepted the plea, he also took the best odds from his point of view. If he was confident of a murder conviction he would have insisted on a trial. There is no absolute truth it's just relative to where you are!

I guess the problem is the speculation will go on about his reasons for his guilty plea just like they will about his guilt....

If he pleaded guilty that by definition means he is guilty. Motives and speculation aside... Gabe Watson pleaded Guilty to Manslaughter the court accepted that plea so he is GUILTY of MANSLAUGHTER
 
JB:
Recently an australian was arrested in Bali and to expedite her release and return home she, likewise, pleaded guilty on the assurance there would be no jail time. I think when you are facing the crap-shoot of a trial, you play the odds and take the risk you are comfortable with.
Were you on that OJ panel?:D

Just kidding.

I would not equate the Indonesian judicial system with Australia's. Is there reason to believe a fair trial is less likely in Australia than in the United States?
 
The bastard got off easy no matter how you cut it: Manslaughter instead of murder? Come on!?

Ah but they really didn't have enough to prove it... So he gets something and all the media mongers are happy. And since we will never know or hear all the evidence that would have been presented we will never truly know if he is guilty or not. Simply because he pleaded guilty doesn't mean he is in truth... In law - yes but not in truth. We will always wonder. How many others have pleaded guilty because the deck, no matter how wrong, was stacked against them? Lots.
 
There is no question that the best place in the world to be tried is Oz, even if you are found guilty the penalty is minimal, and the gaol conditions better than most. That is guilty of a crime of passion like murder, heaven help you if you steal, then they throw away the keys!!!:D

I think whenever a case has been in the media for so long, and discussed and, just look at this board, everybody thinks "he dun it", it would be difficult to get an impartial jury. The statements have been published and dissected at great length.

I guess to me the world is shades of grey, and not black and white, and this is what makes things difficult.
 
Were you on that OJ panel?:D

Just kidding.

I would not equate the Indonesian judicial system with Australia's. Is there reason to believe a fair trial is less likely in Australia than in the United States?

IMHO None what so ever... If I believe otherwise I need to get out of the country:no:

Ah but they really didn't have enough to prove it... So he gets something and all the media mongers are happy. And since we will never know or hear all the evidence that would have been presented we will never truly know if he is guilty or not. Simply because he pleaded guilty doesn't mean he is in truth... In law - yes but not in truth. We will always wonder. How many others have pleaded guilty because the deck, no matter how wrong, was stacked against them? Lots.

Ah but I don't think we have to evidence to come to that conclusion either:shakehead: you are right we will always wonder and even if there had been a trial unless everyone saw all the evidence (unlikely) they couldn't come to conclusions anyway. Even with a trial people would interpret that evidence according to their own bias so... that is why we have a jury/judge decide.

In the end all that remains is the fact that if someone has been deemed guilty by the court system until or unless that decision is reversed they ARE GUILTY of the OFFENSE listed... nothing more nothing less:popcorn:
 
I've followed this story a bit because he actually lives in my neighborhood. I don't know him, not the same street, don't know the house he lives in, nor have I ever meet anyone who does.

It would be interesting to learn how manslaughter was arrived at. If he did the dasterdly deed he should be hanged by the neck until dead.

Would seem the courts lacked a preponderance of evidence/proof. For him to plead guilty to manslaughter, just to end the saga, doesn't sit right with me.

Bet we never know the truth. Hope I never run into the guy.
 
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