BREAKING: Oscar Pistorious convicted of murder as prosecutor's appeal is granted

[Are_grits_groceries]

Last edited Thu Dec 3, 2015, 05:36 AM - Edit history (1)

#BREAKING: Supreme Court of South Africa convicts former Olympic athlete Oscar Pistorius of murder - ABC News Australia

He has to return to court to be resentenced.

[Liberal_in_LA]

1. Good

[busterbrown]

2. Great news..

May he rot there...

[bravenak]

3. Good!

[Kalidurga]

4. They don't have double jeopardy there?

Not that it makes me sad he was convicted, he should have been convicted at trial. The only reason I can see that he didn't is his star power. Try that terrible defense if you have no money and people will think you are trying to pull their leg and you go to jail.

[darkangel218]

5. Wow.. How is that possible?

They don't have the "double jeopardy" law?

[CBGLuthier]

6. They do have double jeopardy protection, but the judge ruled they are appealing based on her

interpretation of the law. Seems they can do that claiming the judge made a reversible error.




Masipa agreed with the prosecutors that the verdict was based on her interpretation of law. An appeal can only be granted on a question of law rather than fact.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/mar/13/oscar-pistorius-challenge-against-state-appeal-thrown-out

[darkangel218]

7. Ha that is so weird.

Thanks for explaining.

[CBGLuthier]

8. I was curious about it too.

The only way they could do that in the US is if they can prove that jeopardy was never attached because of jury tampering or bribing a judge or some such thing.

[darkangel218]

9. Thats true. I guess there are loopholes around the double jeopardy too.

I personally think its unfair they can so easily decide to re trial and up the charges.

Could they up the charges here as well, with the existing loop holes?

[bettyellen]

11. they would have to retry under other charges.... which is a possibility here, but the judges say

it is a waste of time considering the evidence has not changed.
They say the first judge got hung up on whether or not the prosecution proved that they fought, and it was the "intent" to kill "her" wasn't proved. New judges say who was shot snd them fighting doesn't matter, the bathroom was so tiny he gambled on killing whoever was in there. And he was not threatened or defending himself, so he had no right to do that.
Basically, it is not Florida.

[malaise]

10. This is a very important decision

in terms of race and violence against women.

[KamaAina]

15. Race?

Both Pistorius and the late Ms. Steenkamp are/were white.

[malaise]

16. Then you miss how people felt about him getting off virtually scot free n/t

[KamaAina]

17. Oh, right.

I'd forgotten about that.

[beam me up scottie]

12. Fan-fucking-tastic.

I hope they throw the book at him, that sentence was a slap on the wrist for a murderer.

The best news I've heard all week.

[Dorian Gray]

13. Can't say I'm sad for him

He's a murdering scumbag.

But I do find that the prosecution can appeal the decision in a case like this troubling. I'm glad it wouldn't likely happen in the US.

[COLGATE4]

14. The wheels of Justice grind exceedingly slowly

but exceedingly fine. Good.

[Blue_Tires]

18. Guess there's a lot I don't know about SA laws...

didn't even know it was possible?

[smirkymonkey]

19. Good, hopefully this will finally wipe that obnoxious smirk off his face.

I hope he rots in prison.