Witty_Username

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Personally, I seriously doubt that John Thune was telling the truth when he claimed to have had a 20-minute conversation with McConnell. I mean, we haven't heard a peep from MM in almost a month. The wife ran off to China, and the daughter took down all of her social media accounts. Doesn't exactly sound like he's recuperating nicely to me.

If Thune is lying, it's just one more indication of how corrupt our system really is.

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What is the deal with speaking for a very specific 20 minutes? Barrasso, Jennings, & Thune have all claimed to have spoken to McConnell for 20 minutes. Weird.

This is the next generation of the below picture. Why steal grandmamma's car when I can get a driverless car to drive me around?

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Sources tell WDSU that members of the empaneled grand jury initiated the grand jury investigation themselves, which is highly uncommon but legal.

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I asked Gemini to explain this. Below is what it came up with.

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There is actually a common misconception here: Louisiana law does not have a provision that allows citizens to empanel their own grand jury through a signature petition.

?In Louisiana, the power to convene or request a grand jury rests strictly with the state's judicial and prosecutorial branches. Under Louisiana Code of Criminal Procedure Article 437, a grand jury is automatically impaneled by the court in each parish to inquire into capital offenses. Additionally, the court will order further investigations or empanel additional grand juries (Art. 415.1) only when requested by the District Attorney or ordered directly by the court itself.

While a private citizen in Louisiana has the right to approach an existing grand jury or the District Attorney to request an investigation into a crime, they cannot bypass them to force one into existence.

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If the above is true, I'd like to know what private citizen approached the existing empaneled jury.

I'm intrigued to know his succession plan.

I received over $10,000 in premium a few days ago for putting 100 shares of NBIS and 500 shares of OUST up for sale.

How do you handle the income tax burden on this?

Right now I'm going with Misti Cordell. I don't know much of anything about Gabe Firment, but I'm definitely a hard no on Echols & Cathey.

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5'9 130; you're gonna have some issues.

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The booking information has proven that claim to be inaccurate. He is 5'9", but he weighs 157 pounds; not 130. Still not huge, but that's a 20% discrepancy.

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When a white person shoots them for doing this, it will set off another wave of bullshite.

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In both of these videos, a person slaps or shoves someone else who is sitting on the ground. However the person that gets slapped or shoved does not fight back...nor do they stab the slapper/shover in the heart.

Assistant DA on sudden passion argument:

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Assistant District Attorney Dewey Mitchell spoke to the jury regarding the prosecution's position on the sudden passion argument.

"Something unique happened when we were all in that big room," Mitchell said, referring to the courtroom. "There was this sense of a bunch of people just wanting justice to be done. Y'all are the product of that. To me, it felt like a community."

Mitchell spoke about how, during the trial on Thursday, witnesses described Karmelo as a son, a student, etc. He reminded the jury that Austin Metcalf was also a son, a brother, and "the type of man who believed in people."

He mentioned that Austin was "full of testosterone... a big guy... and oh, that didn't apply to [Karmelo Anthony."

Mitchell told the jury that the defense will talk about Karmelo's age in their arguments, and he urged the jury to consider Austin's age as well.

"Nothing you do with your verdict, no matter what it is, nothing will take more from Karmelo and his family than he took from the Metcalfs," Mitchell said. He explained that Austin will never get to meet the love of his life, hold his graduation plaque, or have children.

The jury was shown photos from the track meet showing coaches performing CPR on Austin on the day of the stabbing.

According to NBC 5's Maria Guerrero, Austin Metcalf's mother was seen weeping in the courtroom. Other members of the public on the Metcalfs' side of the courtroom were also seen crying.

"This is not about vengeance," Mitchell said. "It's not about leniency, either."

"In Collin County, what's the price of taking a life?" Mitchell asked.

"There are going to be bleachers at stadiums in Collin County where parents are going to watch their kids play. One of the reasons we're in the community we live in is because we feel safe," Mitchell said.

"By giving a fair justice verdict, my prayer is that's how we find healing," Mitchell said.

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Defense's argument:

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Following Mitchell's statement, Mike Howard spoke to the jury regarding sudden passion.

"I cannot, will not, stand here and say what the right verdict is," Howard said.

"I have stood here in front of many juries in my career," Howard said. "Some big, some small, and I've had this conversation many times. It's never easy for me."

"I couldn't begin to tell you what the right thing to do is in this moment," Howard said. "You will know that in your own hearts."

He reminded the jury that the court respects their verdict and their role. Karmelo Anthony was seen crying in the courtroom as Howard spoke.

"Anyone who stands up here and tells you puts a number clearly doesn't understand how hard your job is," Howard said, referring to the jury's role in determining how long Anthony will spend in prison.

"I can only ask you to consider both sides, follow your heart, and follow the law," Howard said.

Howard then defined sudden passion, explaining that it is an emotion, a feeling, that is directly caused by provocation by the individual killed or others being killed at the time of the offense.

"Sudden passion doesn't mean blaming Austin or Hunter or any of those Memorial kids under that tent," Howard said. "This is not about blaming a victim."

"Decisions made in the heat of the moment are different than decisions that come after reflection," Howard explained to the jury.

"So when something happens... Austin, Hunter, the kids under the tent... when that happens, and you believe that Karmelo felt terror in that moment such that it rendered his mind incapable that he didn't have time for cool reflection, then sudden passion applies," Howard explained.

"You don't have to be sure of sudden passion, okay?" Howard said.

"I think the video helps really show that because for all this talk about what happened, at the end of the day, that video was mere seconds," Howard said, referring to the video of the altercation at the track meet. "There was a buildup, sure. But then a moment where everything happened in mere seconds."

"I ask you to consider both sides, yes, the Metcalfs have been irrevocably changed by this, and all of our hearts go out to them," Howard said, "The Anthony's too. There are innocent people on both sides who have lost significantly."

"Thank you for doing your duty," Howard said. "I'm going to agree with Mr. Mitchell, in that healing is needed, and you guys are going to decide what that is."

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However, there is only one party that is guilty.

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The prosecutor pointing out that manslaughter isn’t on the table unless murder reached an acquittal (unanimous not guilty) makes this harder to pull off.

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What happens if all the jurors think he's guilty, but they can't agree on murder or manslaughter?