Author Topic: Dylan Roof to act as own attorney in Charleston church shooting trial  (Read 698 times)

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Offline TomSea

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Dylan Roof to act as own attorney in Charleston church shooting trial

By The Associated Press

Posted: 11/28/16, 2:25 PM EST | Updated: 1 day ago


CHARLESTON, S.C. >> A judge has allowed the white man accused of fatally shooting nine black parishioners in a Charleston church last year to defend himself as jury selection continues.

U.S District Judge Richard Gergel on Monday reluctantly approved what he called Roof’s “unwise” request. Roof, 22, is charged with hate crimes, obstruction of religion and other counts in the June 17, 2015, shootings at Emanuel AME Church. It’s the first of two death-penalty trials Roof faces stemming from the shootings. A look at what the coming weeks will bring:

Acting As His Own Lawyer

Roof’s decision to be his own attorney followed a three-week psychological exam and a hearing to determine his competence to stand trial. It also came just before the individual questioning of jurors was set to begin.

Read More At: http://www.middletownpress.com/article/MI/20161128/NEWS/161129664

Offline TomSea

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Re: Dylan Roof to act as own attorney in Charleston church shooting trial
« Reply #1 on: November 30, 2016, 06:03:25 pm »
Rather crazy that this person who committed such a horror is aiding in juror picks and defending himself.

Offline truth_seeker

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Re: Dylan Roof to act as own attorney in Charleston church shooting trial
« Reply #2 on: November 30, 2016, 06:28:57 pm »

Very likely he hopes to have a podium from which to espouse his racist beliefs.

And expect the judge to shut that crap down.
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Offline Fishrrman

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Re: Dylan Roof to act as own attorney in Charleston church shooting trial
« Reply #3 on: December 01, 2016, 02:56:02 am »
He'll lose.

And then have an easy path to an appeal, and possibly another trial.

Offline The_Reader_David

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Re: Dylan Roof to act as own attorney in Charleston church shooting trial
« Reply #4 on: December 01, 2016, 02:58:13 am »
There's an old lawyer's saying that whoever represents himself in court has a fool for a client.
And when they behead your own people in the wars which are to come, then you will know what this was all about.

Offline Smokin Joe

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Re: Dylan Roof to act as own attorney in Charleston church shooting trial
« Reply #5 on: December 01, 2016, 08:56:11 am »
There's an old lawyer's saying that whoever represents himself in court has a fool for a client.
All he has to do is say someone would have to be crazy to represent themselves in such a trial, and appeal his mental competence ruling...
How God must weep at humans' folly! Stand fast! God knows what he is doing!
Seventeen Techniques for Truth Suppression

Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It would be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron's cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end for they do so with the approval of their own conscience.

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Offline Applewood

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Re: Dylan Roof to act as own attorney in Charleston church shooting trial
« Reply #6 on: December 01, 2016, 12:29:16 pm »
Very likely he hopes to have a podium from which to espouse his racist beliefs.

And expect the judge to shut that crap down.

Depends on the judge.  My formee boss defwnded against a civil case brought by a guy who represented himself.  The litigant's case largely consisted of him droning on and on about all sorts of things, mostly unrelated to his claim, and the repeated filing of voluminous motions, most of which were denied.   Tye case should have been over in 3 to 5 days.  It dragged on for months.  The boss complained, but the judge was willing  to grant the plaintiff plenty of latitude, no doubt to stave off any future complaint that he was unfair to the plaintiff. 

All I know is when the case was finally over, my boss packed up his family and went on a 3 week vacation.   He deserved it.