Grateful Dead

it is huge progress that the jury convicted on something that carried prison time, would stand up under appeal, and added the firearms enhancement which at least doubles the sentence. This is essentially without precedent. I would expect Oscar Grant's mother to say what she said, but she was not speaking from knowledge of the law (and also the family has been coopted by some really sleazeball opportunists as well, which was only to be expected). As the law is written, I do not think her son was murdered. For one thing I don't think Mehserle is bright enough to form intent. I also believe his shock in the video. He is stupid and ill-trained (the latter much attested to in the trial) and that goes bad very quickly in a volatile situation when your work culture involves pushing people around (and yes, I find a culture that rewards pushing people around reprehensible). To convict on any of the higher charges they would have had to essentially prove intent, and based on the videos and testimony, that would have been very difficult as the versions varied wildly. It is far better for Mehserle to go down on charges that stick and send a message that this shit carries painful consequences than to have a smart lawyer get him off because he could convince an appeals court the jury was overreaching. Also, what is not clear to non-locals was that this was not the Oakland PD. Not that the OPD doesn't have issues, but it wouldn't have hired Mehserle on a bet. This was the transit police, which tends to attract power-tripping police wannabes no reputable PD would have as a gift. (Another BART cop Tased some loser for jumping a fare gate the other week. That didn't play too well either.) I've seen a great many rants online blaming the OPD for this, but this ain't their crime.

British Petroleum, or Beelzebub's Partner? Ain't no friend of mine. Plug the damn hole, please.

You think it is progress that the jury convicted on a lesser charge? Because they haven't convicted a cop of anything in the last 15 years? I know you live in Oakland and I understand that locals should know better than anybody else. But, this is not a brave jury making an historic judgment here. This is a savvy prosecutor maneuvering for a conviction. Better than nothing but not justice for the mother of that man. I disagree with violence in any form, including property damage that scoundrels do in these kind of events. There should be an avenue for these people to channel their protests but there is no way for them to be heard unless they resort to something like this. Oakland knows what happens to the leaders of black people. The Dead did a benefit at the Oakland Aud.for the Black Panthers in 1970 or thereabouts. I guess you may be right from a longer term perspective but I'll wait till I see a trend before declaring victory.

You have to realize that this takes place against a backdrop of there being no known case for the last 15 years in which cops were brought up on murder charges and any of them was convicted of jack. This is the first instance I'm aware of in which a jury, and an L.A. jury at that, didn't just say, he's a cop, give him a pass. I'm really impressed with the judge and the jury on this case. The jury convicted him of manslaughter, to which he should have manned up and pled in the first place of course. AND they added a firearms enhancement which should at least double Mehserle's time. And they delivered a verdict on very solid ground that's unlikely to be reversed on appeal. Moreover, it will be invaluable to the Grants in their wrongful death lawsuit. In the world we live in, this verdict is an historic breakthrough of epic proportions, however much people who come into Oakland to seize the moment to loot stores may disagree.

...were because a transit cop shot a bound black man dead at point blank range. The man was facing down on his stomach with his hands tied behind his back. The transit cop said he was going for his taser but pulled his gun instead. 80 people were arrested in Oakland last night for setting fire to shops and cars, there was sporadic looting. The insurrection started when the verdict was announced in LA yesterday: Involuntary manslaughter. The victim's mother could be heard on the news forcefully stating three times "My son was murdered!". Sometimes the public jumps to conclusions based on cell phone footage or some such but in this case we have the conclusion of a full jury trial of a cop-killing of an unarmed black man, bound, face down on the platform. What need is there for the cop to tase the guy in this position, never mind shoot and kill him? The error here is so egregious in so many ways that it was bound to provoke such a reaction. " ...can't we all just get along? Rodney King

Welcome to the USA, Bob! Postage for the next vine package ought to be cheaper. Michigan jam....

and when did this happen??...wow...i HAVE been out of touch!!!

Telling other people they can't have what we've got is bad behavior.

First, I'll state that the world needs nuclear weapons about as much as it needs a black hole at the core of the planet. Get rid of them all, period, no exceptions. NO EXCEPTIONS! But, it does make me insane at times that we (the US "we", and others, but especially the only country that's actually used them as weapons) have the audacity to insist, for example, that Iran should not develop such a weapon. It's the right thing to put a stop to nuclear weapon proliferation...but the wrong thing to say, well, "It's ok for us to have them, but not you!" That huge disconnect between what we say and what we do just makes me shake, gnash my teeth, and pull out what little hair I have left. Damn, I think I just knocked out a filling!

He packed up and moved-having never been there before in his life! Kudos to Bob the Brave! And we probably should all wish him luck in his new life adventure.********************************** By trying we can easily learn to endure adversity -- another man's I mean. Mark Twain