Live Blogs From the Hans Reiser Trial

whoever57 writes "The Hans Reiser trial has been underway for some time now, the prosecution is moving towards the end of its case. For those interested, not only in the outcome of the trial, but a detailed description of the trial, including some insights into police methods, two reporters are live-blogging. One report is by Henry K. Lee for the San Francisco Chronicle and the other is by David Kravets and published by Wired"

Comments

here are your choices:

[circletimessquare]

1. have no justice system at all
2. have a human system of justice

which means you have all manner of abuses and failures and stupidity at every step of the system

those are your choices. 1 or 2. there is no

3. have a perfect infallible system of justice

sorry, never will be

to have this sort of disdain for the entire justice system because it has human flaws doesn't make you wise, it makes you naive

of course things can be improved, and that is where our disappointment in the system should be channeled. but this is not the vibe i get from some people. some people i get this vibe that they hate the idea of police and courts, rather than they'd like to improve them. which is an attitude which is bizarre and ignorant

Jurisprudence

[mcrbids]

the worst part, have you ever sat on a jury? I have been in 2 and some people's "justifications" are insane. One trial 2 women were willing to send the guy down the river 30 secodns after we got in the room, they based it on what the DA said that the judge told them to strike from the record. It was pure fantasy on the DA's part and we were instructed to not consider it.

People are people. They are this way today, were this way 10 years ago, they were this way 200 years ago. That's why we have a jury system so rigged such that a *single* person can hang the jury and let the defendant go.

we spent the next 8 hours going over things and trying to get these ditsy two to actually think. And this is the norm in Jury duty.

See?! It works! This is why the jury system is so beautiful! (And why it sucks so bad for those of us that think a little bit) Most people suck. But the odds of everybody sucking when you get 12 random people together drops rather dramatically.

Welcome to jurisprudence! BTW: my heart-felt thanks for serving on jury duty!

Re:Significance

[teslar]

Why were they taking nude pictures of Hans Reiser from a distance small enough that it became possible for him to fart in the face of the officer?

Unless dear Hans has a very violent flatulence problem, there can't have been more than a few inches between face and venting hole and that's quite freaky, none the least because of the implied relative positions of the two. It also raises several disturbing questions at least a few of which contain the word 'goatse'.

Disturbing.

Re:Linux defence

[metamatic]

...a sleeping bag cover that was stained with blood from the missing wife whom the Linux programmer is accused of killing.

I'd want to know what they meant by "stained with blood"; that could be anything from a few drops to a large patch indicating a serious wound. My bet is the former, or they'd have been more lurid with the description. In which case it's circumstantial; my wife got a paper cut in bed the other day and got blood on the pillow (true story), but that doesn't mean I murdered her.

The floorboards were sopping wet, Cavness testified.

Circumstantial. Ever spilled a quart of milk in the car and had to try to get it out of the carpet?

But an alternative explanation was that he used the car to move a body, scrubbed the blood off the bodywork and dumped the seat because he couldn't get the blood off it.

Still circumstantial. Yes, it could have been Hans cleaning blood off the carpet; it could also have been Hans cleaning oil off the carpet.

The last two calls Nina made on her cellphone were to Hans before she disappeared, just after she dropped off her children at his house.

Also circumstantial, unless they can get ECHELON to tell us the content of the calls.

I agree that it looks suspicious as all hell; but the other side of things looks as suspicious as all hell too, when you read about Nina and her boyfriend.

Re:He's so guilty!

[russotto]

The stuff in the email about threats is Nina's words and Nina's interpretation. It may even be a deliberate lie; Nina could have known it could be subpoenaed and used later in court proceedings. Certainly it wouldn't be the first time there was a false accusation of abuse or threats in a divorce and custody case. Your response to it that it indicates Hans Reiser's guilt demonstrates why the judge felt it was prejudicial.