Sandy Murphy acquitted of Ted Binion murder

[ChicagoTroy]

For those who've read Positively Fifth Street, you'll know the background:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6568016/

(Don't know if this has been already posted, no search results.)

[mojorisin24]

Wow, I couldn't believe it when I saw this today. From reading Positively Fifth Street I had pretty much come to the conclusion that Murphy and Tabish were murderers, so it's very hard for me to comprehend that they got off. It just seemed as though the evidence was so overwhelming...but I guess that's why they have trials.

[Gramps]

Probably has to do with "beyond a reasonable doubt" being the standard. The evidence (at least the circumstantial stuff I've heard about) seemed to point to a murder (I like the video of her stealthily stealing the glass the next day), but the fact that he was a heroin addict and died of a heroin overdose...probalby put enough doubt in a couple of the jurors' minds, where they all "compromised" on the lesser charges which will probably carry a hefty prison sentence nonetheless.

[deacsoft]

Don't you just love our justice system?

What a crock of [censored]! [img]/images/graemlins/mad.gif[/img]

[westmt01]

The first jury didn't have any reasonable doubts.

This is a case of justice having been bought and paid for. It's that simple.

[TorontoCFE]

I wouldn't be surprised if they met with an unfortunate accident sometime in the future.

[Gramps]

I think it's a lot less simple than that. You get a group of ordinary people on a jury who are told the prosecution has to prove their case beyond a reasonble doubt - that's a very high standard. You have a heroin addict who purchased a large amount of heroin shortly before his death, who died of a heroin overdose - there's going to be doubts in a lot of those people's minds, no matter what the evidence to the contrary is.

From what I've seen/heard I think it's pretty obvious it was a murder, but unfortunately we don't have a "crystal ball" that will show a jury what happened, they get to make up their minds whether the evidence has been met. You lower the standard, a lot more innocent people get put in jail - you raise the standard a lot more guilty people get off. Neither one is perfect.

And yes, if you have $$ to hire top-notch legal help, you have a HUGE advantage over your average citizen. High paid attorneys can be very good at putting doubts in jurors' minds - especially if they have a good "hook" (like there was in this case) to work with.

[Overdrive]

[ QUOTE ]
For those who've read Positively Fifth Street, you'll know the background:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6568016/

(Don't know if this has been already posted, no search results.)

[/ QUOTE ]

I read Positively Fifth Sreet and am shocked that they have been set off the hook. Insane.

The lesson to take from Positively Fifth Street and the Binion case is to never, ever, never ever never fall in love or trust a stripper or a prostitute in any way no matter what you may think. If you want to use their services fine, just do that and be done with it, but never try to develop a friendship or realtionship with them. Ever.

At one point in the book he talks about the time Sandy told Ted she didn't want him for his money and Ted believed her saying, "Nobody is that good of an actor." Oh yes they are.

Never trust a ho.
G's up - ho's down.

[Martin Aigner]

I don´t know too much about the american legal system, but since I´ve read Positively Fifth Street I´m now curious whether there could be any consequences for Jim McManus? Could it be possible that the book won´t be allowed to be sold anymore (without correcting the book this is)? Or might it even be possible for Murphy and Tabish to get money out of McManus?

Just curious

Martin Aigner

[Beerfund]

Murphy had the number 1 forensic pathologist in the world( Michael Baden) testify that the death was an overdose and couldnt have been done by anyone but Binion himself. This is what created the reasonable doubt in the minds of the jury. I read both reports from the prosecutors pathologist and Badens' and it seems like Baden had to stretch alot of if's and but's to make his points.