Uncensored Justice System Discussion

JUSTICE1st · Joined: 13 Dec 2007 Posts: 715 Location: USA

Has anyone else been watching the Kathleen Hilton case in Massachusetts? I've been watching the trial coverage as often as I can (DS has been sick with the flu since Monday), and I honestly don't know how the prosecutors in this case reached the conclusion that Ms. Hilton had deliberately set this fire. Especially since her son Charles Loaysa had made at least two threats to burn the building earlier in the day!

Moreover, Ms. Hilton looks quite mentally ill to me, and it's impossible for anyone who has watched this trial since last week to miss it. She doesn't look mentally fit to stand trial either, at least not in my view. And as Jami Floyd and some of her guests have pointed out, mentally ill people are a lot more susceptible to making false confessions than the average person. And I'm still not convinced her son wasn't responsible for this crime either, alibi or not.

Any thoughts?

J1
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"We must remember, always, that accusation is not proof, and conviction depends on evidence and due process of law."
EDWARD R. MURROW, 1954

Pia · Posted: Thu Jan 29, 2009 6:00 pm Post subject:

I haven't been following it much but did I hear them say the other day that this woman has been jailed for more than 10 years...without a trial? What is going on there?
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Justice is conscience, not a personal conscience but the conscience of the whole of humanity. Those who clearly recognize the voice of their own conscience usually recognize also the voice of justice.
Alexander Solzhenitsyn

SaberGal · Joined: 12 Dec 2007 Posts: 349 Location: Oregon

Pia · Posted: Thu Jan 29, 2009 8:23 pm Post subject:

I know this happened in Feb 98 or 99 and I could have sworn Beth say the other day that she has been locked up since then.
_________________
Justice is conscience, not a personal conscience but the conscience of the whole of humanity. Those who clearly recognize the voice of their own conscience usually recognize also the voice of justice.
Alexander Solzhenitsyn

SaberGal · Joined: 12 Dec 2007 Posts: 349 Location: Oregon

Pia · Posted: Thu Jan 29, 2009 9:09 pm Post subject:

I agree Saber...If she is crazy like he is saying, how did she waive the speedy trial? Did she waive it?
_________________
Justice is conscience, not a personal conscience but the conscience of the whole of humanity. Those who clearly recognize the voice of their own conscience usually recognize also the voice of justice.
Alexander Solzhenitsyn

JUSTICE1st · Joined: 13 Dec 2007 Posts: 715 Location: USA

JUSTICE1st · Joined: 13 Dec 2007 Posts: 715 Location: USA

JUSTICE1st · Joined: 13 Dec 2007 Posts: 715 Location: USA

I have to agree with the NOT GUILTY verdict in the Kathleen Hilton case. There were so many issues that troubled me during the trial of this obviously mentally-impaired woman, which made it impossible for me to believe she deliberately set this fire as the prosecution claimed.

First of all, there was the so-called "confession" itself, which to me was highly suspect from the beginning. As was pointed out more than once by Jami Floyd during the four-week trial coverage, mentally ill people like Hilton are far more likely to give false confessions than others simply because of their severely impaired condition.

Second, I didn't hear any important details of HOW she supposedly set this fire from the prosecution. I believe either a cigarette or cigarette lighter was mentioned, but even the arson experts from both sides disagreed on how the fire was set.

Third, I don't know if the police handling the case ever broadened the scope of their investigation to include any person or persons NOT involved with Kristina Sutherland and her two children. There was the family of five on the third floor, all of whom tragically died in the fire. Were any of their relatives or acquaintances investigated for a possible motive? And was there any person or family living on the first floor in February 1999 when the fire occurred? If so, did the first floor occupant(s) have problems with anyone, either friend or family member?

I had too many questions, and none of them were answered, which is why I completely agree with the verdict in this case. The state of MA did NOT prove guilt of this defendant beyond a reasonable doubt, and the jury didn't think so either.

J1 Cool

_________________
"We must remember, always, that accusation is not proof, and conviction depends on evidence and due process of law."
EDWARD R. MURROW, 1954

Pia · Posted: Mon Feb 23, 2009 5:58 pm Post subject:

After hearing of the Not Guilty verdict the other day I wish now that I could have watched the trial to know more about it. That ten years really stinks now...more than it did before.
_________________
Justice is conscience, not a personal conscience but the conscience of the whole of humanity. Those who clearly recognize the voice of their own conscience usually recognize also the voice of justice.
Alexander Solzhenitsyn

SaberGal · Joined: 12 Dec 2007 Posts: 349 Location: Oregon

I hope she can sue the pants off the state...

JMO
_________________
"Evil triumphs when good men do nothing."
- E. Burke
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That's OK. I wasn't using my civil liberties anyway. (Insert rolly eye emoticon here)

JUSTICE1st · Joined: 13 Dec 2007 Posts: 715 Location: USA