Tuesday, October 29, 2013

Maldonado acquitted of all charges.

10/29/2013Event Resulted - Release Status:Event Resulted - Release Status: Jury returned a verdict of not guilty as to remaining count. Defendant has no further obligations to the court as it relates to this case. Co-Counsel Ty Kelly
AUSA: Peter Taylor
Court Reporter: Susan Walker
The following event: Trial Resumed scheduled for 10/29/2013 at 9:30 am has been resulted as follows:

Result: Trial Held and Completed
Judge: LEIBOVITZ, LYNN Location: Courtroom 202
MATTHEW MALDONADO (Defendant (Criminal)); ; Mr RICHARD A FINCI (Attorney) on behalf of MATTHEW MALDONADO (Defendant (Criminal)); Judge LYNN LEIBOVITZ

10/29/2013Case Disposed - Jury Trial Not GuiltyCase Disposed - Jury Trial Not Guilty
10/29/2013Charge Disposed - Jury Trial Not GuiltyCharge Disposed - Jury Trial Not Guilty
Charge #5: Sex Abuse- Misd


DANG it.

Jury still deliberating on Schultz.

10/29/2013Event Resulted - Release Status:Event Resulted - Release Status: NO BOND. Jury deliberated from 9:40 am to 4:45 no notes submitted on this case. Jury to resume deliberating on tomorrow at 9:35 am.
AUSA: Peter Taylor
Court Reporter: Susan Walker
The following event: Trial Resumed scheduled for 10/29/2013 at 9:30 am has been resulted as follows:

Result: Trial In Progress
Judge: LEIBOVITZ, LYNN Location: Courtroom 202
NICHOLAS SCHULTZ (Defendant (Criminal)); ; Ms NIKKI U LOTZE (Attorney) on behalf of NICHOLAS SCHULTZ (Defendant (Criminal)); Judge LYNN LEIBOVITZ


I am SICK at heart.  I've heard many theories but without having been there I cannot report any facts.  All I can say is -- the jury was asked to assess the state's evidence against the highest standard of proof namely beyond a reasonable doubt.  A not guilty verdict is a comment on the confidence the jury had that the state proved every element of the offense(s).  It doesn't mean the jury found him innocent.  It doesn't mean the jury said no crime occurred.  It doesn't mean the jury didn't believe the survivor.  Until and if I can speak with the prosecutor, who hopefully gets feedback from the jury when it's all over, I won't know anything useful about WHY the jury felt this was appropriate.

Everyone is asking about transcripts of the trial.  Transcripts cost a LOT of money (the court reporter takes hours to turn her little stenography machine papers into words on a page) and so they don't get prepared for every case.  If you are acquitted the State cannot appeal the verdict and so there will be no transcripts.  If Schultz is convicted and IF he appeals, his defense will get transcripts (either he pays or if he's indigent, the State pays) and then the State gets a copy for a slightly lesser cost.  And then maybe somewhere down the road the transcripts might be publicly available if you pay for copying or can get a courtesy copy *wink*.  So that's the scoop-- transcripts will be a month or two at best.

I've also gotten questions about a sex offender registry.  Here is a link thanks to David Wolf regarding the DC Sex Offender Registry.  And here's the link to the National Dept of Justice Sex Offender Registry.

I'm just sick.

5 comments:

SavageKitsune said...

If the rapists celebrated the verdict by raping the victim again right there on the judge's lectern LIVE in front of the jury, I wonder if we could finally get a damn conviction. Is that what it would take? I can't believe this a**wipe is just going to skate. I hope the victim presses a civil trial, although one could understand what a travesty that would be for her to have to go through.

Unknown said...

Will you be getting any feedback from the D.A. or anyone else? Short of a member of the media interviewing a jury member I'm not sure how to find out what happened.

Someone should probably congratulate Lloyd Irvin for promptly hiring such good attorneys. If he hadn't lawyered up for them as soon as he heard about his trusting student being raped by them, they might be in jail today.

Way to stand by & support the victim in her time of need, Lloyd.

Georgette said...

I'm certainly going to try.

Felicia said...

Wow. I honestly don't know what else to say. Reading the headline was like a gut punch. Hard to believe and harder to accept to me, so I can only imagine what the victim is going through...

Thanks for keeping us informed, Georgette...

The truth be told said...

Yes. Thank Lloyd Irving for paying for their lawyers! I wonder if he paid for all the expert testimony? What are fees for lawyers of that caliber? I think each one of them cost at least 50G's each.... Right?