Michael Dunn Guilty of 3 Counts of Attempted 2nd Degree Murder
Twelve jurors have found Michael Dunn guilty of 2nd degree attempted murder upon the lives of Tevin Thompson, Leland Brunson, and Tommie Stornes. Each count carries a minimum sentence of 20 years to a maximum of 30 years. Sentencing can run concurrently or consecutively. Some familiar with Judge Healey are of the opinion that he is unlikely to enter concurrent sentences. That means that Dunn is looking at a minimum of 60 years in prison on the 2nd degree attempted murder convictions.
The jury also found Dunn guilty of shooting a firearm into the vehicle, the sentence of which is a minimum of 15 years.
Dunn’s sentencing is scheduled for March 24, 2014.
The jury hung on the murder charge for the killing of Jordan Davis. Since deliberations were long, that does not come as a surprise. The State now has to decide whether to retry Dunn for the murder of Jordan Davis.
Lucia McBath, Jordan Davis’ mother, stated that the family has found some closure. While most would have liked a verdict on the murder charge, a hung jury does not convey disagreement with evidence and facts as much as it conveys disagreement on common sense. Common sense demands that Dunn’s story cannot be true. Had it been true, Dunn would have wanted the police to know there was a gun in the SUV rather than giving that story after he was apprehended.
When re-tried, State prosecutors really need to focus on the fact that the police could not search for what they did not know, and they did not know about a purported gun because the defendant chose to flee and not contact law enforcement.
In addition to that, Dunn’s theory that he exercised self-defense whether he reported it or not, does not pass the common-sense test. Without his reporting that he fired bullets into the SUV, it was an unsolved murder.
As I write this, State’s Attorney Angela Corey is holding a press conference. As soon as the video becomes available, I shall embed it here.
R.I.P. Jordan.
Posted on 02/15/2014, in Jordan Davis and tagged guilty, Jordan Davis, Michael Dunn, trial, verdicts. Bookmark the permalink. 96 Comments.
The verdicts are read.
LikeLike
Thank you for your great summary, Xena.
LikeLike
Yahtzee,
Groans has brought up a good question and if time allows, I might post on that later.
LikeLike
WTH?
Attempted murder but not successful murder?
That does not make sense !!
I haven’t read your piece yet or other articles, but I’ve got to wonder if he might be able to get the attempted murders dismissed on appeal because it’s such a nonsensical result.
Emmit Till, Trayvon Martin, and now Jordan Davis. What a hellhole of a country we live in! And populated by blood-thirsty MORONS who end up serving on juries!
LikeLike
Attempted murder of 3 live kids, but not successful “attempted murder” of the dead kid?
Just can’t wrap my mind around that one!
LikeLike
groans,
Know why? Because as demonstrated with the Zimmerman jury, no one can wrap their mind around SYG law.
LikeLike
That’s for sure. SMH.
LikeLike
Strolla is holding a press conference now. He has said that after sentencing he might file appeal. His basis for that is because the court denied his expert witness. IIRC, that “expert” was to address Dunn’s behavior AFTER he fired the shots.
LikeLike
Oh yes the expert with no credentials. LOL
I guess since Judge Nelson allowed Donnelly to testify in Piglet’s case as an expert Strolla thought he would try the same thing with a no name therapist.
LikeLike
Let’s not forget that had Juror B29 stayed on her belief of Zimmerman’s guilt, it would have been a hung jury and he would be re-tried.
Hung juries mean that at least one juror believes the defendant is guilty. Let’s appreciate, rather than criticize, the one or more jurors who believe Dunn is guilty and refused to be brainwashed to voting otherwise.
LikeLike
Let’s not forget that had Juror B29 stayed on her belief of Zimmerman’s guilt, it would have been a hung jury and he would be re-tried.
I disagree. It would have been very difficult for Corey and her minions to have thrown the case a second time and they would have used the 5-1 vote to justify not trying it, and there was a concerted effort to make sure that Piglet was found not guilty.
Lucky for them B29 caved and allowed Piglet to be acquitted.
As I have stated before I agree with Crazy’s theory that Papa Zimmerman has some connections that not even President Obama is afraid to cross.
One day we will find out the truth but it won’t be soon.
LikeLike
I think you’re right, but it’s also disturbing that no consensus happened with the primary charge. I’m devastated for Jordan’s parents. We don’t know if it’s because there were jury members who went with self-defense or if there was disagreement between M1, M2, and manslaughter. There could have been a blend of all 4, for all we know.
Hopefully, the rest of Dunn’s karma will catch up to the bit that came home to roost today.
LikeLike
Reblogged this on The ObamaCrat™.
LikeLike
Jueseppi,
Thanks dear friend. We have a victory, but still a long way to go.
LikeLike
Thats why it’s called an never-ending battle.
LikeLike
We need to DEMAND justice for Jordan!
I will NOT rest until Jordan gets JUSTICE!
LikeLike
Amen, Yahtzee!
(Though I’ll listen to the music later… 😉 )
LikeLike
LikeLike
“He’s in disbelief, and it has not sunk in…”…..that is, some homeless man got his tag number, he can’t believe he didn’t get away fast enough and his suppression fire didn’t keep everyone else’s heads down. For whatever reason, he feels his shooting at a fleeing vehicle didn’t scare everyone as was his plan”
“Questions ??”
Certainly not a perfect verdict, certainly not what is truly just, but at least he’s not going anywhere for at least 75 years.
Those of us in the real world and with a sense of reality, we know he was convicted by most of the jury on Count 1.
Key word here “Remanded”
LikeLike
He sure lived in a dream world in those letters and phone calls. I’m in disbelief at his disbelief, LOL! Welcome to the real world, Mr. Done.
LikeLike
“….I’m in disbelief at his disbelief, …”
Well said. Sooooooo….Strolla never prepped him with anything like……”well, they have a pretty good, well, an okay, well a thin case…….but hey, you could lose”
There goes that “You can indict a ham and cheese sandwich” shit he spewed.
Not to mention the always annoying “garbage in…garbage out” because now it’s “Garbage in……and staying in”
And I have to say this loudly again “THE DEFENDANT…..they want to dehumanize him….but he has a number, er a name”
Maybe he can get some root beer barrels from Fogen.
I’m sure we all can’t wait for Fogen to throw his 2 cents in !! Ppppppfffffttt
Not to mention Frank “The Racist Tank” Taaffe will most assuredly start on how the state railroaded Duuhhnnn just like they did with Fogen.
LikeLike
Jordan’s blood cries out for justice!
LikeLike
Good point made by someone on CBS. If Dunn’s convictions not overturned on appeal, he might be given a plea for 2nd degree murder or manslaughter because he’s going to be in prison on the other convictions anyway.
LikeLike
But if those convictions are not overturned, I’m not convinced the prosecution would invest resources in trying Dunn again. I mean, if he’s put away essentially for life, would that be a good use of the prosecutors’ resources?
And if the prosecution isn’t willing to go balls-to-the-walls again for a homicide conviction, then what would be the motive for a plea, either?
It might just end here, unless the the attempted murder charges get reversed.
LikeLike
groans,
According to Corey’s press conference, she is pursuing 1st degree murder charges against Dunn.
I seriously doubt that Dunn has any basis for an appeal to remand the 2nd degree attempted murder charges. Dunn never said, nor testified, that either of those 3 guys threatened him in any manner. He was given a fair trial — even testified in his own defense. Strolla worked on the jury instructions. Strolla also agreed with Judge Healey that the law requires verdicts on each count.
He said at the press conference that his continuation of representing Dunn would be made after he spoke with Dunn’s family. Understand that to mean that the State is not going to pay Strolla to work on appeal and he’s not doing it for free.
LikeLike
“He said at the press conference that his continuation of representing Dunn would be made after he spoke with Dunn’s family. Understand that to mean that the State is not going to pay Strolla to work on appeal and he’s not doing it for free.”
Read “bail out now……..bail out now…….bail out now…..”
I’d say he’s not going to entertain any thoughts like “……well my client owes me two and a half million dollars and well……..his next piece of art is almost complete and …
……blah, blah, boring blah”
LikeLike
You’re closer to all these happenings than me, so I’ll trust you on this. (The new lawyers will be looking to see if there’s an “ineffective assistance of counsel” – what a hoot – but I’d be surprised if that gets much mileage!)
But I don’t know why Corey thinks she could get M1 on another day. Did they leave evidence on the table AGAIN??
LikeLike
Yesterday and today the Judge asked Duuhhnnn if he was satisfied with his counsel and both times he said yes. I know the judge was making sure the state had that base covered as far as ineffectual counsel goes.
Yesterday was at the same time Duuhhnn objected to something about counts 2, 3, & 4 all being wrapped up with hung on 1.
LikeLike
groans,
Just a guess, but because the jury could not decide on the lesser charges either. That jury was totally in disagreement over Dunn’s self-defense claim. This tells prosecutors that at the re-trial to hammer out why it could not have been self-defense. That in fact, if I were a legal assistant helping to outline closing argument, I would start off sentences just that way; “It was not self-defense because ….. ” And, “Had it been self-defense, the defendant would have ….” “Had it been self-defense, the defendant would not have ….”
LikeLike
Xena, after watching the prosecution’s press conference video, I don’t feel a strong commitment from Corey to even re-try the case. And I’m not hearing/seeing tons of confidence in that regard (which does not surprise me).
Just my impression.
LikeLike
i am not sure that she can get M1 another day — i definitely believe that M2 is possible with very rigid jury selection. this is not to say that i believe the correct charge is M2. compare this to zimmerman’s trial in which many a large portion of those learned in the law saw it as a manslaughter case and not the M2 we were hoping for. in dunn’s case, that premeditation is of such short duration that it is difficult for a large portion of our population to accept.
i do see the benefits of seeking M1 however, those being that (1) she already has an indictment for M1 from a grand jury and (2) M1 ensures a 12 person jury rather than the florida standard 6.
there are many citizens among us who are opposed to ‘over charging’ on general principle. i am not one of them, but it is a fact and that can also work against the prosecution. it’s a very delicate balancing act.
LikeLike
Parents of Jordan Davis Press Conference
LikeLike
It is deeply moving and heartbreaking to listen to Jordan’s Mom and Dad.
We need to continue to seek justice for Jordan and NEVER allow would-be racist killers to think that there will be no consequences for killing our innocent Black youth and adults just because the killers can say groundlessly afterwards that they were scared.
LikeLike
I’m with you once again, Yahtzee!
LikeLike
Yahtzee,
x 100
LikeLike
“We need to continue to seek justice for Jordan and NEVER allow would-be racist killers to think that there will be no consequences for killing our innocent ”
Absolutely !!!!! BUT, it sure puts us to ease knowing he’s not ever going home to his condo, he ain’t driving that hot rod boat or flying an airplane again……..I must say however he has crashed today……..just sayin’ !!!!
LikeLike
It’s amazing how much class they have along the lines of Trayvon’s parents.
“…not just another day at the office…” (for Duhhnnn)
And those racist thugs are riding around in FL yelling “Not Guilty” and have no clue there will be a retrial which he probably not win.
The only way he wins a retrial is if the jury thinks he’s not going anywhere for at least 75 years so what’s the point…..as wrong as that is, they could pull that.
Thank God Duhhnnn’s in prison of Jordans birthday and not free.
LikeLike
Yes, much more class than Dunn every showed. She lost her son to him and yet she asks her family and other to pray for Dunn. That’s class.
LikeLike
Yeppppp !! The 1st thing was how she felt for him and was praying for him.
But his fellow Klansters were riding around yelling “not guilty” down in FL.
I’m once again thinking they have no clue at all.
Somebody on a blog somewhere said he had a beg site like Fogen. This can’t be true can it. If so, they did a pretty poor job of PR on that one.
LikeLike
HOLY COW !!
Did anybody else notice the BODY LANGUAGE from John Guy and Erin Wolfson in this video at about 11:02 (see from about 10:45 to 11:07), when Corey says, roughly:
?! ?!
HOLY COW !!
LikeLike
groans,
Hadn’t seen that previously. Thanks for pointing it out. Great catch!
I could almost hear John Guy saying, what about Marissa Alexander.
LikeLike
“And we will never shrink from that duty.”
Liar.
LikeLike
Here is a clip of the above with only Jordan’s parents speaking:
LikeLike
No 1st degree murder conviction for the killing of Jordan Davis. I am not surprised. Michael Dunn starts the conflict, commits the only act of violence that kills Jordan . Yet isn’t held accountable for Jordan’s killing. Once again the Black life is devalued. 3 convictions of attempted murder. 1 conviction of firearms charges. This in my opinion is a compromise verdict. However, think about BLACK defendants that use self-defense/ SYG. Juries can come back with guilty on all counts verdicts very quickly. 30 minutes,100 minutes,not a problem to convict a Black person.
LikeLike
Our “justice” system is a joke. But it’s not funny in the least – it’s sickening.
LikeLike
It’s not over yet. I don’t know why but I’m convinced the deadlock was over finding him guilty between the 1st or 2nd degree murder. I don’t feel that it was going for not guilty on that charge.
If they were going to find him not guilty of murder than how could he be guilty of attempted murder of the 3 others?
LikeLike
Take it easy ……It’s a safe bet, now that the dust has settled, that they hung on M1 & M2 and not M1 – M2 – MS Not guilty He has a minimum of 75 to look forward to.
If he hadn’t opened fire on anyone in particular by his own testimony, he may have walked altogether. Thank God he didn’t convince anyone it was self defense and walked on everything.
It’s 11:51 PM Sat. night…..my son and I were out getting him a new guitar and were not online for the news. My wife blasted it out from the other room to the effect he’s
been convicted on 4 lesser charges and this is what I figured it to be when she told me.
The 1st jury has spoken…….maybe the 2nd will have 4 AA males…..4 AA females 1 21 year old who went to school with a victim of a shooting 2 Hispanic hard working males and 1 Asian law student.
LikeLike
Does anyone know if the sentences will run concurrent or consecutive? If they run them concurrent then it will only be 20 yrs.
LikeLike
towerflower,
We won’t know until sentencing in March. The 20 year sentence is the minimum also. Judge Healey might issue a longer sentences.
LikeLike
And, right now the Florida Legislature is considering this bill that might affect Dunn’s sentencing:
The last paragraph in the quotation in the post above that link is:
LikeLike
Xena, I so appreciate your remaining professional in your writing at this emotional time so that we all can understand what happened in the legal realm today.
LikeLike
Yahtzee, thank you, and it’s only because of having experience working with attorneys and judges that I consider the bigger picture, whether or not I like it.
Let’s ask ourselves — would we have preferred Maddy to stick with her beliefs in Zimmerman’s guilt and hung the jury? YES! So, why is there an opposite feeling this time? Maybe because of the other counts?
What the Dunn jury was faced with was deciding whether he killed Jordan in self-defense. Is that not the same issue that came before the Zimmerman jury? And, we would have preferred a hung jury rather than acquittal.
LikeLike
If the we and the Black community are starving for justice….yes, a sop will save us from starvation.
Truth is…..the Black community has only been offered sops in our country’s history. This has to STOP!
EQUAL JUSTICE NOW!!
LikeLike
I agree. In a way, the lack of bringing race into this case by the prosecution has brought only half of the equal justice. On the other hand how many times has a white man been brought down by charges of attempted murder against black kids? While this is only a partial victory and there’s a long damn way to go, this is an improvement.
I wish things didn’t have to be so damn complicated. It should be simple and equal.
LikeLike
/large
LikeLike
/large
LikeLike
This is the so sad truth. This is not the America I thought it is.
LikeLike
LikeLike
hmm….I imagine we might be learning more in the next few days.
You are doing a great job bringing the news and the legal understandings to us Xena.
Thanks for all of your hard work, and thank you for dedicating your site here to justice and equality!!!
LikeLike
Yahtzee,
I’m trying to keep up. LOL!! News is coming fast. The NY Times has already published an online story on the verdict.
An injustice to anyone is an injustice to everyone. Man whose mind is set on being superior and controlling will always find someone to oppress and victimize, whether by gender, race, nationality, religion, financial status, disability, disease. Remember that saying from WWII about the Nazi’s first coming for someone, but they stayed silent and did nothing? By the time the Nazi’s came for that person, there was no one left to speak for him. We must not let that happen.
LikeLike
I agree with you.
OT–my comment at this link is in moderation:
LikeLike
Maybe we’ll hear to the effect “…and that racist pig was on the verge of physical threats if we found the defendant guilty…..I’m so upset. How did (s)he ever get on that jury”
Dime – him – out, for all the world to see.
LikeLike
Strolla’s post verdict press conference.
LikeLike
Shut up Strolla……..shut the fuck up.
LikeLike
and he can keep his scrotum to himself 😛
LikeLike
LikeLike
Happy Birthday, Jordan.
Sadly, you were born into a society that
Still required your parents to give you “the Talk.”
Still had too many people consider Black skin a crime.
Still had LE and private citizens stereotyping and profiling Blacks.
Still found store security following and keeping an eye on Blacks.
Still stopped and frisked Blacks.
Still handed down unequal justice for Blacks.
Still tried to suppress the vote of Blacks.
Still was full of hateful racists and White Supremacists.
Still discriminated against Blacks in the workplace.
Still had institutional racism present.
Still had some LE who treated Blacks brutally.
Still had Whites showing their fear of Blacks from clutching purses to complete avoidance.
Still had racist hatred directed at Blacks.
It is heartbreaking to know that in this atmosphere, you became one of the Black victims who have lost their lives.
May you rest in peace and be in His loving arms.
LikeLike
LikeLike
/large
LikeLike
Turn the music up for Jordan:
LikeLike
I’m glad he didn’t walk. But is that enough? Racist Florida showed us they still won’t convict a white male of killing a young black male. Yes, he won’t walk. But is this enough? Sigh.
LikeLike
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/02/16/michael-dunn-trial-white-fear-matters-more-than-black-lives.html
LikeLike
Article linked by Rachael quoted here in full:
I wanted to emphasize this from the above:
The facts back this up. In states with “Stand Your Ground,” homicides with a white perpetrator and a black victim are most likely to be ruled “justifiable.” By contrast, it is least likely—by a factor of ten—for black on white homicides to receive the same designation.
LikeLike
No, it’s not enough.
For that matter, a conviction of Michael Dunn on M1 wouldn’t be enough either.
After all, what we’re talking about here most likely occurred because one or two die-hard bigots and/or gun nuts got onto the jury. A different roll of the dice in terms of who came up in the jury pool could have yielded a different result. But the larger conditions remain the same, and therein lies the problem.
Dunn is a nobody, mere human detritus, and his individual punishment means next to nothing in the big picture. In order to begin to approach “enough” we would need to see some changes in at least one of the various big-picture issues in play here:
a. Persistent wide-spread racist stereotyping of all young Black men as “thugs”.
b. The pernicious influence of the gun lobby and ALEC.
c. The ludicrous self-defense statutes promoted by the above.
d. The ideological orientations that prevent right-wing State Attorneys (e.g. Corey, Guy, et. al.) from prosecuting cases like the Dunn and Zimmerman trials effectively.
While race is obviously a big part of this, IMHO it’s very important to recognize a big part of this, the gun part, is NOT about race at all. The gun lobby wants profit, and like any endeavor ruled by the profit motive, they don’t care where the profit comes from. They would like nothing better for the “lesson” young black men take away from Davis’ death to be, “Damn, Jordan SHOULDA had a shotgun. If I’m going to survive daily life in this sea of gun-crazy crackers, I’d better be able to fight fire with fire.” Whoopee! More gun sales. Back to the Wild West when everybody was packing, no, better than that because in old Tombstone and Dodge it was just all the grown white men who were strapped, and now we’re gonna get EVERYBODY: all the men, women, boys and girls; white, black, brown, yellow, red; straight, gay, trans. No matter what your style, we have a gun for YOU.
The Zimmerman and Dunn trials establish precedent in the public mind if not case law that Florida actually encourages lethal armed response to confrontations. This not only legitimates white-on-black violence (which probably makes up a fairly low percentage of overall violence) but also violence within more homogenous communities. Got a beef with your neighbor, take your gun. Got a beef with your lover or spouse, take your gun. I don’t remember the details or numbers, but I recall hearing that since SYG was passed self-defense acquittals have gone way up, and murder convictions have dropped accordingly. So we have many, many cases that may have involved killers getting off with defenses as thin as GZ’s or Dunn’s, but they never made the news because they lacked the hot-button dramatic appeal of tweaking the racial divide. And with the publicity from the high-profile trials establishing that shoot-first-and-figure-out-your-story-later works, things are only going to get worse. Everywhere, For everybody.
So, yeah, the outcome of Dunn’s case has some symbolic significance in all of this. The big picture will indeed get worse if he is not convicted on re-trial. But the best a conviction can bring is to slow the bleeding (figuratively and literally). Action in a broader sphere will be required to begin to fix the problems, begin to heal the wounds. The Martin and Davis families seem to understand this, as their focus appears to be on the SYG laws more than the fates of the individuals who killed their sons. Alas, that doesn’t seem to draw the same kind of media attention and public interest that accrue when you can point at embodied and individually detestable villains like GZ and Dunn. But IMHO, it’s time to stop obsessing about the leaves, and start looking at who’s planting what trees in the forest.
LikeLike
My focus remains upon the fact that Black Americans do not receive equal justice.
SYG allows vigilantism by White racists to be directed at Blacks with no consequences if the killers simply say they were in fear for their lives.
Even when the evidence CLEARLY incriminates the killer of a Black victim, a one or more racists on the jury can cause that jury to be hung.
LikeLike
It’s all effed up 😥
LikeLike
As long as racists are present among jury members, Black Americans cannot receive justice.
LikeLike
Elegantly laid out, Whonoze.
LikeLike
Every time I witness racism at work as I did with the Dunn and GZ case, I just become MORE DEDICATED to stand up and speak out against racism and the scoundrels who practice it!!!
I will NEVER, NEVER give up HOPE that we CAN create and have a BETTER world!!!
LikeLike
LET’S ROLL!
Our cause is JUST
Our hearts are energized
Let’s RALLY
Let’s DEMAND
Let’s sign petitions
Let’s call, email, and write the Legislators
Let’s hold marches against injustice
LET’S ROLL!
JUSTICE FOR ALL!
STAND AGAINST RACISM!
STAND AGAINST INEQUALITY!
Let’s NOT rest until there IS equal justice!!!
Let us always stay in the struggle against racism!
LikeLike
From Sanford Watch;
LikeLike
TRUTH!
LikeLike
Thank you for posting this.
LikeLike
SYG is the rope and the tree for today’s lynchings of Blacks.
LikeLike
Retweeted by Natalie Jackson
Charles M. Blow @CharlesMBlow
cityslkrzStarCreativeDeborah NYCKellyprincss6Anne GavinMia
Betty @66Betty
LikeLike
Charles M. Blow @CharlesMBlow
LikeLike
LikeLike
LikeLike
https://twitter.com/JohnPhillips/status/435237539210084352
LikeLike
Answering a question that came through as a search.
Michael Dunn was denied bond and has been in jail since his arrest in Nov. 2012. Upon his conviction, he was sent back to jail and will remain there until sentencing. With his sentencing, he will be transferred to a Florida State prison.
LikeLike
Thank you for this update, Xena.
Although he is not in jail for Count 1, I am relieved that at least he IS in jail.
LikeLike
Yahtzee,
My pleasure. The court denied Dunn bond while awaiting trial so at least the public did not have to hear about how he couldn’t pay for his living expenses while awaiting trial, unlike someone else we know.
Had that someone else we know stayed in jail, maybe he would not be so desperate for money now. I understand his interviews with Univision and CNN is to get sympathy and more money — makes me wonder what happened to the $100K from the painting he sold?
LikeLike
Strolla happily smile magically disappeared.
LikeLike
What difference between Judge Healey and judge nelson , Judge Healey never allow his courtroom to be a “circus” nor a place to allow babbling mouths to obstruct justice
like judge nelson allowing a military doctor as expert in voice recognition or a LEO lying on the stand about who voice it was,.judge nelson courtroom put it to shame.
LikeLike
Pingback: Michael Dunn Guilty of 3 Counts of Attempted 2n...
Pingback: Michael Dunn Guilty of 3 Counts of Attempted 2nd Degree Murder | Oppression Monitor