Ted Wafer Trial – August 5, 2014

I suspect that closing arguments will be made late today or Wednesday in the Ted Wafer murder trial. The judge will then read the jury instructions and send them off to decide the verdict.

 

As we learned in the murder trial of George Zimmerman, there are some courts that allow the attorneys to amend jury instructions, even omitting sections. Thus, the Supreme Court Committee in those states waste their time writing model or pattern jury instructions that judges toss aside for those written by defense lawyers.

Personally, I think that is a miscarriage of justice, especially in criminal cases. Model or Pattern Jury Instructions are written because of criminal statute and prosecutors should not be placed in a position where the statutes are rendered moot by jury instructions that do not fit the law.

For all intents and purposes, Ted Wafer is claiming that he shot and killed Renisha McBride in self-defense.

The below are Michigan’s actual jury instructions for use of deadly force in self-defense.