David Bain and juries.

[Lou Girardin]

I watched the documentary on the David Bain case, which has left me in a lot more doubt about his innocence. Anyhoo, there was some discussion on our adversarial legal system as well. Straight after this was a news item on the significance of Friday the 13th. Several people were interviewed who said they didn't believe in superstition, but they wouldn't get married, buy a car, or make any other important decision on that day.
Now, with such clarity of thought being the norm, who would trust their fate to a jury of people like that?

[toads]

It's one thing for people to make statements like that and quite another to actually act on them, we recently cancelled some airline bookings and rebooked them to a later time due to do with documentation hassles, I was quite surprised when Pete said, oh well that's good I didn't feel that great about flying out on the 13th anyway!, he would be the least superstitious person I know!
however, that said, he would have flown on the 13th anyway.
when push comes to shove it's very rare people will postpone a major event simply due to a superstition.

[Motu]

I've set out on a long motorcycling holiday - turned around and gone back home,unpacked and taken the car - because it just didn't ''feel right''.I dunno,I take these little taps on the shoulder very seriously.

[bugjuice]

what did he do?
isn't that the magic dude and he can hypnotise and all that?

ahhh cool, it's friday the 13th today.. Well I'm just gonna take up flying in that old banger plane some kids put together. It was parked under the ladder where that black cat was. I'll be fine.. see y'all latuz

[GSVR]

About the only link up with Bain and Bikes in that doco was the fact he test rode a bike and crashed it doing something like 6 grands damage a few weeks before the murders. Wonder what bike it was?

I was going for a ride today as its a nice day here.

[sels1]

I watched the documentary on the David Bain case, which has left me in a lot more doubt about his innocence. .

Yes, me too. The doco did lean towards the guilty verdict. Anyone read the book by ex Dunedin cop John Lewis? (think that was the name) It gave the impression that some members of the Dn police of the time were, how shall we say, not always the most competent, and even possibly not above a little evidence fixing. (a la the Thomas case) There is always something that hasnt seemed quite right about this case. But as they pointed out in the doco, it has been reviewed many times by top legal minds and always the same conclussion....hope they got it right.

Now, with such clarity of thought being the norm, who would trust their fate to a jury of people like that?

Exactly! considering the bigotry and predidice of the average Joe(ess) its a wonder some Juries function. I guess, as Toads suggests, when it's important people try harder to get it right.

[MrMelon]

what did he do?
isn't that the magic dude and he can hypnotise and all that?

ahhh cool, it's friday the 13th today.. Well I'm just gonna take up flying in that old banger plane some kids put together. It was parked under the ladder where that black cat was. I'll be fine.. see y'all latuz

lol, that's David Blaine.
Here's some info on the David Bain Case. http://www.crime.co.nz/c-files.asp?ID=88

[bugjuice]

lol, that's David Blaine.
Here's some info on the David Bain Case. http://www.crime.co.nz/c-files.asp?ID=88

thanx

[Biff]

Yeah I watched it too. Wasn't the guy who wrote the David & Goliath book a former All Black?

The only real concern I had about the initial trial was the fact that the trial judge refused to allow the evidence form the friend of one of David's sisters. He claimed she told him, shortly before being the first to be killed, that she was going to "tell all", and "wipe the slate clean". He took this to mean that she was going to tell her entire family that not only was she working in the sex industry, but that her father had been having sex with her.

Surely this kind of evidence would have been pivotal to David's claim that it was a murder suicide by the father as opposed to David.

[crashe]

Yeah I watched it too. Wasn't the guy who wrote the David & Goliath book a former All Black?.

Yep it was.
Former All Black Joe Karam.

[Lou Girardin]

[QUOTE=sels1]Yes, me too. The doco did lean towards the guilty verdict. Anyone read the book by ex Dunedin cop John Lewis? (think that was the name) It gave the impression that some members of the Dn police of the time were, how shall we say, not always the most competent, and even possibly not above a little evidence fixing. (a la the Thomas case) There is always something that hasnt seemed quite right about this case. But as they pointed out in the doco, it has been reviewed many times by top legal minds and always the same conclussion....hope they got it right.
/QUOTE]

I sometimes wonder if we wouldn't be better served by the inquisatorial system as practiced in Europe. It gained a bad name due to corruption, but modern info systems could reduce that risk.
The legal fraternity would probably hate it too, but who cares about them.
At least it would be a system more geared to establishing the truth than playing lawyer games.

[bear]

Yeah, the lawyers comments on the current adversarial (sp?) system were interesting. However, the evidence in my mind did point towards David Bain being guilty, esp. the fingers prints in blood on the rifle.

Of course, documentary's are usually one sided, and it would be interesting to view a documentary produced by Joe Karam and friends claiming David's innocence.

[Lou Girardin]

Yeah, the lawyers comments on the current adversarial (sp?) system were interesting. However, the evidence in my mind did point towards David Bain being guilty, esp. the fingers prints in blood on the rifle.

Of course, documentary's are usually one sided, and it would be interesting to view a documentary produced by Joe Karam and friends claiming David's innocence.

Except that, the way they depicted him holding the rifle (with his left hand over the barrel and obscuring the scope) would be extremely unlikely to be done.
The orientation of those fingerprints suggest someone picking the gun up in that manner.

[Hitcher]

Friday the 13th? Best day of this week (so far...).

[Skyryder]

Yeah I watched it too. Wasn't the guy who wrote the David & Goliath book a former All Black?

The only real concern I had about the initial trial was the fact that the trial judge refused to allow the evidence form the friend of one of David's sisters. He claimed she told him, shortly before being the first to be killed, that she was going to "tell all", and "wipe the slate clean". He took this to mean that she was going to tell her entire family that not only was she working in the sex industry, but that her father had been having sex with her.

Surely this kind of evidence would have been pivotal to David's claim that it was a murder suicide by the father as opposed to David.

I would have thought so too, but on reflection and considering how dysfunctional the Bain family was, I suspect that his 'sister' may have made it all up. It just seems strange that Lania told other people and none of her family suspected. As for Bains guilt or innocence.........to me there is too much doubt.

Skyryder