Lest We Forget - the Kalamazoo Calamity

According to this https://www.bicycling.com/news/a20052373/kalamazoo-bike-crash-trial/  the trial of Charles Pickett, the drunk and impaired on opioids and possibly marijuana, Kalamazoo, MI driver of the pickup truck who mowed down and killed 5 cyclists and seriously injured 4 more is about to begin...FINALLY... after nearly two years of delay and bantering over his mental state.

Reading through the press release from Bicycling! one wonders whether or not justice will ever be served in this case where jury selection already appears to be slanted against cyclists and their right to be on the road, regardless of the mental, physical, and emotional state of the automobile drivers around them.

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Permalink Reply by Bob Kastigar on April 28, 2018 at 3:19am
Permalink Reply by Jim Reho on April 29, 2018 at 10:13am

Reading the article, I'm pretty optimistic that this guy will be convicted.  The prosecutors seem to be taking the case seriously, which is a plus.  They didn't plea bargain down to a lesser offense, as so often happens.  The defense attorney is attempting an insanity defense, which rarely works under any circumstances and seems particularly lame in this one.  The judge seems sensible and ruled against the defendant's motion to toss out the murder charges.  I think the misconduct in this case was so egregious that any even half-reasonable jury will convict.  I've been wrong before, though.  I hope that's not the case this time.   

Permalink Reply by Mike Schwab on April 29, 2018 at 12:34pm

One big plus is three automobile drivers called police before the accident even happened.

Permalink Reply by Mike Schwab on May 1, 2018 at 11:07am
5 convictions of 2nd degree murder. Faces Life in Prison.
http://www.fox2detroit.com/news/local-news/jury-convicts-driver-of-...
Permalink Reply by Jim Reho on May 1, 2018 at 5:56pm

There we go.  Now let's see how sentencing goes.  

Permalink Reply by Jim Reho on May 1, 2018 at 6:17pm

Here's part of the defense's closing argument:

Closing -- defense 

Pretty lame and incoherent, but his attorney didn't have a whole lot to work with.  The jury was only out four hours, which in a case of this enormity this indicates a slam dunk for the prosecution.

Permalink Reply by Mike Schwab on May 2, 2018 at 3:57am
The only think the prosecution didn't get was 1st degree murder. But that one is very hard to get.
Permalink Reply by Juan 2-3 or more mi. on May 4, 2018 at 7:21am

Being that this is a court where I am assuming the judge and jury are a bunch of car dependents, it does not look promising.

Permalink Reply by Mike Schwab on May 5, 2018 at 5:09pm
Permalink Reply by curt(is) locke on May 5, 2018 at 6:29pm

"Officers located the tractor and tried to get the driver, later identified as Moose, to stop."

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