STORY: "Mistrial declared in Etan Patz murder case after jury deadlocks for a third time," by reporter Andrew Siff, published by NBC News on May 8, 2015.
SUB-HEADING: "Eleven of the 12 jurors believed Hernandez was guilty; One held out against a conviction."
SUB-HEADING: "A
judge declared a mistrial in the Etan Patz murder case after the
12-person jury, deliberating for an 18th day, sent him a note for the
third time saying they could not agree on whether 54-year-old Pedro
Hernandez killed the 6-year-old boy in 1979."
GIST: "A
judge declared a mistrial in the Etan Patz murder case after the
12-person jury, deliberating for an 18th day, sent him a note for the
third time saying they could not agree on whether 54-year-old Pedro
Hernandez killed the 6-year-old child in 1979. The
jury of five men and women said Friday they were unable to reach a
unanimous decision in the SoHo case, which has haunted New York City for
decades, after re-hearing closing arguments from both sides last week. Eleven
of the jurors believed he was guilty; one held out against a
conviction, the panel revealed. The lone holdout, Adam Sirois, told
reporters he couldn't overcome reasonable doubt; he said he felt mental
issues were at play, citing Hernandez's "bizarre" confession, and said
he had concerns about the police tactics through which that confession
was attained.........The
defense moved for an immediate mistrial Friday, as it did the first two
times the jurors said they were deadlocked. This time, Wiley granted
the motion. He
dismissed the jurors, thanking them for their service. Etan Patz's
father, Stanley Patz, and other relatives of the little boy sat silently
as the jury left the courtroom. The
judge delayed formally announcing the mistrial until the Patz family
could make their way into court. Hernandez appeared visibly relieved as
he waited for the decision. Nearby, his wife and daughter bowed their
heads in prayer. One of his lawyers, Harvey Fishbein, said the defense
was disappointed by the mistrial, as it had been hoping for an
acquittal, but that they will be ready if prosecutors re-try the case.........The
Manhattan district attorney's office asked for a new trial date, though
it wasn't immediately clear if prosecutors intended to bring the case
against Hernandez again. There is no timetable on an open murder
indictment and Hernandez will remain in custody until it is closed, the
judge said........ Manhattan
District Attorney Cy Vance said the challenges in the Patz case were
"exacerbated by the passage of time," but he said he firmly believes
"there is clear and corroborated evidence of the defendant's guilt
beyond a reasonable doubt." Vance thanked the jury for their service
over the last several months and the Patz family for their "courage and
determination" over the last few decades. Etan Patz disappeared 36 years ago this month.........Fishbein
said during closing arguments for the defense that Hernandez was "the
only witness against himself." He pointed to longtime suspect Jose
Ramos, a convicted pedophile who admitted to a federal prosecutor that
he had been with Patz the day the boy vanished. A
former jailhouse informant who was working with them gave a
stomach-turning account of conversations he had with Ramos that included
details on molesting Patz. Manhattan prosecutors never felt there was
enough evidence to charge him with the crime. In closing arguments, the defense honed in on Ramos. "We
did find out why Etan disappeared — but it was not because of Pedro
Hernandez," Fishbein said. "It was because of Jose Ramos." Patz's
photo was one of the first on milk cartons. The day he went missing,
May 25, was later named National Missing Children's Day.
http://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/Etan-Patz-Murder-Trial-Jury-Deadlock-Mistrial-Verdict-Hung-SoHo-Missing-Boy-1979-New-York-302760721.html
See Amy Davidson (New Yorker): "The doubt in this case was not just reasonable. It was, and is, profound. There was no real physical evidence. Etan’s body was never found. Ramos is a frightening figure, who once tried to lure children into a drainpipe in Van Cortlandt Park, in the Bronx. He’d been living in the drainpipe, and police found pictures of boys Etan’s age among his possessions. So many people were so sure, for so long, that Ramos was guilty that the failure to prosecute him became an issue in the 2009 election for Manhattan District Attorney. Leslie Crocker Snyder, one of the candidates, held a press conference with Stanley Patz, Etan’s father—who had previously obtained a default wrongful-death judgment against Ramos in civil court—and she pledged that “as district attorney, I will work to insure that justice is finally served in this tragic case.” In response, Robert Morgenthau, the retiring district attorney, angrily told reporters, “We spent a huge amount of time on that case. If we could go to a grand jury, we would in a minute.” Snyder lost, but not before the winner, Cyrus Vance, Jr., promised to take another look at the case. His office reopened it, and the resulting publicity led a man named José Lopez, who had been married to Hernandez’s sister, to call the police and tell them what he knew. And that is the other side of it."
http://www.newyorker.com/news/amy-davidson/mistrial-in-the-etan-patz-case?mbid=rss
PUBLISHER'S NOTE:
Dear Reader. Keep your eye on the Charles Smith Blog. We are following this case.
I have added a search box for content in this blog which now encompasses several thousand posts. The search box is located near the bottom of the screen just above the list of links. I am confident that this powerful search tool provided by "Blogger" will help our readers and myself get more out of the site.
The
Toronto Star, my previous employer for more than twenty incredible
years, has put considerable effort into exposing the harm caused by Dr.
Charles Smith and his protectors - and into pushing for reform of
Ontario's forensic pediatric pathology system. The Star has a "topic"
section which focuses on recent stories related to Dr. Charles Smith. It
can be found at:
The entire story can be found at:
See Amy Davidson (New Yorker): "The doubt in this case was not just reasonable. It was, and is, profound. There was no real physical evidence. Etan’s body was never found. Ramos is a frightening figure, who once tried to lure children into a drainpipe in Van Cortlandt Park, in the Bronx. He’d been living in the drainpipe, and police found pictures of boys Etan’s age among his possessions. So many people were so sure, for so long, that Ramos was guilty that the failure to prosecute him became an issue in the 2009 election for Manhattan District Attorney. Leslie Crocker Snyder, one of the candidates, held a press conference with Stanley Patz, Etan’s father—who had previously obtained a default wrongful-death judgment against Ramos in civil court—and she pledged that “as district attorney, I will work to insure that justice is finally served in this tragic case.” In response, Robert Morgenthau, the retiring district attorney, angrily told reporters, “We spent a huge amount of time on that case. If we could go to a grand jury, we would in a minute.” Snyder lost, but not before the winner, Cyrus Vance, Jr., promised to take another look at the case. His office reopened it, and the resulting publicity led a man named José Lopez, who had been married to Hernandez’s sister, to call the police and tell them what he knew. And that is the other side of it."
http://www.newyorker.com/news/amy-davidson/mistrial-in-the-etan-patz-case?mbid=rss
PUBLISHER'S NOTE:
Dear Reader. Keep your eye on the Charles Smith Blog. We are following this case.
I have added a search box for content in this blog which now encompasses several thousand posts. The search box is located near the bottom of the screen just above the list of links. I am confident that this powerful search tool provided by "Blogger" will help our readers and myself get more out of the site.
