December 14, 2007
Bite Size News
--One would think that Boston would be prepared to handle snow. But it isn't a good sign when headlines read "what went wrong." [Boston Globe]
--It also isn't a good sign when kids don't get home until 11:30 pm because of the weather. [Boston Globe]
--A mistrial has been declared in the second trial for Alexander Pring-Wilson, who was convicted of manslaughter for the 2003 stabbing of Michael Colono in Cambridge, but who was granted another trial because Colono's past record of violence wasn't addressed by the jury in the first trial. [Boston Globe]
--Senator John Kerry is getting more involved with finding out the facts in the death of Corporal Ciara Durkin, of Quincy, who was killed while working in a financial role on a military base in Afghanistan. [Boston Herald, Bostonist (background)]
--The Supreme Judicial court declared that the permit approving the BU Biolab, which will be dealing with some seriously scary stuff, was "arbitrary and capricious." [Boston Globe]
--UMass-Boston, which is due for an overhaul, might just get dorms. [Boston Globe]
--The driver of the Peter Pan Bus From Hell, who allegedly wouldn't let his Boston-bound passengers off his bus because he thought one of them tattled on him, is saying he was "misunderstood." [Boston Globe]
--Tom Finneran, former House speaker who is now a host on WRKO, will be undergoing surgery for prostate cancer. [WBZ]
Photo appropriately titled "Gridlock in Kendall Square" from Jessie1000 from photos on Flickr tagged "Bostonist."
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I don't understand why the prior criminal history of the victim should be considered by the jury in the Pring-Wilson case, seeing as Pring-Wilson did not know the man and could not have possibly known his criminal record just by looking at him.
1} You aren't using the word Victim correctly - that is the question in this trial - who really was the victim.
2} What happened to innocent until proven quilty. Just because you get arrested, doesn't mean you aren't the actual victim.
3} Prior PROVED criminal / violent history matters because it goes to show that Michael and Sammy were the agressors. While both had Assault issues in the past, Alex has nothing like that. 4} You don't have to know someone personally to have their behavior be obviously agressive and intending to cause you harm.
5} In the other 49 states in the union, a person's prior - criminal behavior has always been considered relevent.