Dru trial

[DI IN FARGO]

The defense attorneys must do a complete and through job, the last thing I believe anyone would wants in this case is any appeals.

Just for information purpose, Robert Hoy is the father of sioux men"s hoopster Jimmy Hoy.

My two cents... When this is all said and done Mr. Rodriguez Jr. will have taken his last breath.

I guarantee you no matter how good a job they do there will be an appeal. It's sad but its whats become of our Criminal Justice System.

[CoteauRinkRat]

I guarantee you no matter how good a job they do there will be an appeal. It's sad but its whats become of our Criminal Justice System.

That is where I am at on this whole deal. I definitely want justice, but also want a fair trial. The only problem I have is it will take years upon years, even if he is found guilty before this whole thing is over with. If the jury finds him guilty, there will be an appeal, that will take years. I'm sorry, but we have a problem with way too many lawsuits and such clogging up our court systems. I'm not suggesting that this guy shouldn't get a fair trial and competent representation, but we also need to take a good look at our court system and its opinion of a "speedy" trial.

[katohtr]

I just wanted to point out that I don't think anyone in here has tried to defend Alfonso...I know that these are all posts in support of faith in our justice system, and the right to a fair trial.

I also agree with what being said, it just sucks that it needs to be drug out, appealled...ect. I also don't fault the attorneys. Everyone needs representation, especially for something like this.

[jloos]

Spoken like a true lawyer - you should enroll in law school. Of course you may get some backlash from your present employer, they are jealous of the law school continually beating them in malpractice bowls.

Robert Hoy is a respected attorney. I do not know him personally, but he is known as a fair, honest attorney. Mr. Rodriguez is entitled to the best defense possible, and it appears he is receiving it. That said, I have no doubt he did it and the world will be a better place after the last drop of potassium chloride courses through his veins. It has already been mentioned, but the better the defense, the smoother the appeals will likely be.

Who defended him?

Some of us are defending his right to a fair trial. Big difference.

[siouxforeverbaby]

I heard on today's noon news that the jury selection got postponed due to a computer glitch. Is it true or what really happened today?

[CoteauRinkRat]

I heard on today's noon news that the jury selection got postponed due to a computer glitch. Is it true or what really happened today?

If you heard it on the news, chances are, it is probably true.

According to the AP stories, the jurors who showed up today were all from Valley City. Of course the potential jurors are supposed to be at random, and therefore the computer glitch needed to be fixed.

[PCM]

I'm not suggesting that this guy shouldn't get a fair trial and competent representation, but we also need to take a good look at our court system and its opinion of a "speedy" trial.

The defendent has the right to a speedy trial if he/she wants it. There's nothing that says a speedy trial is required. Because the outcome of this case could carry the death penalty, a speedy trial is obviously not in Rodriguez's best interest. And if he's found guilty, dragging out the appeals process as long as possible is a given.

[PCM]

Spoken like a true lawyer - you should enroll in law school.

Watching all those "Law and Order" reruns is finally paying off!

[CoteauRinkRat]

The defendent has the right to a speedy trial if he/she wants it. There's nothing that says a speedy trial is required. Because the outcome of this case could carry the death penalty, a speedy trial is obviously not in Rodriguez's best interest. And if he's found guilty, dragging out the appeals process as long as possible is a given.

Did I say anywhere in my post that a speedy trial was required?

I just think that it is a joke when some guy is found guilty and ten years later he is still appealing his case.

[PCM]

Did I say anywhere in my post that a speedy trial was required?

Your post seemed to imply that. Sorry if I misinterpreted what you were saying.

I just think that it is a joke when some guy is found guilty and ten years later he is still appealing his case.

Me too.

[The Sicatoka]

Watching all those "Law and Order" reruns is finally paying off!

"Are you kidding me?"

And here I thought you were paying more attention to Lenny Briscoe than Jack McCoy.

[CoteauRinkRat]

It hasn't even started yet and I'm already wanting it to be over with.

It definitely didn't get off to a great start today, that is for sure.

[PCM]

"Are you kidding me?"

And here I thought you were paying more attention to Lenny Briscoe than Jack McCoy.

I paid a lot more attention to Abbie Carmichael, my favorite L&O attorney, than Jack.

[WildSioux]

Please show me any post where someone is defending Rodriguez?!

I think some may have misunderstood me. I wasn't accusing anyone here of defending Rodriguez. I am just pointing out the fact that it is hard for me to defend and put faith into our justice system for those accused and their right to a fair trial. I know, that is life and that is how it works. I agree that they deserve a fair trial in the chance that they are found innocent. But when was the last time you heard a murderer, in the court room on trial say they are sorry and show mercy towards their victim? There may be a few, but 99% of those accused show no mercy and know they committed a crime to society and the know the consequences. It is the defense attorneys who I have a hard time with, not anyone of you. They have a hard job to do no doubt.

The thing that makes me mad in all of this. Is that the evidence is there, but the trial keeps getting delayed (until now), jurors will be picked tomorrow after today's so called "glitch," and there will be appeals sad as it is. Remember, as I pointed out earlier, a single juror kept the so-called 20th hijacker from receiving the death penalty. A single juror can "hang" a jury and prevent an acquittal. I hope this doesn't happen in this case. But that is what has become of our justice system making a mockery out of the victims while helping the murderers. Sadly the victims don't have a say in all of this but the murderer's do.

[HockeyMom]

Alfonso is a lifer in the penal system. He'd spent so much time in it that by the time he was charged with the murder and kidnapping of Dru, he knew that he had a better chance of getting off if he kept his mouth shut, and made the authorities do all of the work to convict him.

If the justice system fails, people still have to answer to a higher power when they leave this earth.

I wonder if O.J. ever thinks about that?

[SiouxPride0303]

I think some may have misunderstood me. I wasn't accusing anyone here of defending Rodriguez. I am just pointing out the fact that it is hard for me to defend and put faith into our justice system for those accused and their right to a fair trial. I know, that is life and that is how it works. I agree that they deserve a fair trial in the chance that they are found innocent. But when was the last time you heard a murderer, in the court room on trial say they are sorry and show mercy towards their victim? There may be a few, but 99% of those accused show no mercy and know they committed a crime to society and the know the consequences. It is the defense attorneys who I have a hard time with, not anyone of you. They have a hard job to do no doubt.

The thing that makes me mad in all of this. Is that the evidence is there, but the trial keeps getting delayed (until now), jurors will be picked tomorrow after today's so called "glitch," and there will be appeals sad as it is. Remember, as I pointed out earlier, a single juror kept the so-called 20th hijacker from receiving the death penalty. A single juror can "hang" a jury and prevent an acquittal. I hope this doesn't happen in this case. But that is what has become of our justice system making a mockery out of the victims while helping the murderers. Sadly the victims don't have a say in all of this but the murderer's do.

I'm not picking on you or your position but have you studied law, psych, juries or sex offenders? Because it all seems to be an armchair analysis. Which is fine but I think a lot of your arguments are based on what you've seen on tv news or read in the papers. The law is much more complex than what the media portrays.

I study forensic psych and went to witness a trial recently of a man that raped and murdered several women in the late 90's. He JUST went to Trial in January for the murders of two of those people--a woman and her daughter. The man was a sadist and one of the sickest sob's ever. His crimes are too disgusting to put into print but I gotta tell ya...despite his crimes, he is a person too with rights afforded to every other citizen in this country. He did get a fair trial and I hope that he suffers in hell for what he did. But he deserves a fair trial...its not a perfect system,because humans, who designed the system, are not perfect. But don't blame it on the "liberals" or "glitches" or the slowness of it all.

I think some folks are missing the other side too...Rodriguez has family too and dont forget they are suffering just as much as Dru's family. For their sake at least, he deserves a fair trial.

I'm going to avoid the controversial issues that most people dont understand because they havent studied or worked with sex offenders.

Does anybody know if the defense attorney has a mental health law background or at least trial consultants that are specialized in mental health law? Just curious.

And the 20th hijacker didnt get off. No more than Andrea Yates will get off if her insanity plea goes through. And neither will Rodriguez... regardless of the tvs, magazines and so called free time in prison---he'll get his due because there is no way he'll have it easy in prison. Gaurenteed.

[SiouxPride0303]

Alfonso is a lifer in the penal system. He'd spent so much time in it that by the time he was charged with the murder and kidnapping of Dru, he knew that he had a better chance of getting off if he kept his mouth shut, and made the authorities do all of the work to convict him.

If the justice system fails, people still have to answer to a higher power when they leave this earth.

I wonder if O.J. ever thinks about that?

I think OJ is a psychopath so no, I dont think he thinks about that.

[HockeyMom]

I think OJ is a psychopath so no, I dont think he thinks about that.

He's too busy looking for the real killers to think about it........

[SiouxPride0303]

He's too busy looking for the real killers to think about it........

The golf course must be full of potential suspects eh?

[WildSioux]

I'm not picking on you or your position but have you studied law, psych, juries or sex offenders? Because it all seems to be an armchair analysis. Which is fine but I think a lot of your arguments are based on what you've seen on tv news or read in the papers. The law is much more complex than what the media portrays.

No problem, don't worry about picking on me SiouxPride, I can handle it Well, I took one law class in college up there at UND but it was aviation law so it does not apply to this. And everything else is just my observation going on in society with these sex offenders and the judicial tyranny. Down here in IA there was a girl named Jetseta Gage (sp?) who was raped and murdered last year. Different case, but the same old BS with the trial being delayed, blah blah blah. In fact, the defense in that case wants the judge to throw out a video that would be used as evidence against him. It is all the same...

It just boggles my mind that a level 3 sex offender can be in prison for 23 years, get out into society and do this.

[HockeyMom]

It just boggles my mind that a level 3 sex offender can be in prison for 23 years, get out into society and do this.

I think it boggles everyone's mind. The thing with it happening in Grand Forks was that no one thought it would happen there, and it effected us all because we all have ties to Grand Forks. What bothered me the most was that UND/Forks, felt safe for me when I was there......and this changed it forever.

[SiouxPride0303]

No problem, don't worry about picking on me SiouxPride, I can handle it Well, I took one law class in college up there at UND but it was aviation law so it does not apply to this. And everything else is just my observation going on in society with these sex offenders and the judicial tyranny. Down here in IA there was a girl named Jetseta Gage (sp?) who was raped and murdered last year. Different case, but the same old BS with the trial being delayed, blah blah blah. In fact, the defense in that case wants the judge to throw out a video that would be used as evidence against him. It is all the same...

It just boggles my mind that a level 3 sex offender can be in prison for 23 years, get out into society and do this.

Trust me, it boggles professionals too. The problem with this guy is that he never complied with treatment options made available to him. And in the 20+ years he was in prison, his treatment options were not nearly as good as they are now. What "works" for treatment for sex offenders has only been known in the last few years. He should have been civilly committed. But even if he had complied with treatment, it probably would not have mattered. Men like him are a different breed and very hard to treat. And prison treatment in general is very very poor.

In the state of Minnesota, a sex offender can be committed for an indeterminate amount of time until he proves that he is no longer "sexually dangerous." Sex offenders are always sexually dangerous; its just a matter of whether or not they'll reoffend and how/if they'll manifest their deviances. Generally, if they successfully complete treatment and stick to a relapse prevention plan, it is less likely that they'll reoffend. But they are always sex offenders.

So how do you justify locking someone up for an unknown period of time like that when they've served their time? Murderers, drug traffickers and other criminals are released after their term. Its a very controversial subject and its mostly driven by society's passionate hatred towards these people.

Nobody will forget Dru in this, its a guarentee.

I wouldnt worry about this case falling through or Dru not getting her voice heard. Unless the prosecution makes a mistake somewhere along the line, it is quite likely this man is going to spend the rest of his days rotting in prison. He has proven time and again that he is an evil, dangerous, repeat offender and this time he took someones life.

Sorry ya'll for getting technical...and I'm not defending the man. He's the worst kind or person to exist and I hope they gas him.

[PCM]

Sorry ya'll for getting technical...and I'm not defending the man. He's the worst kind or person to exist and I hope they gas him.

Thanks for your insight. Very interesting.

[HockeyMom]

As much as we all think that he should fry if he did it........I think it's important that no one forgets Dru's life.

http://www.drusvoice.com/

[WildSioux]

Trust me, it boggles professionals too.

I can only imagine

Nobody will forget Dru in this, its a guarentee.

No doubt about that!!!!!!

Sorry ya'll for getting technical...and I'm not defending the man. He's the worst kind or person to exist and I hope they gas him.

No, I appreciate your insight into this. I don't know what you do but you sound pretty knowledgable about the law on this. BTW, I believe that both ND and MN changed their stance and laws on sex offenders after Dru Sjodin. Can't remember, but I think they made the laws tougher and will watch them more closely after they get out.

As much as we all think that he should fry if he did it........I think it's important that no one forgets Dru's life.

http://www.drusvoice.com/

Thankyou very much for that link HockeyMom! As many others have said in here, no one will forget Dru