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[Volimar]

A Massachusetts judge found Michelle Carter, 20, guilty of involuntary manslaughter in the 2014 death of her boyfriend, who poisoned himself by inhaling carbon monoxide in his pickup truck. Prosecutors had said she sent Conrad Roy III, 18, numerous text messages urging him to commit suicide.

The case was built largely on Michelle Carter's own words, in the form of hundreds of texts messages exchanged with a vulnerable young man who killed himself in July 2014 by inhaling carbon monoxide in his pickup truck.

More at link:

http://www.cnn.com/2017/06/16/us/michelle-carter-texting-case/index.html

Previous thread here:

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1102339

 

[br3wnor]

Awful case, awful circumstances. Sorry for the victim's family, girl was rightfully convicted but don't take any joy in that.

 

[HStallion]

I was wondering how this case would turn out. Does this set a precedent?

 

[Tom Nook]

Sad.

"Love" is used during their text exchange.

 

[Stinkles]

I shouldn't be but I am fascinated by what a stupid evil pos this woman was. There's nothing involuntary about what she did. She was dozens of texts past "I didn't really think he would do it"

 

[kmax]

I read about this case. The girl clearly pushed the poor kid over the edge. Those texts were insane.

 

[Puck Beaverton]

Note to people: telling someone they should kill themselves will likely make them do it

 

[GoldenEye 007]

This is the right move. She wanted to push him even if she wasn't physically there.

 

[Nether!]

Reading the article this seems like a complicated decision that is easy to have an opinion on based on only the headline and opening paragraphs but I'm sure was difficult for the judge to make based on the circumstances.

 

[rjinaz]

Note to people: telling someone they should kill themselves will likely make them do it

Yep the age of "it's just words" is over as it should be. Words can kill.

 

[-tetsuo-]

I had a good friend kill himself and I thought at the time, if he was able to just talk to me or one of our other friends we would have been able to talk him down. Then, I see shit like this transcript and it just makes me furious. What a pos this girl is.

 

[RinsFury]

Good, but I don't see what was involuntary about it. I hope she has a long prison sentence ahead of her to think about what she did.

 

[Hickbilly Deluxe]

Good riddance.

 

[andythinkpad]

Well she is definitely a murderer in my book.

 

[Palmer_v1]

Good. I was worried the jury might let her get away with it. We needed this case to set an example that this kind of bullshit is not okay.

Edit: NM, seems like it wasn't a trial by jury. Still happy with this result.

I remember this case. Was apprehensive until I read the texts. Yea it was the correct verdict. And I hope it sends a message to other shitty people that you can't verbally push people over the edge like that.

She's a terrible human being.



Her defense requested a bench trial. So it was just the judge. Glad the correct verdict was made.

Yup just saw that. I'm surprised they went for a bench trial. Seems like it would have been more likely to get a hung jury.

 

[Mammoth Jones]

I remember this case. Was apprehensive until I read the texts. Yea it was the correct verdict. And I hope it sends a message to other shitty people that you can't verbally push people over the edge like that.

She's a terrible human being.

Good. I was worried the jury might let her get away with it. We needed this case to set an example that this kind of bullshit is not okay.

Her defense requested a bench trial. So it was just the judge. Glad the correct verdict was made.

 

[TheSpecialOne]

Good, lock her up.

 

[hydrophilic attack]

I shouldn't be but I am fascinated by what a stupid evil pos this woman was. There's nothing involuntary about what she did. She was dozens of texts past "I didn't really think he would do it"

I haven't followed the case, but according to the article she wasn't fully there after a switch to a new prescription anti-depressant.

 

[TangoAlphaLima]

I was wondering how this case would turn out. Does this set a precedent?

For one, this is Massachusetts state law, so no matter what happens, it's not precedent for any other jurisdiction in the country, but could be persuasive for other jurisdictions to apply the logic used here.

Second, this ruling will surely be appealed the Massachusetts Appeals Court, then to the Massachusetts Supreme Court. That's where precedence will be set for the State of Massachusetts, and either court could overturn the conviction if they do not believe the facts meet the elements required under the criminal law for involuntary manslaughter.

Regardless, this was an awful case, and even if the conviction gets overturned on appeal, states should create legislation in their criminal codes to prevent this kind of behavior. The defendant was practically goading that kid to commit suicide.

 

[Hazmat]

The guy expressed some fear and doubt about doing it and she pushed him into killing himself. Sounds like the correct verdict to me.

 

[Z3K]

This was at least documented by the texts she sent, but how many of us have faced this type of psychological warfare in our lives from people that are supposed be our friends/partners/family? But most of it goes undocumented as it was just done verbally to us.

Good call on this judgment I say.

 

[Akuun]

I don't see how it's involuntary. She's definitely responsible for pushing him to kill himself.

Glad she's convicted, though. What a piece of shit.

 

[Yaboosh]

This was at least documented by the texts she sent, but how many of us have faced this type of psychological warfare in our lives from people that are supposed be our friends/partners/family? But most of it goes undocumented as it was just done verbally to us.

Good call on this judgment I say.

I'm going to assume not that many.

 

[Zaraki_Kenpachi]

Good, she was an absolute psychopath. Hopefully the sentence is sufficiently long.

 

[MogCakes]

This was at least documented by the texts she sent, but how many of us have faced this type of psychological warfare in our lives from people that are supposed be our friends/partners/family? But most of it goes undocumented as it was just done verbally to us.

Good call on this judgment I say.

We live in a society where we are only punished for physical or financial abuse; we are free to psychologically harass others as we please, unfortunately.

 

[PlayALLtheGames]

Good, but I don't see what was involuntary about it. I hope she has a long prison sentence ahead of her to think about what she did.

Well the "involuntary" refers to the actual act of killing, which she didn't directly participate in.

But yeah, she's a fucking bitch and possibly a psycho. Definitely needs prison.

 

[SenorArdilla]

She pushed him into it and then publicizes his death through a fundraiser to "raise awareness" about suicide.

 

[Plumbob]

She pushed him into it and then publicizes his death through a fundraiser to "raise awareness" about suicide.

whew

 

[LiK]

Her texts were digusting and horrifying. The correct verdict.

 

[dallow_bg]

Good for judicial precedence.

 

[Briarios]

I haven't followed the case, but according to the article she wasn't fully there after a switch to a new prescription anti-depressant.

That's the claim of the defense; it's a little hard to believe. Clearly, it was hard for the judge to believe, too.

 

[Acyl]

I just read through the text messages she sent him, damn that is so warped. Just feels weird reading her texts at the end when she pushes him to do it, wtf.

 

[Permanently A]

What the hell, she used his suicide to get attention from people? What a piece of work, honestly.

 

[One Eyed Willy]

Sounds like a good verdict to me.

 

[Omegasquash]

I've been following this through NPR.

What a warped person she is.

 

[AuthenticM]

Good

And no, she should not have been charged and convicted of murder, like some crazies said she should have been.

 

[TheOnlyOneHeEverFeared]

Damn that lack of empathy. Will she get jail time?

 

[WhereAreMahDragonz]

We live in a society where we are only punished for physical or financial abuse; we are free to psychologically harass others as we please, unfortunately.

And therein lies the precedent. She wasn't physically at the scene and urged him to commit suicide through online / phone interactions alone. This case allows for further rulings against online bullying and the like, since none of those perpetrators are at the scene as well. The groundwork is set through those actions, and then the victim acts.

People have argued that this is also a violation of her First Amendment rights, because they are her words and not physical actions, but I'm not sure I agree with that argument.

 

[Netherscourge]

She's a fucking monster.

Thank goodness we got a judge that didn't fall for that innocent, naive girl shit.

 

[SolidSnakeUS]

Good, fuck you lady. You deserve every bit of this.

 

[Omegasquash]

Damn that lack of empathy. Will she get jail time?

Sentencing on August 3. Apparently she's out on bail between now and then. Can't leave the state without permission from a judge.

 

[cameron]

Damn that lack of empathy. Will she get jail time?

The judge set sentencing for Aug. 3. He ruled that Carter, now 20, can remain free on bail but ordered her not to make any contact with Roy's family and not to leave the state. She faces a sentence of probation to 20 years in prison.

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/michelle-carter-text-suicide-trial-verdict-guilty/

 

[Angelus Errare]

Note to people: telling someone they should kill themselves will likely make them do it

Trump hasn't done it yet and I tell him to do it every day.

 

[markhimself46]

She pushed him into it and then publicizes his death through a fundraiser to "raise awareness" about suicide.

What the hell, she used his suicide to get attention from people? What a piece of work, honestly.

Seems Munchausen by proxy-esque. Really twisted case. I feel so bad for the the boy and his family.

 

[Omegasquash]

Trump hasn't done it yet and I tell him to do it every day.

Yeah but he's a sociopath.

 

[Ceres]

People have argued that this is also a violation of her First Amendment rights, because they are her words and not physical actions, but I'm not sure I agree with that argument.

They are the people that don't understand the first amendment.

 

[AuthenticM]

I hope she doesn't get too high of a sentence though. The thing in a case like this is that a strong sentence (such as a long prison sentence) doesn't accomplish anything in regards to dissuasion from doing the crime. And this is also not the kind of case in which the accused would commit other offences.

I think three or four years of jail is enough.

Twenty years would be fucking crazy.

 

[Indrid Cold1]

Just read those texts. Despicable. He'd almost certainly be alive today if it weren't for her.

 

[sora87]

Good, she's an evil person and should be locked away for a longgggg time.

 

[Haly]

This is likely one of the stepping stones towards legitimizing mental damage as an act of criminal aggression, and will have far reaching consequences for bullying, harassment, as well as America's conceptualization of mental well-being.

Or it could be a one time thing I dunno.