re: #11 PeterWolf

The law used as his defense sounds totally fucking nuts in the first place.

To explain that law further: Texas criminal law permits the use of deadly force to defend one’s property. That point law should not have swayed the jury, since the $150 was no longer Mr. Gilbert’s property. If he felt he had been cheated, his only recourse was small claims court, which would have laughed at him. In reality, it looks to me like this Gilbert fired solely from anger, and for that he ought to have gotten life.

He likely won’t escape unscathed, though, for my highlighting of the phrase “criminal law” was done for a reason: According to Texas civil law, Ezekiel Gilbert’s actions were a textbook wrongful death. Moreover, since he admitted to shooting the escort, he has no defense if her family or for that matter the man driving the car sue for wrongful death.

The prospect of Gilbert being bankrupted gives my no joy, though, for he should have been imprisoned.