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| Blog and Media Roundup - Thursday, October 29, 2009; News Roundup | |
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| Topic Started: Oct 29 2009, 04:21 AM (241 Views) | |
| abb | Oct 29 2009, 05:39 PM Post #16 |
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http://www.wbir.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=103117&provider=top Update: Closing arguments Friday for sentencing hearing in Christian-Newsom murders Yvette Martinez 45 mins ago Convicted killer Lemaricus Davidson will be back in court on Thursday morning to put his life in the hands of a Knox County jury. On Wednesday, 12 jurors found Davidson guilty of first degree premeditated murder of Channon Christian and Chris Newsom. The jury found Davidson guilty of 38 different charges. However on the 2 counts of aggravated rape of Newsom, the jury found Davidson not guilty. However, they found him guilty of facilitating that crime. Those two verdicts led to the dismissing of two charges against Davidson. Prosecutor Leland Price said to avoid an appeal, he would dismiss two charges linked to the aggravated rape of Newsom. Price told the court he would dismiss count 9 which is first degree felony murder of Newsom during the rape of Newsom. Price also dismissed count 11 first degree felony murder of Christian during the rape of Newsom, since the jury did not find Davidson guilty of Newsom's rape. Christian's and Newsom's family members will testify in front of the jury about the young lives lost. The state also plans to call a prosecutor in a 2001 case against Davidson. That's when he pleaded guilty to a carjacking and aggravated robbery and was sentenced to 8 years in prison. He served more than 5 years in the West Tennessee State Penetentiary. Judge Richard Baumgartner will limit what prosecutors can ask Jody Pickens about Davidson's previous conviction. Earlier this year, the judge ruled the state can not present Davidson's carjacking conviction, but they can talk about the aggravated robbery of Catherine Hall. Defense attorney David Eldridge is planning to call 8 witnesses to talk about Davidson's background and mental state. Eldridge said at least one expert will testify. Davidson told officers during his interrogation on January 11, 2007 that he was bi-polar. Jurors will have 3 choices for a sentence for Davidson. They can sentence him to death, life with the possibility of parole, and life without the possibility of parole. |
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| abb | Oct 29 2009, 05:40 PM Post #17 |
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http://www.volunteertv.com/knox/headlines/67200747.html Updated: 6:17 PM Oct 29, 2009 Defense rests in Davidson sentencing hearing, deliberations tomorrow Thursday was a day filled with emotional testimony in a Knox County courtroom, as prosecutors called Christian and Newsom family members to explain why Lemaricus Davidson should die for killing Channon Christian, 21, and Christopher Newsom, 23, in January 2007. Davidson's foster family asked the jury to spare his life. Posted: 9:14 AM Oct 29, 2009 Reporter: Michael Grider & Mike McCarthy KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) -- Thursday was a day filled with emotional testimony in a Knox County courtroom, as prosecutors called Christian and Newsom family members to explain why Lemaricus Davidson should die for killing Channon Christian, 21, and Christopher Newsom, 23, in January 2007. Davidson's foster family asked the jury to spare his life. Those who knew Lemaricus Davidson as brother or son, and those who know him as convicted killer were face-to-face in the courtroom. Before a jury called Lemaricus Davidson a killer, the Rudd family called him a foster son. "I was never afraid of Lemaricus," Flo Rudd said. Davidson now faces the death penalty for the killings. Davidson's defenders questioned his temporary foster family to try to save his life. "What did Lemaricus Davidson mean to you?" Defense attorney David Eldridge asked Rudd. "He's like my son to me and we loved him very much," she replied. "I know he had a rough beginning. We were trying to do something to better him." But Defense attorney David Eldridge argued the Rudds' love came just too late after years of a cruel, chaotic childhood. "Mr. Davidson, by the time he was 16, was so damaged, so exposed, the course of his life had been set," Eldridge said. Davidson's biological sister testified that their teenage mom was a neglectful, abusive crack addict who often beat Davidson. "She would fist fight him with her fist or whatever she could grab," said Davidson's sister, Lequitta Boddie. "She would hit him with it. Throw it against him against the wall." But prosecutors say Davidson could have turned his life around. They said he had chances in a boys' group home, and then with the Rudds. But his foster parents kicked him out because of consistent pot use. "I didn't know if I could undo the scarring he had done, but I was committing him to give it a try," Carl Rudd testified. "And did you give him that chance? I gave it a try." The victims' families took the stand, describing the how their children's deaths haunt them daily. "Channon was taken from us far too early," Deena Christian said. "She suffered more than any one person should have to endure." "My life will never be the same because of senseless crime buy people who have no respect for life," Mary Newsom said. Davidon's life will soon be up to the jury, which will begin deliberating his fate Friday. The jury also learned it would cost more to send Davidson to death row than to sentence him to life in prison, once the additional attorney fees and appeals process is taken into consideration. The defense wanted the jury to know, trying to head off any jurors who might favor the death penalty because they believe it to be cheaper on taxpayers. Both the defense and prosecution in this case say they've not heard of this happening in any other Knox County capital case. The judge told jurors not to consider the economics of penalties when deciding Davidson's sentence, but he also said he didn't want the jury to be misinformed. ----- KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) -- The defense has rested their case in the sentencing hearing of Lemaricus Davidson. Deliberations will begin Tuesday, after both sides present their closing arguments. ----- KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) -- The defense is calling members of Lemaricus Davidson's family to the stand to testify about his troubled childhood, a similar strategy used by Letalvis Cobbins' attorneys. Cobbins was not sentenced to death for his crimes, nor was he convicted of killing Newsom. ----- KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) -- Responding to defense concerns about the perceived cost of sentencing someone to death versus sentencing someone to life in prison without parole, Judge Richard Baumgartner, in an unusual move, instructed jurors not to consider any economic factors when they're deciding whether Lemaricus Davidson should be sentenced to death for murdering Channon Christian and Christopher Newsom in January 2007. Judge Baumgartner told the jury about a state comptroller's office study that shows that sentencing someone to death is more expensive than sentencing them to life in prison without parole because of the added costs for attorneys and appeals associated with capital cases. ------ KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) -- Prosecutors have rested their case in Lemaricus Davidson's sentencing hearing. The jury, once both sides have presented their proof, will decide Davidson's fate. The premeditated first degree murder counts and the felony murder counts have been merged so that the jury will consider sentences for the first degree premeditated murder of Christian, the first degree premeditated murder of Newsom, the first degree felony murder of Christian, and the first degree felony murder of Newsom. ----- KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) -- The sentencing hearing for now-convicted killer Lemaricus Davidson begins today. He faces the possibility of the death penalty for killing Channon Christian, 21, and Christopher Newsom, 23, in January 2007. The couple was carjacked, kidnapped, raped and murdered. Volunteer TV's Mike McCarthy as at the courthouse. You can watch a live feed from the courtroom on VolunteerTV.com, and get courtroom updates from Mike McCarthy on Twitter by following @WVLT. |
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| abb | Oct 29 2009, 05:41 PM Post #18 |
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http://www.volunteertv.com/home/headlines/67338962.html Posted: 6:03 PM Oct 29, 2009 Cobbins on lockdown almost all day in medium security prison Convicted murderer of Channon Christian in a medium security prison, but locked down 23 hours a day. A spokesperson for the Tennessee Department of Corrections says she made a mistake when giving all the details of Letalvius Cobbins' confinement earlier this week. Reporter: Stephen McLamb KNOXVILLE, Tenn (WVLT) -- A spokesperson for the Tennessee Department of Corrections says she made a mistake when giving details of Letalvius Cobbins' confinement earlier this week. On Monday, Dorinda Carter told Volunteer TV News Cobbins, who was convicted of murdering raping, and kidnapping Channon Christian, and facilitating the murder of Christopher Newsom, was serving his life sentence at Hardeman County Correctional Facility, a medium security prison in West Tennessee. She again confirmed the information in a phone interview with Volunteer TV News' Stephen McLamb this morning. Carter told Volunteer TV News Cobbins must be in his cell at night by 8:30 or 8:45, but then spends most of the morning, afternoon, and early evening out of his cell doing jobs, or other activities. But reached in her office just before 5 pm, Carter said she did not provide all the information about his confinement. Carter tells Volunteer TV News while Cobbins is serving his time at Hardeman, he is doing it in protective custody which means he is on lockdown inside his cell for 23 of the 24 hours of the day. Carter says Cobbins intimated concerns for his safety. Much more on this story on Volunteer TV News at 6, and on VolunteerTV.com. |
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| Kerri P. | Oct 29 2009, 05:45 PM Post #19 |
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In other words the judge just told the jury to come back with a life in prison without parole. 
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| cks | Oct 29 2009, 07:48 PM Post #20 |
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It does not matter one whit the cost - Davidson should be given the death sentence. |
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| abb | Oct 29 2009, 08:17 PM Post #21 |
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http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2009/oct/29/cobbins-protective-custody-west-tn-prison-after-ex/ Cobbins in protective custody at West TN prison after expressing safety concern By News Sentinel staff Thursday, October 29, 2009 A co-defendant convicted for his role in the torture slayings of Channon Christian and Christopher Newsom is in protective custody at a prison in West Tennessee. Letalvis Cobbins, 26, expressed a concern for his safety while being classified at a Nashville prison by the Tennessee Department of Correction, according to Department of Correction spokeswoman Dorinda Carter. "Based on his statements that he feared for his safety, the warden in Nashville recommended to the warden at Hardeman (County Correctional Center) that he be removed from the general (prison) population," Carter said. Carter said she did not know the specifics of his concern or whether an internal investigation was ordered after he raised the concern with correction officials. Cobbins was moved to Hardeman last Friday and is in a protective custody unit at the Whiteville facility, which is run by the Corrections Corporation of America, a private company that contracts with the state of Tennessee. The medium-security prison has 2,016 beds. Carter said she did not know how many inmates are in the protective custody unit. Cobbins, 26, was convicted in August of first-degree murder in the death of Christian and of facilitating the murder of Newsom in January 2007 and sentenced to life without parole. His brother, Lemaricus Davidson, 28, was convicted Wednesday of the first-degree murders of the Knox County couple who were carjacked while on a date. A jury will begin deliberations Friday on whether he should be put to death by lethal injection, sentenced to life without parole or life in prison, a mandatory 51-year sentence. Two other co-defendants, George Thomas and Vanessa Coleman, are awaiting trial. Cobbins had been at the Charless Bass Correctional Complex in Nashville where the Correction Department assessed where he should serve his sentence. Maximum-security facilities are reserved for death row inmates, but Cobbins could be sent to such a facility, based on his behavior, Carter said. While in protective custody, Cobbins may mingle and share meals with a small number of inmates away from the prison's general population. He could be locked down in his cell up to 23 hours a day if necessary, based on threats to his safety. A protective custody review committee assesses inmates' status every 30 days, but safety concerns are looked at daily, Carter said. More details as they develop online and in Friday's News Sentinel. |
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