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CRYSTAL MANGUM TRIAL; December 2010
Topic Started: Nov 29 2010, 12:59 PM (56,622 Views)
kbp

"The element of malice requires either a specific intent to cause destruction or substantial damage to the dwelling -- comma -- first thought -- or -- or an act done in wanton and willful disregard of the plain and strong likelihood of such harm."


My thoughts if I were a juror:
If my "intent" was to "cause destruction or substantial damage to the dwelling", the least likely place I'd start the fire using clothes would be in the bath tub, for I'm not certain that doing such would provide the "plain and strong likelihood of such" accomplishing the goal, so I find it much more difficult to believe it to have been a "an act done in wanton and willful disregard" the outcome would be the damage that did result.

I must admit I do not have enough information to conclude all jurors should agree with that.

I suppose if the tub area did not have some form of water-proof walls for a shower (tile...), though I sense it would if it was new enough to have a plastic tub, and the tub was so full of clothes that uncovered portion of the walls were exposed to flames, one should consider the outcome could cause something more easily ignited than the plastics would catch fire.

Should a person wish to control the burning of something within the house, the bat tub seems like the best spot. The bottom and sides are contained and water to extinguish it are readily available there. A tub just seems like the most unlikely spot to use to purposefully create such damage.

Crystal should be in jail for many reasons, but I have a feeling the jury will not add this arson charge to that list of reasons.
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Quasimodo

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Crystal should be in jail for many reasons, but I have a feeling the jury will not add this arson charge to that list of reasons.


Note that the original (and in my opinion more viable) charges of child endangerment were downgraded to misdemeanors. Why that should have been,
I leave to your imaginations.
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kbp

Quasimodo
Dec 17 2010, 09:53 AM
Quote:
 
Crystal should be in jail for many reasons, but I have a feeling the jury will not add this arson charge to that list of reasons.


Note that the original (and in my opinion more viable) charges of child endangerment were downgraded to misdemeanors. Why that should have been,
I leave to your imaginations.
I'm not sure how "intent" would apply to those charges, but I do feel any idiot should know smoke is a hazard for the children in the house.

The strategy behind the charges used are looking more like the bigger crime to me!
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Mason
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Most of the time you can't start a fire in your backyard around here - due to the risks associated.

I think starting an open fire inside of a house is insane to suicidal.

A house with women - a house with kids - you're going to have flammable stuff in that bathroom too. Hair straighteners, alcohol wipes, Nail Polish Remover - anyone? Nail Polish Remover has paint thinners in it - it's a solvent that will go up like gasoline. Nail Polish itself is also flammable

Do we know anyone that does their nails in the bathroom?



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Edited by Mason, Dec 17 2010, 10:31 AM.
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Mason
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If we are going to try to get inside of Crystal's mind - and judge her intent, then I have to say Crystal was stopped in mid-attack.

There is no reason to believe she was going to stop. If the Police hadn't physically stopped her when they did, she was going to continue. What else her rage led her to is your guess as good as mine, but Crystal wasn't anywhere near finished, IMO.

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Mason
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Then there's that argument to be made, if she just wanted to ruin his clothes why didn't she pour bleach all over them?

Why not put them in the dumpster at the apartment complex?

Crystal acted with no concern for the lives of her kids.

I think Crystal thought she was going to be arrested and she thought Milton was the one that called the Cops on her. It was her last "stab" at Milton before being hauled away.

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Edited by Mason, Dec 17 2010, 10:56 AM.
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Baldo
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Starting a fire within any dwelling with your children in it is a wanton act. A bathtub is a water -proof structure, but the bathroom is not fire proof, especially in an older dwelling.

The point is she willfully started a fire and any fire is dangerous.

How many chances can this woman be given before she actually causes physical harm? She has already cause so much financial & emotional harm over a lie.

She is a modern day "Typhoid Mary." Just trouble.

Personally I really don't know if she is actually "insane" or a criminal. I suspect a bit of each depending on her current mental state. I can't imagine the life those kids live.
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Kerri P.
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Let's hope we have a verdict today. I don't think that these jurors really want to spend another week on this as Christmas is just a week away.
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~J~ is in Wonderland
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~J~ is in Wonderland
Where is Milliken? No tweet yet?
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kbp

I post a bit as the devil's advocate here on this topic.

It's not the wisest move to start a fire any place inside a home, except maybe in a fireplace, so that weighs in showing guilt. However, absent a fireplace, what location in a house is the most likely spot a small fire can be controlled or restricted from spreading to the rest of the house?

The jurors were made aware of the fact this episode started as a domestic dispute between two people, so the objective of burning the clothes was evidently one of those two people seeking to damage property belonging to the other.

The intent seems to miss the mark for burning down the house then, so I'd think that for the jury to find her guilty they'd consider whether or not she should have anticipated it could happen and is covered under that "wanton and willful disregard".
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Mason
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What does closing the bathroom door indicate?

What does telling the Cops to leave indicate?

What does fighting tooth and nail with 3 cops indicate?

It doesn't add up to a domestic violence victim, I can tell you that.

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kbp

Mason
Dec 17 2010, 11:33 AM
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What does closing the bathroom door indicate?
She wanted to conceal her trying to damage his property, which the vac/car episode and clothes tossed out indicate was at least one of her goals.

What does telling the Cops to leave indicate?
She wants them gone. She was evidently the more aggressive of the two by then.

What does fighting tooth and nail with 3 cops indicate?
She's not all that smart. The call was from the child because mom was being hurt by the boyfriend. I'd assume the solution would be for the cops to remove him after sorting out the situation and checking on the children

It doesn't add up to a domestic violence victim, I can tell you that.
One of multiple acts she undertook to damage his property in that dispute.

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COMPLETELY coming from the devil's advocate in the jury room. :)

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~J~ is in Wonderland
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~J~ is in Wonderland
The jury is deliberating.
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Deleted User
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If this were anyone else, the dog and pony show would be over.
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Quasimodo

Twitter:

Mangum to supporters: “As a little girl, I never thought I’d be here.”


Steven Matherly: “That’s OK, they won’t be able to remember what you say, they’ll just make it up anyway.”
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