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Hung Jury in Ohio Sniper Case

By TChris, Section Crime in the News
Posted on Mon May 09, 2005 at 01:27:32 PM EST
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by TChris

After 29 hours of deliberations, a hung jury caused Judge Charles Schneider to declare a mistrial in the prosecution of Charles McCoy Jr. McCoy was charged with 24 crimes arising out of "sniper-style shootings" at vehicles in Ohio. He was facing the death penalty.

McCoy's lawyers argued that McCoy suffered from a serious mental illness that prevented him from appreciating the difference between right and wrong.

McCoy was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia in 1996, and even prosecutors acknowledged the severity of his mental illness, in which he claimed to hear voices and believed cameras were watching him.

Psychiatrists for both sides agreed he suffered auditory hallucinations and paranoid delusions that McCoy felt could only be silenced by carrying out the shootings.

Franklin County Prosecuting Attorney Ron O'Brien said the state presented the best case it had, and may not pursue the death penalty if the case goes to trial a second time.

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    Hung Jury in Ohio Sniper Case | 8 comments (8 topical)
    Re: Hung Jury in Ohio Sniper Case (none / 0) (#1)
    by Mreddieb on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 12:58:54 PM EST
    I caught some of this case on Ct TV and I believe now that the Death penalty is gone a plea will be reached.

    Re: Hung Jury in Ohio Sniper Case (none / 0) (#2)
    by DawesFred60 on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 12:58:55 PM EST
    the fact is he is a terrorists, but the other fact is we all know. but life without, is like a living hell and that guy has it coming, but the kid should not get life; that boy was used by that murderous nut case. free the kid put the real killer in prison, "never to see the out-side world".

    Re: Hung Jury in Ohio Sniper Case (none / 0) (#3)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 12:58:55 PM EST
    There was no way they should have gone for the death penalty. This fellow is seriously ill, a fact that has been well documented for eight years. The real question here is, how in the hell was he able to purchase guns multiple times. So much for the instant background check.

    Re: Hung Jury in Ohio Sniper Case (none / 0) (#4)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 12:58:55 PM EST
    that guy has it coming, but the kid should not get life; that boy was used by that murderous nut case.
    You're thinking of the DC case, not the one in Ohio under discussion in the post.

    Re: Hung Jury in Ohio Sniper Case (none / 0) (#5)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 12:58:55 PM EST
    The american people sometimes know a crazy person when they see one. We are not keen on executing crazy people. The prosecutor made a mistake with the death penalty decision given this guy's apparent mental illness.

    Re: Hung Jury in Ohio Sniper Case (none / 0) (#6)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 12:58:55 PM EST
    Made a mistake? If he is elected he should be looking for a job after the next election. Just on a practical level (morality and ethics aside), how'd he think he could get a jury to ignore this. What a waste of taxpayers money. (Maybe they should take the cost of the trial out of the DA's salary)

    Re: Hung Jury in Ohio Sniper Case (none / 0) (#7)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 12:58:56 PM EST
    he claimed to hear voices and believed cameras were watching him... Well if I though 'cameras' were watching me, I sure as hell wouldn't go out & take shots at people! Lock him up & throw away the key

    Re: Hung Jury in Ohio Sniper Case (none / 0) (#8)
    by Richard Aubrey on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 12:58:57 PM EST
    How does it work in Ohio? What kind of finding will this guy likely get? Too nuts to try? If so, then what?

    Hung Jury in Ohio Sniper Case | 8 comments (8 topical)