Dylann Roof Found Guilty in Charleston Church Massacre

[WhiteTara]

Source: NYTimes

CHARLESTON, S.C. — Dylann S. Roof, a self-radicalized young white supremacist who killed nine black parishioners last year when he opened fire during a long-planned assault on Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church, was found guilty by a federal jury here on Thursday.

Mr. Roof, 22, will face the same jurors next month when they gather on Jan. 3 to begin a second and more suspenseful phase of his trial to decide whether he will be sentenced to death or life in prison without parole.

The jury reached its decision in the trial’s guilt phase after deliberating for only a couple of hours. The verdict seemed a foregone conclusion from the first minutes of the trial, which began on Dec. 7 and included a swift acknowledgment from the chief defense lawyer, David I. Bruck, that Mr. Roof was responsible for the “astonishing, horrible attack” on June 17, 2015.

Indeed, Mr. Roof had chillingly confessed to investigators nearly 18 months earlier and revealed his purpose in a blatantly racist manifesto that he published online. His choice of targets seemed intensely premeditated — he scouted the church half a dozen times — although he also researched other black churches and a festival elsewhere in South Carolina before settling on Charleston because, he wrote, it is the “most historic city in my state.”

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/15/us/dylann-roof-trial.html?_r=0

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So, he has a few more trials to go through. I think a hate crime trial is coming too.

[Eugene]

1. Roof says he wants represent himself in the penalty phase.

All he will accomplish will be cooking his own goose.

...and I don't believe in the death penalty.

[yurbud]

20. I don't either but if it's on the books, and black folks are getting executed for killing whites or

even just each other, it would look like we are devaluing black lives to let him serve life in prison.

[greatauntoftriplets]

2. Thank you to the jury.

Fast verdict, but it was expected.

[christx30]

3. Please no death penalty here.

Make him live for 50 years, with no hope of change or happiness in his life. He's only 22 years old. He'll never get married. Never have kids. From what I've read of his family, they seem to be good people. His uncle said that he'd do the execution if he could. His sister called the police and identified Roof before his arrest. His hatred will die with him.

[AtheistCrusader]

6. And every year we can remind him that the race war he wanted so bad, never happened.

[ZoomBubba]

7. Pleading for the life of Dylann Roof ...

... is like pleading with someone not to flush a turd.

[LanternWaste]

10. It can be difficult not to become the very thing we abhor.

It can be difficult and take discipline not to become the very thing we abhor. It is however, possible.

[ZoomBubba]

17. Unfortunately, it is the politically correct thing to do ...

... and we don't need to put on a face that we believe in sparing vicious monsters. Anyway, there's nothing abhorrent in putting Roof down. It's justice and it's something most Americans agree with. We should not stand against the tide. We don't have to go with it, but we can step aside and let if flow.

[christx30]

14. I'm not pleading for his life.

I'm saying that at only 22, he'd have his whole live ahead of him. But now he's just going to sit in a cage until he dies because of his terrible actions. I just hope no one releases him from this terrible existence too early. Hopefully he has to deal with his caged life for quite a while.

[ZoomBubba]

16. I understand that ...

... but it's not up to us at the end of the day.

[whathehell]

26. He's not a turd,

he's a human being, even if an awful one.

[ZoomBubba]

28. He may be ...

... but there's not really much case to keep him on this earth. One can be against the death penalty and at the same time not waste effort on keeping Roof alive. There's something to be said about stepping aside in certain cases. A few years ago, there was a man executed that raped an 18-month old and killed her ... anti-death penalty protesters turned out and it was very embarrassing to see them make him a martyr.

[47of74]

8. Yeah that's what I'm leaning towards.

I hope he lives a very long time in prison. Another 70 years at the least.

[Ohioblue22]

9. Yea good idea then he can be used by other inmates to kill

Guards and inmates that other inmates want killed.

[mreilly]

12. Are you sure he'll never marry or have kids?

Charles "Tex" Watson, one of the Manson Family killers, managed to do both despite being sentenced to life in prison.

[HAB911]

13. He needs to spend the rest of his life with African-American prision gangs

African American

Most African-American prison gangs retain their street gang names and associations. These commonly include Rollin' sets (named after streets, i.e. Rollin' 30's, Rollin' 40's etc.) that can identify with either Blood or Crip affiliations.

The Black Guerilla Family represents an exception, as an originally politically based group that has a significant presence in prisons and prison politics. It was founded in 1966 at San Quentin State Prison, California by former Black Panther member George L. Jackson.[6]

United Blood Nation: an African-American prison gang found on the east coast. They are rivals with the Netas and have ties with the Black Guerilla Family.

Folk Nation: Found in Midwestern and Southern states, allied with Crips, bitter rivals with the People Nation.

People Nation: Found in Midwestern and Southern states, allied with Bloods, bitter rivals with the Folk Nation.

D.C. Blacks: Found in Washington D.C. by African-American inmates, are allied with the Black Guerilla Family and United Blood Nation, and enemies to the Aryan Brotherhood and Mexican Mafia.

Conservative Vice Lords (CVL): A primarily African American gang that originated in the St. Charles Illinois Youth Center outside Chicago.[7] In Chicago, CVL operated primarily in the Lawndale section and used drug sales profits to continue operation and used prisons to train and recruit new members.[8]

[yeoman6987]

23. Not necessarily

Many in prison get married with outside "fans" and others. As far as kids, I guess they get Congigle visits.

[Coolest Ranger]

4. Excellent

hopefully that will send a message to the racist out there

[jaxind]

5. Needed...

Needed some good news...wonderful!!

[Devil Child]

11. Great news!

The world will be a better place once this KKK domestic terrorist is put to death.

[forjusticethunders]

15. I prefer a Green Mile electrocution.

Sorry Emanuel AME, I can't be as gracious as you wonderful souls with this piece of shit. I guess that's why they're on the fast track to Heaven while I might get stuck in committee.

[Ron Obvious]

18. Well, it was not like there was any possible doubt about his guilt.

That said, I'm against the death penalty in all cases and I'm always a little unnerved by the bloodlust around here at times like this.

[yurbud]

19. Trump will offer him a pardon and put him in charge of the Civil Rights division of Justice Dept

[sheshe2]

21. Good n/t

[alphafemale]

22. I was beginning to fear that EVEN THIS would result in a mistrial.

When the trial of Michael Slager resulted in a mistrial when we saw him shoot a man to death who was running away.

"I tremble for my country when I recall that God is just" - Thomas Jefferson

[MosheFeingold]

24. My first question

Is what do the victims' families want. Being a religious organization, my assumption is they are anti-death penalty.

[Yo_Mama]

27. This was the hate crime trial. State goes next. n/t