Gone to the jury!!!

[Smash]

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/new-brunswick/story/2007/03/22/nb-masonday3.html?ref=rss

I cant wait to hear the outcome of this case.... What do you all think? Will he be found guilty or not? I hope he is found not guilty myself. It might scare some of the punks out there who are considering crime as a career!!

[vanessalynn5484]

I don't think he should be found guilty either. The fact that he fired four shots will probably work against him though. Don't you think?

Perhaps a light sentence, I can see how they may want to set an example that people should not take the law into their own hands. I am not saying I agree, but I believe that is their case.

[Smash]

Yeah I think you are right... that probably will work against him. I live in the country and have had someone break into my home, as well as steal stuff from our yard. I would love to have gotten a hold of the @$#Q$ that did it. The police really cant do anything unless they can find out who it is and well..... not much is usually done. I just hope that this makes a few more criminals think before they act. Its unfortunate that at his age, Mr Mason and his wife have to go through all this. I also feel for the family of the guy that got shot, as they lost a son, brother, and so on.... Its just a bad situation all around.

[Smash]

Its kind of along the same lines as the Grand Manan thing....

[magoosmomma]

I was reading about it in the paper this morning.. i dunno how it will go though...

[girdy]

I think we need far harsher penalties for criminals, and if Harper wants to do something to get my vote, it would be to put in stunningly harsh penalties for violent crimes. It has nothing to do with retribution, I just think when you have a rabid dog, you shoot it for the public benefit, and when you have a person who is a danger to the public, then the publics right to safety supercedes any rights of the criminal.

But this vigilante action I have a problem with. He said he shot into a parked truck that he thought nobody was in. What if a couple of kids were parked necking? Apparently he had no idea what he was doing, because there were people in it. He wasn't shooting it for self-defense - because if it was parked and nobody was in it, it was hardly a danger to him or his family. And then he fired more shots at it as it drove away?

If the guy was coming through his window and he blasted him, I'd lead the standing ovation and pin the Order of Canada on his chest. You should be able to protect your life and your family. But running out in the dark and blasting away without knowledge or regard to what he was hitting when his life was not in danger, he is guilty of criminal negligence and manslaughter as charged. In my opinion.

[T-Diddy]

Good for him, the man deserves a medal for ridding the world of one more idiot who thinks it's alright to break into your home and take what you worked hard to obtain. This was not an isolated case, the particular weasel in this case had been causing crap in that community for a very long time. Police, family, and towns folk were very aware, and very affraid of this young man. No body's belongings were safe as long as he was free to walk the streets! Eventually when you choose that type of lifestyle, you usually find yourself looking down the business end of a firearm. How long are people supposed to sit back and allow themselves to be terrorized by these types of individules?

[The_Dave]

I think he will be found guilty and that would be a shame. It is pretty bad nowadays when crack heads and pill heads and needle junkies rob anyone and everyone and this poor man, who was protecting his property and wife goes to court. He should have shot the other guy to. No witnesses. He DOES deserve a medal.

[girdy]

Good for him, the man deserves a medal for ridding the world of one more idiot who thinks it's alright to break into your home and take what you worked hard to attain. This was not an isolated case, the particular weasel in this case had been causing crap in that community for a very long time. Police, family, and towns folk were very aware, and very affraid of this young man. No body's belongings were safe as long as he was free to walk the streets! Eventually when you choose that type of lifestyle, you usually find yourself looking down the business end firearm. How long are people supposed to sit back and allow themselves to be terrorized by these types of individules?

It may be good riddance, the problem comes in if your neighbor declares that the kid stealing something is his back yard is a weasel, and bullets start coming through your bedroom wall because he goes Rambo.

[oasis]

In Canada the law states you are not allowed to use a fire arm for self defense. Plus self defense is defined as the use of force to stop some one from causing harm to you and your family (Or something similar to this).

Once they were moving away then you are no longer considered IN DANGER so self defense can not be used. So they will not have much choice but to finding him guilty.

If they had have been coming at him then he could possibly get away with it. But they would still charge him with dangerous use of a fire arm.

Same thing happened if Fredericton quite a few years ago. Store owner was robbed at either knife or gun point. I can not remember which. As the crooks were driving away he decided to put a bullet hole in the van to make it easy for the police to find it. He was found guilty because at the time he fired the shot he was no longer in danger.

I would not be a good juror in this case as I do side with him even though his actions were legally wrong.

[trinity]

Good for him, the man deserves a medal for ridding the world of one more idiot who thinks it's alright to break into your home and take what you worked hard to attain. How long are people supposed to sit back and allow themselves to be terrorized by these types of individules?

Amen! I have lost so much personal belongings in my life that I am FED UP. I work so hard, since Wednesday I have worked 33 hours and have a 12 hour shift ahead of me in 3 hrs. To be honest, if I came home or woke up and someone was robbing my house, I'm so mad just thinking of it that I can hardly type. I'd go off on them, they'd be beaten with whatever I could reach from my tool box or kitchen, and one of the items my father left me is a monkey wrench the size of a small baseball bat. The authourities would be taking me away on a stretcher or in a straitjacket before anyone would get away with taking my tv or computer. And if I had to go to jail, I would with a smile on my face and a song in my heart.

[The_Dave]

This just in, Sussex area man found NOT GUILTY on all charges. Woo Hoo Justice prevails. Good for him and his wife.

[Smash]

yes!!!!!! :D

[Tara]

AWESOME!!!!! That's fantastic, good thing he had a super lawyer!

[Crystalbeach]

It's a tough one...if you were on the jury you would be obliged to follow the letter of the law...
it's illegal to fire a gun etc etc..
on the sentimental side you would be inclined to let him off ..but it's going to be a hard call.

[The_Dave]

Crystalbeach, he was found not guilty on all charges.

[Smash]

I think I am going to make this into my "good deed of the day". I am gonna look up his address and send him a card.... just a "thinking of you" card. I am sure that he feels bad for taking someones life, even under the circumstances... there are going to be alot of feelings that he will probably deal with for the rest of his life... all because someone thought that they could just help themselves to someone else's property. (and apparently it wasnt the first time)

[Mandi]

It's a tough one...if you were on the jury you would be obliged to follow the letter of the law...
it's illegal to fire a gun etc etc..
on the sentimental side you would be inclined to let him off ..but it's going to be a hard call.
Heh that's why I could NEVER be on a jury. If ever someone were to murder someone they KNEW for sure had violated someone they love, like a father shooting someone wh o molested his children/ murdered his wife or any such senario, I would never say guilty.

[Smash]

Heh that's why I could NEVER be on a jury. If ever someone were to murder someone they KNEW for sure had violated someone they love, like a father shooting someone wh o molested his children/ murdered his wife or any such senario, I would never say guilty.


I'm with you on that one Mandi... I would make a horrible juror in a case like that too. Obviously if the legal/justice system isnt discouraging the criminals enough, maybe if they had to worry about being hurt or violated themselves, it may be enough to discourage the cowards from acting in the first place.