Oscar Pistorius Formally Charged With Murder

[Jazzy]

Paralympic star Oscar Pistorius has now left court after a judge told him he will go on trial in March over the killing of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.

Pistorius returned to Pretoria Magistrates' Court this morning for the short hearing, in which a judge set his trial date for March 3 next year.

The judge asked him if he was well, to which he replied: "Under the circumstances, your honour."

He was formally charged and told that his bail conditions remained the same.

Court documents show that more than 100 witnesses will be called to give evidence at the trial, including one of Pistorius' ex-girlfriends.

Sky's Alex Crawford said that Pistorius was "very emotional", and appeared to be praying with his brother and sister before the proceedings started.

The three siblings held hands in a small circle, and at one point Pistorius wiped his face with a tissue.

His brother Carl later tweeted a photograph of Pistorius and Ms Steenkamp, adding: "Remembered like yesterday. My life was impacted by u @reevasteenkamp & the lady u were! Always close to our hearts."

The 26-year-old double amputee is accused of killing Ms Steenkamp, who would have turned 30 today, in a shooting incident at Pistorius' home in February.

Pistorius denies he committed murder and says he shot Ms Steenkamp by mistake, thinking she was an intruder.

The case was sent to the High Court in Pretoria.

A judge will preside over the trial and ultimately pronounce the world-famous athlete innocent or guilty. South Africa does not have trial by jury.

The mandatory sentence for someone convicted of premeditated murder in South Africa is life with a minimum of 25 years in prison.

Video of Oscar Pistorius

I guess they don't believe in speedy trials in South Africa. Kind of hard to swallow that his defense is that he thought she was an intruder. Will be interesting to see what the judge will decide.

 

[DrLeftover]

Oscar Pistorius found negligent in girlfriend's killing but acquitted of murder

11 Sept 2-14

Oscar Pistorius, the South African Olympian who shot and killed his girlfriend on Valentine’s Day last year, was found "negligent" in the killing Thursday but acquitted of murder charges before the court recessed for the day without a final verdict.

Judge Thokozile Masipa halted the proceedings before delivering a ruling on a lesser charge of culpable homicide and said she would resume the proceedings on Friday.

"It's clear that his conduct was negligent," Masipa said.

But the judge said she did not find sufficient evidence to prove the prosecution’s contention that Pistorius intended to kill Reeva Steenkamp after the couple had an argument, though she did conclude that the athlete was negligent in firing his weapon four times through the door of the bathroom where she had locked herself.

http://www.latimes.com/world/africa/la-fg-oscar-pistorius-murder-trial-verdict-20140910-story.html#page=1

and

http://af.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idAFKBN0H52IX20140911

 

[Jazzy]

What's the sentence if Pistorius is convicted of the lesser charge of culpable homicide?

If Pistorius is convicted of culpable homicide, no minimum sentencing legislation would be triggered. "Courts are able to exercise their complete and ordinary discretion," Grant said.
This means, theoretically, Pistorius could get a non-custodial sentence if convicted of culpable homicide. Grant said there had been examples of people killing a loved one accidentally where they had avoided jail.

If, however, the court took a view that Pistorius had been grossly negligent, Grant said, he would guess the runner could be jailed for up to 15 years.

There's still hope he'll be jailed for up to 15 years.

 

[Jazzy]

There's still hope he'll be jailed for up to 15 years.

15 years doesn't even come close to paying for his own stupidity, let alone the blatant murder he committed. I don't know what the hell is up with the justice system over there, but it is obviously lacking to a shameful degree.

He's only facing a judge and not a trial jury. South Africa abolished jury trials in 1969, while the country was under apartheid, due to fears of racial prejudice by white jurors. Pistorius is being tried in Pretoria by Thokozile Matilda Masipa -- the second black woman appointed to the bench since apartheid ended.

Do you think it was premeditated murder?

 

[Dee]

I don't know what happened. I wasn't there when it happened, nor was I there to investigate what happened after. I wasn't even there to sit for the trials. But I do agree with what I heard the judge was talking about doing, and that was charging him with a lesser crime, which was culpable homicide. They weren't able to charge him without a reasonable doubt with premeditated murder, but I do believe that he acted too hastily and with excessive force even if it were an intruder in his home, which he thought it was. He should be charged with some form of murder and serve time for it.

 

[Damian]

he should have been given 100 years without parole..the girlfriend was very beautiful..and that beauty is no more

Right, so if she were ugly he should only get 50 years.
I think 15 years in prison are more than enough to ruin his life.

 

[Shortie861]

Seems he has now been found guilty of Culpable Homicide (manslaughter) but still will not be sentenced for another month yet (October 13th)

 

[Jazzy]

Oscar Pistorius Guilty Of Reeva's Manslaughter

Oscar Pistorius has been released on bail after being convicted of manslaughter for shooting dead his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.

The South African athlete was flanked by guards as he left court in Pretoria and was hurried into a nearby car amid chaotic scenes of screaming supporters and a media scrum.

Judge Thokozile Masipa said the double amputee had acted negligently when he fired four shots into a locked toilet door, killing the 29-year-old model who was behind it.

But she decided to extend his bail and he will return to court for sentencing on October 13. He is expected to stay with relatives in the meantime.

Pistorius, 27, showed little emotion as the guilty verdict of culpable homicide, which is South Africa's equivalent of the UK's manslaughter charge, was handed down in North Gauteng High Court.

The punishment for culpable homicide ranges from a suspended sentence to a maximum jail term of 15 years.

 

[DrLeftover]

Guilty of manslaughter.

Free on bail.

What's wrong with that picture?

Even in South Africa, they bow to celebrities.

 

[Shortie861]

Guilty of manslaughter.

Free on bail.

What's wrong with that picture?

Even in South Africa, they bow to celebrities.

Got to admit it really does seem pretty messed up to be honest that he has been found guilty of this and despite what it means they are still letting him be free right now for another month at least before they even decide on what will happen next. I personally feel he is pretty good at getting people to feel sorry for him and I think a lot of the time he uses his disability to help with that, it may sound harsh but that is how I see it.

 

[Dee]

I'm hoping he is charged with the maximum amount of years for this manslaughter charge, which is 15 years. He truly does need to serve time for KILLING another human being in a neglectful way. If it had been an accident they had plenty of evidence to prove it was merely an accident and not because of some outrageously idealistic manner of 'protecting his home', then sure he shouldn't be guilty of murder. But this was ridiculous and a life was lost. He deserves 15 years for this.

 

[DrLeftover]

What his sentence is doesn't matter.

Remember, the US Federal Prison system includes those with tennis courts and craft rooms like the infamous "camp cupcake", one has to wonder if South Africa has similar accommodations.

Also.

Even if his term is to run fifteen years, who wants to cover the bet that he probably won't even do half of it in the Hotel Graybar?

 

[DrLeftover]

Smooth appears to be a prophet.

 

[seasidemike]

5 years sentence of which he may be spending maybe 10 months of it in prison

http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/Oscar_Pistorius/Pistorius-may-only-spend-10-months-in-prison-20141021

What a joke.