What if James Earl Ray had not pleaded guilty to the murder of Martin Luther King Jr. and had instead pleaded Not Guilty and had faced trial? What would the outcome be? Conviction? Acquittal? or a Hung Jury?
It would be a huge story. They guy literally shot MLK, so there's no way he's getting off. In fact the whole plead guilty thing was the defense's idea, since they realized he couldn't win and would get executed when he lost.I think it depends on national attention and how racist Tennessee is.
Will the defense try to seat an all white jury to get 'not guilty' no matter what?
Will the prosecution do a good job or try to throw the case?
There wasn't.
What if James Earl Ray had not pleaded guilty to the murder of Martin Luther King Jr. and had instead pleaded Not Guilty and had faced trial? What would the outcome be? Conviction? Acquittal? or a Hung Jury?
James Earl Ray's, who prior to this assassination, most serious offense was mail fraud, for some reason travels all the way to Mexico to buy a military grade sniper rifle, travels all the way back to Memphis and is able to hit King with one perfect kill shot.
He had 0 arms training with such a weapon.
Conspiracy.
Wow.
This is one of the less well thought out conspiracy theories I've seen here.
Learn some facts. As a pump primer, Ray had TWO Armed Robbery Convictions and bought the weapon (a deer rifle) in Alabama.
You'll have the time since you are kicked for a week.
A jury in memphis on December 8th 1999 found against Loyd Jowers "and other unknown co-conspirators," in a wrongful death suit. Brought by the family of MLK
Granted it was only be the standards of a civil trial, but the evidence convinced a jury.
regards
Hipper
From what I remember the investigators could not match the bullet to Ray's rifle and that the results were inconclusive. I think a good lawyer would have pointed this out to the jury.
What about Raoul? And I never understood why Ray went all the way to the UK. Low life loser like him, you'd think he would just try to hide out in some hick town in anywhere, USA.
For the most part you are correct but some escapes from various death rows have occurred in the United State. Six inmates broke out of the Virginia death row at Mecklenberg in 1984. An escape from the Texas death row took place in 1998, and a Georgia inmate busted out of death row the night before his scheduled execution with three other convicts in 1980. So, you know, not a perfect record.Calbear said:You do not escape from Death Row, the system pretty much assures that.
And how long were they on the lam?For the most part you are correct but some escapes from various death rows have occurred in the United State. Six inmates broke out of the Virginia death row at Mecklenberg in 1984. An escape from the Texas death row took place in 1998, and a Georgia inmate busted out of death row the night before his scheduled execution with three other convicts in 1980. So, you know, not a perfect record.
F. Lee Bailey was offered the chance to defend James Earl Ray, but turned it down. How would the trial have gone if F. Lee Bailey had been Ray's attorney?
What about Raoul? And I never understood why Ray went all the way to the UK. Low life loser like him, you'd think he would just try to hide out in some hick town in anywhere, USA.