By now, I am sure that you have heard of the State of Florida vs Michael Dunn case (aka the "Loud Music" Case). This past weekend Mr Dunn was convicted on 3 counts of Attempted Murder and a mistrial was declared on the more serious 1st-degree Murder charge. Prosecutors have promised to pursue another trial to convict Mr Dunn on that charge. If you are unfamiliar with the case, there were 4 black youths in an SUV playing their music loudly. A white man asked them to turn the music down. A confrontation ensued and the white older man opened fire (10 shots I believe) into the SUV killing one of the passengers, Jordan Davis.
Some have argued that because the jury did not return a guilty verdict on the 1st degree murder charge, then Mr Dunn got away with murder. And somehow this means that it is okay for a white man to kill a black boy still today. My first reaction is that Michael Dunn is no young man (he is 47 years old). The charges that he was found guilty of carry potentially 60 years of prison by themselves. So even without the murder conviction, the guy is going to live his remaining life behind bars. Period. Additionally, he was not acquitted of the charge. The jury just could not all come to an agreement that it was 1st degree murder. So the Prosecution gets to have another trial to prove their case all over again. But at the end of the day, the guilty verdicts on the other charges are in effect. Albeit subject to appeal, but that will take years and I believe the facts stand on their own. So no... Mr Dunn did not get away with murder. Our justice system is working just as it is intended.
Personally I think the Prosecution should go for 2nd degree murder instead. I honestly don't believe that Mr. Dunn intended to kill Jordan Davis. The topic of this Prosecutor in Florida over charging crimes is starting to gain merit as a topic. He over charged the Zimmerman case and I believe he over charged this case as well. But that will have to be a different topic for a different day.
Today's headlines have Mr Dunn claiming that he is the victim in this case. The more this guy talks the more ignorant he proves himself to be. The media is eating this up like crazy and really hyping it up. Mr Dunn is no victim in this case. Mr Dunn is a murderer.
First, if Mr Dunn was offended by the loud "Thug Music" as he called it, then he should have gone into the store with his fiance so that he did not have to listen to it. Instead he chose to stay in the car. Secondly, he took it upon himself to ask the youths to turn down the music. I have no doubt that he thought he was asking in a polite manner. The victims testified as such and the music was turned down. However, according to their own testimony, Jordan Davis took issue with the request and demanded that the music be turned back up. Which it was. From there the "stories diverge". Mr Dunn claims that threats were made on his life. That Jordan Davis told his friends that he was going to kill him. My initial thought is... "How did Mr Dunn hear these threats over the loud music?"
I have two issues with Mr Dunn's self defense claims. Number one, no one testified seeing any of the youths get out of their vehicle and approach Mr Dunn's car in a threatening manner. They were in their vehicle and Mr Dunn was in his. Mr Dunn was not physically being assaulted. Disrespectful verbal assault does not justify pulling out a gun and firing 10 shots into another vehicle. Number two, if Mr Dunn truly felt that he was in danger, then after the victims drove off he should have ran into the store and demanded they call 911. He should have stayed on the scene and spoken with officers to report the threat on his life and the altercation. However he left and drove to his hotel, ordered a pizza and relaxed for the evening. While no one will ever truly know if those youths really did have a gun and they discarded it while they were away from the gas station (they later returned begging for help for their dead friend), I am a betting man that this was just a "story" made up by Mr Dunn to claim it was all self-defense.
So a victim of being disrespected by a group of youths? Maybe. But you are a grown man and by no means does that grant you the right to get mad, escalate the situation, and then randomly fire a gun at them. No Mr Dunn, you are a murderer. It really is just that plain and simple. You deserve all of the prison time that you get.
