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4:41 pm - 06/08/2012

Man convicted of killing Jennifer Hudson's family seeks new trial, blames JHud for guilty verdict


A lawyer for the man convicted of murder in the killings of three members of actress Jennifer Hudson’s family filed a motion Friday for a new trial, citing in part the “prejudicial effect” on the jury he said Hudson’s testimony had.

“The testimony was irrelevant, and because of the fame of the witness, the prejudicial effect of the testimony on the jury outweighed any probative value that it would have,” says the seven-page motion from Amy Thompson, an assistant Cook County public defender.


Hudson was the first witness to testify against her former brother-in-law William Balfour at his high-profile triple-murder trial in April.

Hudson testified that she never liked Balfour, even when they were classmates in grade school. The singer and Academy Award-winning actress also said she didn’t like the way he treated her sister, Julia, vehemently opposed their marriage.

“None of us — myself, my mother or my brother — we did not like how he treated her, and I didn’t like how he treated my nephew,” Hudson testified, her voice wavering.


Balfour, 31, was convicted a few weeks later, in May, of killing Hudson’s 57-year-old mother, Darnell Donerson, the actress’ 29-year-old brother, Jason Hudson, and her nephew, Julian King, 7, in October 2008.

Balfour, who was married to Jennifer Hudson’s sister, Julia Hudson, committed the murders out of jealousy that his estranged wife had started dating another man, according to testimony that prosecutors presented.


In her court filing, Thompson also mentioned the lack of physical evidence tying Balfour to the crime scenes and said the judge didn’t give the defense enough time to prepare its case, noting that Cook County prosecutors gave Balfour’s lawyers more than 2,000 pages of files and a six-hour videotape six months before the trial.

Prosecutors and Balfour’s lawyers are expected to argue the motion July 24 before Judge Charles Burns.

If the judge rejects the bid for a new trial, he could sentence Balfour that day.



Source
Fuck this asshole.
guadalcanal 8th-Jun-2012 09:44 pm (UTC)
oh yeah, her grief and statements were totally irrelevant
vehiclesshockme 8th-Jun-2012 09:47 pm (UTC)
Right?

Like they say he did it out of jealousy and it's totally wrong to point out things he had said and done out of jealousy before.
chikntetrazzini 8th-Jun-2012 09:56 pm (UTC)
It kinda is if she didn't testify as to his guilt. How sad she is doesn't matter.
guadalcanal 8th-Jun-2012 10:28 pm (UTC)
Not if they questioned her about his jealousy before the murders, since jealousy was the apparent motive, and depending on what questions were asked by the defense her grief could have been admitted
chikntetrazzini 8th-Jun-2012 10:36 pm (UTC)
Okay, and what did my comment say?
guadalcanal 8th-Jun-2012 11:56 pm (UTC)
How sad she is doesn't matter.

ergo, you could be wrong if the defense open up the door about her grief it is relevant for her "emotional turmoil caused by the defendant"
chikntetrazzini 9th-Jun-2012 12:14 am (UTC)
Christ, you are such a fucking tryhard. First of all, no, how sad she is does NOT matter. How sad she is has nothing to do with his jealousy. Second of all, "emotional turmoil caused by the defendant?" What the fuck are you talking about? That is absolutely NOT admissible. She could MAYBE testify as to that in the sentencing phase. Maybe. Stop spouting off bullshit.

Oh, and you misused ergo.
guadalcanal 9th-Jun-2012 12:33 am (UTC)
chikntetrazzini 9th-Jun-2012 12:59 am (UTC)
That's what I thought.
guadalcanal 9th-Jun-2012 01:45 am (UTC)
chikntetrazzini 9th-Jun-2012 01:46 am (UTC)
I enjoy the fact that you just gave up. Thank you.
beatlesluv 8th-Jun-2012 10:27 pm (UTC)
MTE.
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