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RE: Self Defense? - 7/29/2006 10:10:29 AM   
SusanofO


Posts: 5672
Joined: 12/19/2005
Status: offline 		I just got finished reading this morning's Omahah World-Herald newspaper, and found out something about the Dixie Shanahan case that I had not proviously known that could change some folks' minds about the perceived fairness of her sentence.

Dixie Shanahan had a chance to plead "Guilty" to manslaughter, (vs. "Not Guilty", which is what she pleaded) and didn't take it, even though everyone knew she did the murder. If she had pleaded "Guilty", her sentence would have been five years. Five years!! Instead, for reasons apparently known only to herslef and her attorney, she chose to plead "Not Guilty", knowing full well  that if she was convicted, she'd receive a much longer sentence. Even her attorney counselled her to take the manslaughter sentence, and she refused. 

I am not sure why I never knew this before, because this case has been popping up in the paper around here for many months. But - it changed my view of all this entirely. She could have had Five Years in jail - and she passed it up, even though she knew she was guilty (even if  that isn't what she pleaded). There was nobody else who could have done it, considering the circumstantial evidence, and she knew that). She was making a stand for "women's rights" (she said).

Frankly, I'd have taken the five year sentence instead. Now she wants out of jail because "her kids need her". Well, yeah, of course they do. But, didn't she know that when she passed up the chance for a five year term?

- Susan 

< Message edited by SusanofO -- 7/29/2006 10:38:58 AM >

_____________________________

"Hope is the thing with feathers,
That perches in the soul,
And sings the tune without the words,
And never stops at all". - Emily Dickinson

(in reply to litleone8620)
Profile   Post #: 41
RE: Self Defense? - 7/29/2006 10:16:32 AM   
Level


Posts: 25145
Joined: 3/3/2006
Status: offline 		"I'm doing this for women's rights, so Not Guilty, I ain't going to jail, they'll feel sorry for me."
 
Found guilty, hello prison.
 
"Oh, my kids need me! Get me out of here!"
 
I'm not saying she wasn't abused. I'm not saying anyone has the right to abuse, they don't. I am saying the more I hear and read, the less sympathy I feel for her. Some people are just dumbasses.

_____________________________

Fake the heat and scratch the itch
Skinned up knees and salty lips
Let go it's harder holding on
One more trip and I'll be gone

~~ Stone Temple Pilots

(in reply to SusanofO)
Profile   Post #: 42
RE: Self Defense? - 7/29/2006 10:21:24 AM   
SusanofO


Posts: 5672
Joined: 12/19/2005
Status: offline 		The rose 4u:
Excuse me Rose, didn't mean to  offend you. From the bottom of my heart I beg your forgiveness for being so stupid. I've spent five years volunteering at a Center for abused and neglected unmentionables, and have the unmitigated joy of seeing them repeatedly returned to situations where my common sense tells me they will continue to be abused. But, you probably didn't know that. You probably also didn't know that I have both a sister and a brother-in-law who are family law attorneys and from whom I hear tales of domestic violence in reference to their clients all the time. You probably also didn't know that on more than one occasion, I have witnessed domestic violence on an up-close and personal level. My mistake.

Apparently, I don't feel a compulsion to lay blame at people's feet for the sole reason that thinking doing it is going to make a situation that  is over and done with any better. That is an illusion, though, that I've found in working with these situations that many people, including juries, feel is reality. Yes, people should "pay for their mistakes". Should they be taken to a town square, skinned alive, tarred and feathered and reminded of their unforgiveable lack of judgment (or even deliberate moment of madness or criminality) forever? I have to ask what  purpose that serves. Just my two cents.

- Susan

< Message edited by SusanofO -- 7/29/2006 10:42:41 AM >

_____________________________

"Hope is the thing with feathers,
That perches in the soul,
And sings the tune without the words,
And never stops at all". - Emily Dickinson

(in reply to theRose4U)
Profile   Post #: 43
RE: Self Defense? - 7/29/2006 10:30:16 AM   
SusanofO


Posts: 5672
Joined: 12/19/2005
Status: offline 		If  you'd actually read anything about this case, I'd be much more inclined to listen to both of your opinions. But - having read this morning's paper, I've chnaged my mmjind about it all, anyway.

- Susan  

_____________________________

"Hope is the thing with feathers,
That perches in the soul,
And sings the tune without the words,
And never stops at all". - Emily Dickinson

(in reply to MrDiscipline44)
Profile   Post #: 44
RE: Self Defense? - 7/29/2006 10:55:26 AM   
lofa


Posts: 34
Joined: 3/18/2006
From: US 6&34&83 (McCook,NE)
Status: offline 		And "SHE" can go to the system and say she was 'afraid' and there is nothing to be done about it because that's what she 'felt' even if NOTHING HAD EVER BEEN DONE TO HER that fits the "POWER AND CONTROL WHEEL" or any other form of neglect, abuse or control. She wants to change her situation, then HE is in the wrong for having any opinion about it and trying to express it. No matter how reasonably, calmly, politely and peacefully he expersses his desires it isn't what she wants and he is therefore being 'abusive' and causing 'fear'. Too many 4kin abusers out there, and they come in both genders. Women who think they have to pay someone back for past abuses, men with the same mind set.
Oh well, the search continues, the readings continue also. Have great days. Today and every day.
DJ (lofa)

(in reply to theRose4U)
Profile   Post #: 45
RE: Self Defense? - 7/29/2006 10:56:46 AM   
SusanofO


Posts: 5672
Joined: 12/19/2005
Status: offline 		I didn't say it was an excuse, I meant that perhaps "black and white" views of the topic don't quite allow for compassion as much as they might. I have always found  people with "black and white" viewpoints difficult to converse with, and this situation appears to be no different. It seems as though some people cannot imagine there exist, situations for which there appears to be:

1) No reasonable explanation

2) No apparent or easy solution

In my estimation, this is indeed one of those situations (in my opinion). People with a low tolerance level for ambiguity are obviously going to want this woman to A) Go free completely OR 2) Hang her, give her life in prison, etc.

All I can say is, they're obviously entitled to their opinions AND - I don't share them.

Regards,

- Susan 

< Message edited by SusanofO -- 7/29/2006 11:01:42 AM >

_____________________________

"Hope is the thing with feathers,
That perches in the soul,
And sings the tune without the words,
And never stops at all". - Emily Dickinson

(in reply to MrDiscipline44)
Profile   Post #: 46
RE: Self Defense? - 7/29/2006 10:57:20 AM   
lofa


Posts: 34
Joined: 3/18/2006
From: US 6&34&83 (McCook,NE)
Status: offline 		4k that, who sets my rating up here in this corner and how does one go about changing it?

(in reply to lofa)
Profile   Post #: 47
RE: Self Defense? - 7/29/2006 11:00:32 AM   
SusanofO


Posts: 5672
Joined: 12/19/2005
Status: offline 		lofa, just ignore it. It's based on the number of post one makes here. If you're newer, you are considered "vanilla" and your accompanying icon is an ice cream cone. It will go away and you'll "graduate" eventually (I forget how many posts that requires). Just ignore it. It really doesn't mean much.

- Susan

< Message edited by SusanofO -- 7/29/2006 11:03:16 AM >

_____________________________

"Hope is the thing with feathers,
That perches in the soul,
And sings the tune without the words,
And never stops at all". - Emily Dickinson

(in reply to lofa)
Profile   Post #: 48
RE: Self Defense? - 7/29/2006 11:04:19 AM   
WayWardSoul


Posts: 869
Joined: 6/13/2006
Status: offline
quote:

she heard him load a shot gun, and say something like "This day isn't over. I will kill you"

She says she went to another room to get to a phone, and when he came toward her, she grabbed the gun and shot him.


Makes you wonder who was strong enough to do the abuse and who cried wolf to many times.

_____________________________

WWS

You look like two miles of bad road ~Foghorn Leghorn~

(in reply to litleone8620)
Profile   Post #: 49
RE: Self Defense? - 7/29/2006 11:13:03 AM   
Alumbrado


Posts: 5560
Status: offline
quote:

I just got finished reading this morning's Omahah World-Herald newspaper, and found out something about the Dixie Shanahan case that I had not proviously known that could change some folks' minds about the perceived fairness of her sentence.

Dixie Shanahan had a chance to plead "Guilty" to manslaughter, (vs. "Not Guilty", which is what she pleaded) and didn't take it, even though everyone knew she did the murder. If she had pleaded "Guilty", her sentence would have been five years. Five years!! Instead, for reasons apparently known only to herslef and her attorney, she chose to plead "Not Guilty", knowing full well  that if she was convicted, she'd receive a much longer sentence. Even her attorney counselled her to take the manslaughter sentence, and she refused. 


Of all the info available about this case, that seems the least significant....why would someone plead guitly to a lesser charge if they were in fact innocent (or thought they were)?

Failure to do so doesn't weigh much as evidence of guilt for me...sort of like deciding that someone on trial is guilty because they take the stand in their own defense....or because they don't take the stand in their own defense...or because they stare at the jurors...or because they don't look the jurors in the eye....etc.

(in reply to WayWardSoul)
Profile   Post #: 50
RE: Self Defense? - 7/29/2006 11:24:50 AM   
SusanofO


Posts: 5672
Joined: 12/19/2005
Status: offline 		I agree, although in this particular case, she'd already admitted to her attorney that she did it. By the time she got to the pleading phase, her family and her kids knew she did it, and she certainly knew she did it. Her only apparent reason for pleading "Not Guilty" was to "take a stand" for battered women. She was indeed a battered woman, and perhaps felt justified due to that. I can certainly sympathize. I still feel badly for her because of it, even if I think it was kind of stupid of her to plead the way she did, with three little kids to think about who do need her (they are now living with relatives). But she killed him and apparently, just about everyone in town already knew it byu the time the case was tried. I can't conceive she even thought for a second she'd go free, but apparently she did think so.

I am amazed she was even allowed to plead "Not Guilty", frankly, but I don't know much about the law. Also, like I said, this really is (to me) a circumstance where it's easy to hav ean opion (but not necessarily a particularly valid one, hehe). There is just so much (for me anyway) to consider. I know a lot of other folks don't feel that way, but I do (so won't beat a dead horse).

- Susan

< Message edited by SusanofO -- 7/29/2006 11:28:25 AM >

_____________________________

"Hope is the thing with feathers,
That perches in the soul,
And sings the tune without the words,
And never stops at all". - Emily Dickinson

(in reply to Alumbrado)
Profile   Post #: 51
RE: Self Defense? - 7/29/2006 11:37:04 AM   
FelinePersuasion


Posts: 4792
Joined: 11/20/2004
Status: offline 		hehe it's so amusing when new people complain and gripe about the forrum post icon.

(in reply to WayWardSoul)
Profile   Post #: 52
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