Thursday, October 11, 2007

Joe Cool charges -- First Degree Murder

We don't get many first degree murder cases in federal court (this one can be charged in federal court because the alleged murders occurred on the high seas), so that alone makes the Joe Cool case fascinating. Add to it that there are no bodies, weapon, or confession and you have all the makings of an unbelievable trial that should be covered on Court TV. But, (as I have complained of many times before) we have no cameras in federal court, so you'll just have to check in here to get your updates. (Our prior coverage of the case is here).

Here's the Sun-Sentinel coverage, the AP, the Miami Herald.

U.S. Attorney Alex Acosta on the case: "We believe the evidence is strong. We shouldn't shy away from a case just because it's not an easy one." He said Kirby Archer, 35, of Strawberry, Ark., and Guillermo Zarabozo, 20, of Hialeah, murdered the crew "in cold blood."

From the Herald article:

Archer's attorney, former federal prosecutor Allan Kaiser, said the charges were hollow.
''They're under the gun,'' Kaiser said. 'The magistrate judge said last week, `You better come up with more evidence.' This is the evidence? I don't see a first-degree, premeditated murder case predicated on alleged inconsistent statements.''

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