Man acquitted in death of policeman

[Buttercup]

PHILADELPHIA (Reuters) – A Philadelphia man was found not guilty on Monday of murdering a policeman who died 41 years after the defendant shot him.
The jury acquitted William Barnes after a week-long trial in which prosecutors tried to argue there was a chain of direct causation between his shooting of Walter Barclay in 1966 and Barclay's death from a urinary tract infection in 2007.
Barnes, now 74, served 16 years in prison for attempted murder after the shooting.
He shot Barclay during an attempted robbery, injuring his spine and leaving him needing to use a wheelchair.

Man acquitted in death of policeman - Yahoo! News

[rob84]

Weather the Officer died in 1966 after being shot, or in 2007 from a urinary trac infection, William Barnes knew what he was doing when he pointed that gun at the police officer and fired. He MEANT to kill him, he just didnt succeed.....then. I feel he should be incarserated for the rest of his remaining years, and should have been from the begining.

[ChesCopPodz]

There were a number of factors on this one. From what I've read, the officer was not receiving the best care, possibly causing, or at least contributing to, UTI's, bed sores, etc. Enough for reasonable doubt.

[SPD]

As much of a scumbag as this guy is, I don't like this sort of precedent. He already served a sentence for this crime, and I think it would be terribly difficult to establish direct causation so long after the fact. This pushes the double jeopardy thing to it's edge, and while the douchebag should have served way more than 16 years, this sort of prosecution is a waste of time and money. I don't see this sort of thing flying with any jury.

[Twan007]

+1 SPD...

either hammer him when you first had him, or let it drop... don't come back and try to get him now because the officer died...

I'm not trying to sound callous, we're all going to die - Barclay went out because of the career that he chose, protecting what we all swore to protect - the fact that this turd bag is the cause is not disputed...

Barclay may would've had a long and prosperous career if this jackhole hadn't interfered with it... and that piece of shit should've never gotten out - period... and shame on the idiots who let him walk out of that cement and steel cell after he had the nuts to not only point a weapon, but fire a weapon at a sheepdog...

but don't try to come back and fix a mistake that you made years after the fact - We don't get that opportunity... if we screw the pooch, we have to catch the bad guy on another day doing another crime...

[MacLean]

As much of a scumbag as this guy is, I don't like this sort of precedent. He already served a sentence for this crime, and I think it would be terribly difficult to establish direct causation so long after the fact. This pushes the double jeopardy thing to it's edge, and while the douchebag should have served way more than 16 years, this sort of prosecution is a waste of time and money. I don't see this sort of thing flying with any jury.

This.