A week after going on trial on charges that he killed a man in a botched holdup and tried to kill another, Juvon C. Harris was found guilty Monday by a Baltimore County Circuit Court jury of all eight counts against him, including first-degree murder and attempted first-degree murder.
Harris, 28, faces a maximum sentence of life in prison without parole when he is sentenced July 30 by Judge John O. Hennegan, who presided over the trial. Prosecutors dropped their earlier intention to seek the death penalty for Harris, who was seen in a surveillance video fleeing the parking lot of Woodlawn's Windsor Inn early on July 1, 2007, immediately after two men had been shot there.
The scene was a frightening one. Harris approached the two victims in the parking lot, instructing them to get on the ground. He then pushed the gun into the face of Howard L. Hamlin hard enough to leave marks. Hamlin reacted, perhaps instinctively, by "slapping" the gun away, in his own words. It went off grazing his head and instantly killing his friend, Taavon J. Chambers.
The reason the prosecutors agreed not to pursue the death penalty was unclear. Could it have been the question of intent? Do you think Harris may have accidentally fired the guy when it was pushed away by Hamlin? Could that affect the outcome of the trial?
In a case like this it's impossible to tell whether Harris was going to pull the trigger at that very moment or if the swiping at the gun by the victim caused it to fire. Do you think it matters? I do. I think we need to give people the benefit of the doubt in all cases. Isn't that what "reasonable doubt" means? What's your opinion?
Please leave a comment.
"I think we need to give people the benefit of the doubt in all cases."
ReplyDeleteYet you assume that the majority of defensive firearm uses are criminal or unnecessary.
Why the double standard?
I think we need to give people the benefit of the doubt in all cases.
ReplyDeleteIn all cases, Mike? In (say) the case of Ladon Jones, or that of Officer Frank White, or that of Police Sgt. Louis C. Johnson? You seem to be a lot more willing to extend the benefit of the doubt to people who are very clearly felons than you do with people with no known criminal history and who can at the very least make a case for the argument that their use of a gun was purely defensive.
Seems a bit twisted.
Could it have been the question of intent? Do you think Harris may have accidentally fired the guy when it was pushed away by Hamlin? Could that affect the outcome of the trial?
ReplyDeleteNope. It's no "accident." He pointed a gun at someones head at point blank range in the commission of felony robbery. You do that and there's no question of "intent."
Point a gun at my head during a robbery and you've just made it damn clear you intend to kill me. Are you suggesting Hamlim should have assumed the thug holding a gun to his head didn't intend to kill him.
Hamlin has no culpability here. A CRIMINAL robbed him at gun point, held a gun to his head, and then pulled the trigger when Hamlin tried to defend himself.
Chambers is dead entirely because of the actions of Harris.
You're seriously saying we should give the robber the benefit of the doubt here? That he didn't intend to murder anyone? WHAT THE FUCK MIKE?
I can't add anything that hasn't been mentioned twice already.
ReplyDeleteYou stand up for the criminal scum-bags while questioning DGUs by innocent victims.
I'm beginning to think that you're actually a pro-gunner who has taken on the persona of an anti just so you can write ridiculous tripe like this in order to make the antis look bad.
It wouldn't be the first time.
kaveman, That's a riot. You know, last year right before McCain threw in the towel, during the height of Sarah Palin's infamy, my mother said the same thing to me about them. She said the only way she could possibly understand the Republican campaign decisions is that they're purposely trying to lose the election, like a giant conspiracy.
ReplyDeleteIn my case, I can assure you I'm sincere in my anti-gun position. One complication I have to contend with in my own world view is that I hate the government, so to speak, yet favor gun control. I don't approve of government interference, generally, yet I think they need to do something about the gun availability.
I feel the bastard should have got the death penalty regardless of who hit what!! Why should anyone feel remorse for his sorry ass when he had the intention on killing somebody if he is walking around pointing a loaded gun in peoples face!!! Sorry if I sound like a bitter person, but this hits close to home. I went to high school with Tavoon and I also worked with him before he was killed he was a sweet guy and did not deserve to die that way :-(
ReplyDeleteWell i knew juvon and he was a very sweet caring person i worked with juvon and was his hair stylist. Taavon dumb ass friend killed him.who hitsa gun out their face unless they wanna die.
DeleteDear Anonymous, I'm so sorry to hear about your loss. I realize it's easy for me to take the side of the criminal since I didn't know the victim like you did. Sorry about that.
ReplyDeleteWELL I KNEW JUVON AND HE WAS A VERY NICE GUY.JUVON DO ANYTHING FOR ANYBODY.IF HE DID IT WHICH I REALLY DONT THINK HE DID.THEY DONE SOMETHING TO JUVON FOR HIM TO DO THAT.SO TO THE BITCH WHO CALLED HIM A SORRY ASS.HE WASNT HE TOOK CARE OF HIS GRAND PARENTS,HIS KIDS,AND HIS MOM.HE HAD A VERY GOOD JOB,AND WAS WELL ON HIS WAY.
ReplyDeleteI LOVE YOU JUVON AKA JUVIE FUCK EVERYBODY WHO HAVE COMMENTS WHO DIDNT KNOW U......
ReplyDeleteI'm howard hamlin and he fired the gun twice dum asses
ReplyDeletehe did that shit fuck that nigga plain and simple flat out
ReplyDeletemotherfuckers feeling sorry for yo smh fuck him
ReplyDeleteFuck u
DeleteHoward, Thanks for the comments. What are you saying that you didn't slap the gun away, that he fired it?
ReplyDeleteTell us how it happened.
taavon was my blood i miss my cousin with everything in me juvon got EXACTLY wat he deserves they shoulda put the monster under the prison even thoug its been sum time my family has delt and will deal with the tragic death of taavn for the rest of our lives
ReplyDelete