In so far as is possible...

[catsittingstill]

Angie Zapata has justice.

For those who haven't been following this story, Angie Zapata was a transgender teen, murdered for being transgender.  Lawyers for her assailant, Allen Andrade, claimed that he had freaked out in "trans-panic" on discovering that she had been born male, and beat her to death, first with his fists and then with a fire extinguisher, in the grip of that panic.

As if freaking out is a perfectly natural response to discovering that someone is trans.

Fortunately the jury got it. 

Comments

[gfish.livejournal.com]

They didn't even deliberate very long, which is nice to see.

And today, Washington's governor signed in an extension to our hate crime laws, adding gender expression.

[stevemb.livejournal.com]

What's to deliberate, really? The only question that was at all difficult was whether the act qualifies as Murder One, and the fact situation as described (attempting to clean up the evidence prior to the final fatal assault) is a pretty strong case of deliberate calculation.

[gfish.livejournal.com]

I certainly agree, but there are far too many people out there who believe in the gay/trans-panic thing. =\

[catsittingstill.livejournal.com]

Yeah.

[catsittingstill.livejournal.com]

Well, yes, but that depends on the jury being reasonable, rather than going "eww--teh gays; squick! I'd have killed it too." I'm very glad they were reasonable.

[catsittingstill.livejournal.com]

Yeah, and good.

[gannet.livejournal.com]

What a huge relief. This is is the best outcome I could have imagined from the jury.

Thanks for passing this along.

[catsittingstill.livejournal.com]

:-) You're very welcome.

[howeird]

Yay for a jury knowing murder when it sees it.

[catsittingstill.livejournal.com]

Yes.

I think it was Molly Ivins who said "You'd be surprised how reasonable a jury of your peers can be."

Color me a little surprised but very pleased.

[pocketnaomi.livejournal.com]

I don't even have to care whether freaking out is a perfectly natural response to discovering that someone is trans or not. Murder is not a reasonable or appropriate response to freaking out. If someone wants to go home and get the shakes over discovering that someone is actually trans, that is blessedly neither my problem nor that of whoever they're freaking about. As soon as their fists enter the picture, it becomes society's problem in a big hurry.

As someone else said, nice to see that the jury knows murder when it sees it.

[catsittingstill.livejournal.com]

Well, yes, murder is not a reasonable response to freaking out either.

And yes, Howeird put it well.

[thnidu.livejournal.com]

Reposted verbatim with credit (http://thnidu.livejournal.com/427645.html), because I am too tired to try to think of a different way to say it, and I don't believe I can come up with anything better anyway.

The decision is an excellent first and precedent, but I can't really feel celebratory about it all. As you said, justice in so far as is possible.

[technoshaman.livejournal.com]

Well, hopefully, some smart-ass shyster won't try this defense again. Or if he does he'll get laughed out of court for trying the Chewbacca defense..

And, yeah, the jury definitely did get it, returning not only Murder One (malice aforethought) but the hate-crime kicker.... two hours. Ouch.

It would not surprise me, nor sadden me much, to hear tell of this guy getting some additional justice on the inside.

Karma happens.

[catsittingstill.livejournal.com]

We'll see. Hopefully it sets a precedent of treating trans people as people.

Reports that the defense kept referring to Angie as "he" and as "Justin" throughout the trial really annoyed me.

I guess part of that is that bullies used to call me names that weren't mine, so it feels to me like those jerks were trying to bully the dead woman.

[technoshaman.livejournal.com]

Yeah, that was just rude. Unless otherwise told, I calls'em as I sees'em. Ru Paul is "she". Alec is most definitely "he". I'm sure the gender double-bending on the part of the defense was part of the act.... but bigod the Chewbacca defense did NOT work. And I hope that lawyer gets his pants handed to him by whoever the hell it is signs his paycheck....

That'd learn him. He ought to have to wear a kilt in court for the next year.

[catsittingstill.livejournal.com]

What is the Chewbacca defense, by the way?

I call them as best I can guess the person I'm speaking of wants them called, and stand prepared to change my usage if they request it.

(There's a person in my church I suspect may be trans, but she dresses like a woman and speaks of herself like a woman, so as far as I'm concerned she's a woman until she expresses some other preference. If I have to keep telling my lizard brain that, I'll repeat it until the lizard gets it. Because that's what civilized people do.)

Alec is he because he wants to be he--and he actually does look very "he" and wouldn't trigger any confusion, except that he reminds me so strongly of Heather sometimes. That way he has of looking up at you through his hair and grinning when he makes a funny.

[technoshaman.livejournal.com]

Chewbacca defense (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chewbacca_defense). Basically anything that doesn't make sense. See also Twinkie defense, most famously used (ironically) in the case of Harvey Milk.

Every once in a while there's a hint of Heather about Alec... but in a lot of ways - both from my own experience and to hear Kore tell it - he's a *lot* different... part of me wonders, sometimes, about the Sidhe...

[catsittingstill.livejournal.com]

Thank you for reposting. I'm honored.

Yes, it's not cause for celebration, exactly. More like relief, maybe?

[mdlbear]

Yay!!

"Gay panic" is no excuse for murder -- rather, as the jury recognized, it makes it a hate crime.

[catsittingstill.livejournal.com]

Yes.

[erin-ruston.livejournal.com]

Thanks for posting this!

[catsittingstill.livejournal.com]

You're very welcome.

Love your icon.

[technoshaman.livejournal.com]

that's an interesting take on that icon. I've always liked the motif, but the words.... I'm not sure I like the contrast factor, but the graffiti-like quality of it, I do like.