Tucson, AZ-defense attorney uses books checked out in murder trial

[Elisabeth Roche]

Friday March 15, 1996 Arizona Daily Star Metro/Region (section B) has story
on murder trial of Beau John Greene in the death of UA music professor Roy
A. Johnson.

In the afternoon of Friday, same day, the jury deliberated less than 3 hours
and came back with first degree guilty verdict.

The defense was attempting to establish some idea of sexual overtones to
this straightforward highjack-murder-theft-credit card/car robbery in a
chance to get jury to go with manslaughter rather than first degree.

The wife of Mr. Johnson was recalled by the defense to the stand to answer
questions on whether she had indeed checked out library books in August on
the subject of homosexuality, in an attempt to show the jury that even the
wife of said victim *must* have thought he was a homosexual, why else would
she be checking out books on homosexuality? (Luckily the jury could see
through the ludicrous and transparent attempt of a desperate attorney with a
confessed murderer to defend.)

And I hate to bring up the case again, I don't want to hurt the victims
family any more than they have been. 

But---- How many attorney's are trying to use what a person checks out of a
library against (or pro for that matter) a defendant or plaintiff these days
and just how far can they go?

Thanks for all comments on this.

Elisabeth Roche ace at opus1.com
serendipity RULES!