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Post by felitoangel on Jun 16, 2011 15:48:05 GMT -5
Hello, everyone. It has been a long time since I have commented, staying away from the site for a while felt beneficial in letting me move forward as much as possible. The trial ended the other day. I was so nervous.... a jury of 12 people and it only takes one person's doubt.... doubt that of course, this man's defense lawyer was happy to plant. It is wierd when they tell you that no matter what the jury's verdict, you are to have no reaction whatsoever. With our hands shaking, and our hearts pounding, I am happy (no, elated._ to report that Juan Blanco was found GUILTY of first degree murder, of concealing a murder, and of using a firearm to commit murder. THANKS BE TO GOD!! I am now going to be working on my statements for the judge to consider in his sentencing, and would welcome any advice from you who already have done this. Thank you all for your support, it is a Godsend. I hope and pray you are all doing as well as can be expected. Much love, Heather
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Post by Janet-Beth's Mom on Jun 16, 2011 21:20:49 GMT -5
Hello, everyone. It has been a long time since I have commented, staying away from the site for a while felt beneficial in letting me move forward as much as possible. The trial ended the other day. I was so nervous.... a jury of 12 people and it only takes one person's doubt.... doubt that of course, this man's defense lawyer was happy to plant. It is wierd when they tell you that no matter what the jury's verdict, you are to have no reaction whatsoever. With our hands shaking, and our hearts pounding, I am happy (no, elated._ to report that Juan Blanco was found GUILTY of first degree murder, of concealing a murder, and of using a firearm to commit murder. THANKS BE TO GOD!! I am now going to be working on my statements for the judge to consider in his sentencing, and would welcome any advice from you who already have done this. Thank you all for your support, it is a Godsend. I hope and pray you are all doing as well as can be expected. Much love, Heather Dear Heather, this is WONDERFUL news that they have convicted the man that committed this horror on your lives - I am so glad the evidence and a very competent prosecutor were all there, and that the jury saw through to the truth. There is a link at the top of the page - if you click on "Victim Impact Statements" there are 6 examples there that may help you get started. Each of our stories is our own, what our loved ones meant to us, what murder has done to our lives - each of us has our own story, our own truth to tell. I am so glad you get the chance to do this. It was one of the hardest things I ever did, but one of the things I believe helped me that I had done it too. Someone told me to tell about who they were, what they were like, what they meant to you, how life has changed, and to speak from the heart. I think that was good advice. I'm glad you thought of us when you needed someone to talk to. Prayers for you dear lady
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Post by felitoangel on Jun 16, 2011 22:56:13 GMT -5
Thank you, honey, and God bless you for the wonderful work you do on this site. Strong people find a way to work through their pain... but the biggest and the best find a way to work through everyone else's pain too.
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Post by aaronsmom on Jun 17, 2011 8:22:59 GMT -5
I remember the relief I felt nearly 15 years ago when my son's murderer was found guilty of 1st degree murder and was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole. As for your victim impact statement, just write down what comes from your heart. That way, the judge will not have to speculate as to how your life has changed and the sentencing should reflect the devastation caused by the murder. Good luck.
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Post by felitoangel on Jun 20, 2011 17:34:37 GMT -5
Thanks, hon.
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Post by melody on Jun 28, 2011 22:50:42 GMT -5
echo what the others have said, just say what you feel in your heart. If its a judge or jury sentencing the convict, they will hear you loud and clear. My sisters and I wrote out pages of stuff to say, but in the end abandoned the script and just talked and cried and even laughed when talking about good memories. We did NOT have to submerge our emotions during this part of the process thankfully.
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Post by pumpkin12903 on Jul 2, 2011 9:30:30 GMT -5
Thank you, honey, and God bless you for the wonderful work you do on this site. Strong people find a way to work through their pain... but the biggest and the best find a way to work through everyone else's pain too. Thanks for your kind words. It's nice to get some "thank you's" at times. I feel it's OK to brag a little: the MVS that give back are very needed and truly help many. I personally see it as a duty for all who have gone through any kind of trauma. This is 1 of the things I love about Alcoholics Anonymous also. Step 12 tells those who have worked all the steps of recovery to help the newcomers. My sponsor once got on me for not greeting a newcomer at a meeting. I was very glad the meeting I went to for a lot of years held to the standard that ALL newcomers get a greeting at the LEAST from the other members. The thought of if NO MVS gave back is truly horrible and terrifying. Things would be so much worse than they already are and the new MVS would have an even harder time recovering and it would also take way longer than it should. Thanks again for your kind words.
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