TV and Movies

[Mz iMac]

His cross examination antics should be studied in law school on why "defendants" should NOT take the stand on their behalf.

Brief facts:  Ali Abulaban is charged with first-degree murder in the shooting deaths of his wife, Ana Abulaban, and her friend, Rayburn Barron. The two were killed on Oct. 21, 2021, at the apartment Ali and Ana shared. Ali has not denied the killings, but his defense has argued that the shootings were a crime of passion and not premeditated.

He shot both in the head multiple times.  I believe he emptied the gun.

Ali downloaded an app on his child's iPad to spy on his wife.

Ali & wife were both Tic Tok influncers.

[Jk9]

I saw some of his testimony and totally agree.  I'm also sure that he wouldn't listen to his lawyers telling him to stay off the stand.  That would not be his style or fit with his image of his influence over others by how I perceived him based on just that testimony.

[Wsmom]

He is probably enough of a narcissist to believe that his reasons for this will fly and he will end up with a slap on the wrist.

As far as the premeditation goes he may get away with it not being premeditated but for the facts of all the set up to catch her in the act and he took a gun.  I don't know what affect the argument that he was out of his mind on cocaine will be on the jury. 

I just read about this case for the first time today.  I am going to have to try to find more info on it.  I definitely want to watch the closing arguments.

[Mz iMac]

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@Wsmom wrote:

 I don't know what affect the argument that he was out of his mind on cocaine will be on the jury. 

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@Wsmom  He also confirmed after he shot wify & her friend, he called 911, picked up his daughter from school, told daughter he killed mommy when daughter asked where she was & dropped her off at his father's house.  <------all while out of his mind on a coke binge. 

[Wsmom]

@Mz iMac , I am listening to his testimony now.  I don't know who is more incompetent, the judge who lets him ramble on and on and on and on or his attorney who objects to nothing and then when there is an objection the judge just lets him go on.   I was a court reporter in a courtroom for years and this is an absolute joke the way he is combative to the attorney, doesn't directly answer a question and so narrative.  With his attorney objecting to nothing.  Maybe setting up an appealable issue for incompetence of counsel.

Do you know what state this is in?

[Mz iMac]

@Wsmom  California

[Mz iMac]

@Wsmom  One of the Court TV talking heads (female) stated if Ali is found guilty of crime of passion, his murder charge(s) will be reduced to voluntary manslaughter.

[Wsmom]

@Mz iMac , they generally would give lesser included verdict forms, and in the jury instructions give instructions on those lesser includeds and voluntary manslaughter:  heat of passion is one of them.

 The problem with the heat of passion argument is all the premeditation that was involved.  His search history, bringing a gun, listening in.  This wasn't a guy who came home and found his wife with somebody and flipped out.   He went with the intention to do exactly what he did.  I just don't know how the being coked out will play into it, what the defense there is.

It will be interesting.  Just the snippet of his testimony I listened to this guy was all over the place, rambling, argumentative, etc.  He did himself no favors.   Not a sympathetic, remorseful guy.

I would like to watch the closing arguments but it doesn't look like I get Court TV.   I just watch the snippets where I can find them.

CA is where I am located.

[Wsmom]

@Mz iMac , I just read that Peacock is releasing a documentary on this case on June 25, TikTok Star Murders.

[Mz iMac]

@Wsmom   Thanks for the heads up.  If I have watched the trial, I do not watch the tv docu and/or listen to podcasts as I know the outcome. 

Spoiler

He was found guilty of two counts of 1st-degree murder.

For anyone who has not seen the trial, I recommend watching the documentary.