Gustav

Long time no blog.

I got back from New Orleans tonight around 8pm. It was quite an experience. Not only did Brad Hood, Brian Covington and I do work for NewsChannel 19, but we also did live shots for Fox 6 in Birmingham and WGNO in New Orleans. That was quite an experience. When I left Sunday morning, I thought I was headed to Gulfport, Ms. But by the time Sunday night rolled around, I was live on the air in New Orleans doing live shots about a city I had never been to before. From what everyone told me, you couldn't tell.

We stayed at the Astor Crown Plaza, which is on the corner of Bourbon and Canal Streets. It was a nice hotel. While Gustav wasn't Katrina, there was one thing that reminded me of what it must have been like after Katrina. The hotel had hired armed guards to protect the place. We had taken a lot of food and water with us. Turns out we didn't need it. The hotel kitchen staff stayed behind and cooked us three meals a day.

The hotel became the headquarters for us and our affiliated stations, including WBRC Fox 6, WHO from Iowa and several other stations. Also at our hotel was Fox News, The Weather Channel and CBN. I saw Geraldo Rivera, Katie Couric, Sheppard Smith, Mike Bettes and a bunch of other Fox reporters who I've seen on TV, but haven't seen enough to remember their names.

It's good to be home.

Living the Life on the Public Payroll

A little more than a year ago, I switched from working a daytime schedule to working nights. So instead of working 9:30 to 6:30, I now work 1:30 to 10:30. There is one major difference I've found from the switch, good luck trying to find someone in a public official capacity to do an interview. When you come in in the morning, you can usually call their office and catch them to set up an interview. But now that I come in at 1:30pm, it's sometimes downright impossible to catch them. You always get the line, "They've gone for the rest of the day, but they will be back in the morning." That's great, but I won't be here in the morning. I wish I could knock off after about 4 hours.

Jury Deliberations

Sorry for the lack of an update today. So far nothing has happened. The jury deliberated for a few hours and then took a two hour lunch break.

Sentencing Day Three

Judge Hall is charging the jury. It's expected that the jury will go home for the day and start deliberations in the morning.

Broussard just showed the jury the pants Golden was wearing the day of the shooting. He showed them the stains from him lying on the parking lot, where he was begging for his life.

Broussard: If Albarran could have gotten officer Golden's gun to work, after he had shot him, the Albarran probably would have used it against other responding Huntsville officers.

Broussard: It doesn't matter that the family doesn't want him to get the death penalty.

Broussard: Albarran's family testified that he was a little moody, but not crazy. A complete change from what the defense was saying during the first part of the trial.

Broussard: If poverty is an excuse for murder, then during the great depression there should have been a large amount of violence across the United States.

Broussard: If we heard another word about Albarran's father being sick, I think we all would have gotten up and left the courtroom.

Broussard: Albarran's tiny village and the life he had there is not an excuse to get out of the death penalty.

Rob Broussard is now giving the rebuttal to the Defense's closing arguments.

Court is in recess until 3pm, so the Golden Family can attend the funeral of Daniel Golden's uncle who passed away over the weekend.

Gardner says the decision the jury makes will live with them for the rest of their lives. It will hit them out of the blue and they will think about whether or not you did the right thing.

Gardner says life without parole is a severe sentence.

Gardner says that if Daniel Golden had been anyone other than a police officer, the jury would not even be considering death or life in prison without parole.

Gardner told the jury they are the life support system for Mr. Albarran.

Gardner says that most major decisions in life are reversable. A death sentence is one that is not.

Jaffe finished up and now Bruce Gardner is also giving an argument to the jury.

Jaffe: The death penalty is only for the worst of the worst.

Jaffe: Life without parole is enough punishment for this crime.

Jaffe: The way in which officer Golden was killed was not heinous.

Jaffe: It's absurd to say that Albarran killed Officer Golden to avoid arrest.

Mr. Jaffe says that if the jurors believe in the concept of "an eye for an eye," then they have vioalted their oath.

Mr. Jaffe says that death is not the most severe punishment.

The proseuction has finished. Mr. Jaffe is now up.

The defense just asked for a mistrial because they claimed Mr. Town asked the jury to put themselves in Daniel's position. The motion was denied.

Town: Golden had already been shot in the stomach and was defenseless. Albarran still fired more shots.

Town: After Albarran shot Golden right below the eye, he made the decision to fire one more shot into his head. This is a clear example that Albarran wanted to finish him off.

Town: Golden begged for mercy. Albarran's answer was to pull out another pistol and fire five more shots.

Town: Albarran showed no pity on Officer Golden.

Town: This murder was torturous.


Make that four objections now.

The defense as objected two times to Mr. Town's closing argument.

Town says the letters and video presented on behalf of Albarran are nice, but they don't excuse what has happened. And the family of Golden will never get another letter from Daniel.

Town says the case as met two requirements for the death penalty. One, the murder was committed to avoid arrest and the murder was especially heinous.

Prosecutor Jay Town says the facts in this case merit the death penalty.

Closing arguments are expected to begin shortly. The judge is currently going over the instructions she will give the jury right before they begin their deliberations.