01-11-2014, 01:35 PM
Blind justice for John Wayne, or just a hot-headed drunken murderer let off the hook?
![[Image: article-2537443-1A8EB42400000578-607_306x423.jpg]](http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2014/01/10/article-2537443-1A8EB42400000578-607_306x423.jpg)
John Wayne Rogers, 40, declared immune from prosecution under SYG
The Florida murder trial of a blind man was cut short Friday after a judge granted a "stand your ground" motion for immunity and ruled the man acted in self-defense when he shot a drinking buddy in the chest with .308 Remington rifle.
Rogers, who was declared legally blind after a work accident in 2001, has a history of violence. Four years ago, he fired 15 rounds from a handgun at Michael Rogers, his roommate and cousin, following a night of drinking and fighting in Geneva, according to court records.
Michael Rogers suffered scrapes but no gunshot wounds. The defendant was charged with aggravated assault but, in a deal with prosecutors, pleaded no contest to a lesser charge — unlawfully displaying a firearm — and was placed on probation.
That was revoked, however, when he pushed and punched a woman a year later, something that resulted in him spending 71 days in the Seminole County jail for domestic violence, according to court records.
The latest incident, for which Rogers was arrested and standing trial before being granted SYG immunity, occurred two years ago after the victim, 34 year-old James T. DeWitt, and his girlfriend had gone to Rogers' house to drink beer and had spent the night. The next day the group had made a 10 a.m. trip to the store to buy more beer.
The defendant testified that he asked DeWitt to leave but that the victim attacked him, so he went into the bedroom, retrieved his rifle, walked back into the living room and pointed it in DeWitt's general direction. DeWitt then charged him, he said, so he fired one round.
DeWitt's girlfriend, Christina Ann Robertson, told Seminole County deputies that the two men had been "play fighting," something they sometimes did, when Rogers walked into another room, emerged with the rifle and shot DeWitt without provocation.
After listening to Rogers' testimony on Thursday, Circuit Judge John Galluzzo returned to the bench Friday morning and granted his "stand your ground" motion, meaning he declared the defendant immune from prosecution.
Refs:
http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2014...ael-rogers
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-...buddy.html
John Wayne Rogers, 40, declared immune from prosecution under SYG
The Florida murder trial of a blind man was cut short Friday after a judge granted a "stand your ground" motion for immunity and ruled the man acted in self-defense when he shot a drinking buddy in the chest with .308 Remington rifle.
Rogers, who was declared legally blind after a work accident in 2001, has a history of violence. Four years ago, he fired 15 rounds from a handgun at Michael Rogers, his roommate and cousin, following a night of drinking and fighting in Geneva, according to court records.
Michael Rogers suffered scrapes but no gunshot wounds. The defendant was charged with aggravated assault but, in a deal with prosecutors, pleaded no contest to a lesser charge — unlawfully displaying a firearm — and was placed on probation.
That was revoked, however, when he pushed and punched a woman a year later, something that resulted in him spending 71 days in the Seminole County jail for domestic violence, according to court records.
The latest incident, for which Rogers was arrested and standing trial before being granted SYG immunity, occurred two years ago after the victim, 34 year-old James T. DeWitt, and his girlfriend had gone to Rogers' house to drink beer and had spent the night. The next day the group had made a 10 a.m. trip to the store to buy more beer.
The defendant testified that he asked DeWitt to leave but that the victim attacked him, so he went into the bedroom, retrieved his rifle, walked back into the living room and pointed it in DeWitt's general direction. DeWitt then charged him, he said, so he fired one round.
DeWitt's girlfriend, Christina Ann Robertson, told Seminole County deputies that the two men had been "play fighting," something they sometimes did, when Rogers walked into another room, emerged with the rifle and shot DeWitt without provocation.
After listening to Rogers' testimony on Thursday, Circuit Judge John Galluzzo returned to the bench Friday morning and granted his "stand your ground" motion, meaning he declared the defendant immune from prosecution.
Refs:
http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2014...ael-rogers
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-...buddy.html