So, having fled the country already on a false passport, and trying to escape again last month during a medical appointment, I don’t like her chances of getting a minimal sentence or low security prison.
Good, she doesn’t deserve a minimal sentence.
Sentenced to 90 years today.
I’m not familiar with the jurisdictional system so apologies for my ignorance but could she have faced the death penalty?
No, Texas does have the death penalty but this type of case would not have qualified from my understanding. Has to be a child, multiple victims, while robbing a bank that kind of thing.
I hope Colin Strickland is having a hard time living with himself, too.
I don’t have the full details but apparently there was some sort of a happening between Colin and a reporter at some point. He had to have a police escort as he was leaving the courthouse.
Yes, she could have faced the death penalty but the prosecution chose not to pursue it.
It would not have changed the burden of proof in the case, but the appeal process is quite different when on death row. Ironically, it can bring “closure” sooner and less expensively by not pursuing death penalty.
The above post about “minors….” is simply incorrect. In Texas, this case was very much eligible for death penalty.
Part of the extradition agreement with Costa Rica was they would not pursue death penalty.
Yep, fairly common.
Which part of this case makes it eligible for her to have been charged with capital murder?
I think it is the part where I can just google it and find a different, more helpful link 
LOL. since you’re on a cycling website and not a legal website, that would be what I would do.
If you did that, you would see that Texas doesn’t observe the term “first degree murder”. It is referred to as “capital murder” and is eligible for the death penalty, unless the prosecution chooses not to pursue it, for any number of reasons (which is what happen here).
The defense rests, your honor.
While tangentially related to cycling, this topic isn’t focused on making us faster athletes. Everything productive regarding this tragedy has already been said, so we’re closing this thread down.