Trial for the killer of 13yr Old Darius Simmons is underway! John Spooner is charged with first-degree intentional homicide in the shooting of Darius Simmons in May 2012 outside their homes on the south side. Spooner, who is white, suspected Simmons, who was black, of stealing guns from his home a couple of days earlier. Simmons was shot while he was taking out the trash, with his mother watching just a few feet away. Spooner faces life in prison if convicted, unless he is found not mentally responsible for the crime, in which case he would be committed indefinitely for mental health treatment. Hours before the shooting, Spooner had expressed frustration with the police response to his burglary complaint to Ald. Bob Donovan. Some of his comments in the conversation — as recalled by Donovan — seemed to hint at vigilantism. That, in turn, elicited comparisons to the Zimmerman case in Florida. Martin, 17, was shot and killed by neighborhood watch volunteer Zimmerman, who pleaded self-defense and was acquitted by a jury Saturday. Some other potential jurors also referred to the case during questioning Monday, and Circuit Judge Jeffrey Wagner told them not to think about it. "You jurors are only to act as jurors in this case," he said. We want Justice 4 Darius Simmons! Continue to become aware of the many families in your city that Need Justice!!
Posted on: Thu, 18 Jul 2013 17:58:35 +0000