[ad_1]
BOSTON, Ontario (AP) – A teenage woman who encouraged her suicidal boyfriend to kill herself may have made bad choices but did not commit a crime, her lawyer said Thursday at the highest court in the country. Massachusetts.
Lawyer Daniel Marx said Michelle Carter, now 22, was a misguided teenager struggling for her own problems and trying to help Conrad Roy III. He said Roy was determined to end his life and was responsible for his own death.
"We can all see in the SMS that Michelle Carter did not force Conrad Roy to kill himself," Marx told the Supreme Court of Justice. "It was a tragic decision that he took."
Carter was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter during a lawsuit that caught the attention of the international community because of thorny legal issues and the insistent tone of his text messages addressed to his boyfriend .
The day Roy filled his carbon monoxide truck in a shop car park in Fairhaven, Massachusetts, then Carter, 17, sent him a text message: It will always be like that if you take no action. "
In convicting Carter, however, the judge focused on the manner in which she had ordered Roy to "return" after he got out of his truck while he was refueling. of poisonous gasoline and told him that he was scared. The judge stated that Carter had a duty to call the police or Roy's family when she knew he was committing suicide.
But the only evidence that Carter ordered Roy to get into the truck was a long, rambling text she sent to a friend two months later, in which she described Roy's death as his fault, said Marx. He also said that there was no evidence that Roy's life would have been saved if Carter had called for help.
Prosecutors said Carter had pushed Roy overboard, noting that he had already attempted suicide several times and had withdrawn.
Deputy District Attorney Shoshana Stern told the court that Carter knew that she had "considerable weight" on Roy and that she became more insistent as he became more depressed. . On the day of his death, Carter threatened to ask for help if he did not realize his plan, Stern said.
"She knew that he was terrified of ending up at the hospital and disappointing his family," Stern said.
Carter was sentenced to 15 months in prison, but remained at large while she continues her appeal.
This is the second time Carter has been brought to the state high court. In 2016, the court ruled that Carter had to stand trial, saying the grand jury was justified in charging him with manslaughter.
The court should rule in the coming months. When asked if they would appeal the case to the US Supreme Court if the judges did not rule in favor of Carter, Joseph Cataldo, another of his lawyers, said they would consider all of their cases. options.
The biggest titles, delivered to your inbox
Get news as it happens. Sign up for Boston.com's email news alerts.
Thank you for your registration!
[ad_2]
Source link
