Amy Senser Trial

[irish]

Anyone following this? Thoughts?

[ReneeW]

I am following it and feel mixed about the whole thing. On the one hand, at this point the evidence looks pretty major -- how could she NOT know that she hit a person if evidence shows he went flying over the top of her car??? BUT I'm sure the defense will have some expert who will say that he DIDN'T go over her car as well ... I don't know. The skeptic in me thinks, with the Senser money they can pay to find an expert who will say any darn thing they want to create a shadow of a doubt. On the other hand, I think "what if?" If she really IS innocent and didn't know, it would be tragic to punish an innocent person. But then I go back and think, really? She was probably on her phone, had been drinking, knew she hit someone and panicked. Then I think -- but what if it really was like, in the dark and I know it can be so confusing to drive in certain parts of the city, at night some times visibility is extremely poor and if she really thought she just kind of nicked one of those big construction cones ... ugh!!!! That shadow of a doubt that I feel means she could walk ... and if she walks and she DID know she did it, that too is injustice for the victim and his family. UGH. Glad I'm not a juror!!!

What do you think, Irish?

[irish]

I've been following it pretty closely, and I still can't wrap my mind over her claim that she didn't realize she hit a man. I've hit a rabbit before, and felt that.. I'm really interested in hearing her testimony today. If all goes according to schedule, the jury will deliberate tomorrow.

[ReneeW]

That's the thing -- his injuries were SO extreme, how could you not know? That's what I don't get ... for me it hinges on an expert (if there is one) who says he DIDN'T go over the top of the car, and what that expert's credibility is.

[irish]

I hear ya, Renee! Lighting and construction play a major role, and I totally understand that POV. However, it keeps bringing me back to the fact that she hit someone!! I'm sorry, I just truly do not believe that she could have hit someone and thought it was a construction cone/barrel. I know that it was an honest accident, but the fact that she didn't bother to stop, AND all of the fishy phone calls and texts in the hours and days afterward tells me that she knew what she did and was scared to come forward. Money talks loud...I hope to God it doesn't this time around!

[irish]

Exactly. Another thing...if she WASN'T drinking, wouldn't that make the situation that much more worse!?

[ReneeW]

The other thing that made me go grrrrr was that she wouldn't have come forward if her step daughter hadn't threatened to tell. I mean, that's pretty stinky and fishy right there ... that made her look very guilty. It'll be interesting to see what she has to say for herself ... she's got to come across as a person with integrity in the eyes of the jury. If the jury sees a spoiled rich woman trying to buy her way out of a crime vs. honest standup person who was lost and couldn't see and honestly didn't realize -- that'll influence the decision big time.

[sarahisis]

I think she's full of sh*t personally... I think she knew she hit a person and freaked out.. and used the "I didn't know" excuse because what else is she going to say? And wasn't she on her phone too...?
I just hope the jury can see past her "pity me" stuff.

[irish]

And the whole "Amy's world" thing?? WOW!

[ReneeW]

The "Amy's world" thing is weird. It's good to be an "independent" person, but to me it seems code for "irresponsible" -- it's a "spin" on the fact that no one can count on her to do as she says. Which makes me think -- hmm, if she can't be counted on to be where she says she'll be and do as she says she will, can you count on her to tell the truth?

[bumblebee23]

I have heard some stuff on the news and I'm sorry but her step daughter threatening to tell if she didn't just makes her guilty right there. And I agree Irish "Amy World" Are you kidding. That makes her seem like an idiot that often just takes off and wonders. IDK in my opinion she is guilty.

[love]

Honestly Im tired of people making a flippin huge deal about it because she is a "senser" who gives a sh**? She should be treated like any other person who committed a crime. People are going nuts on this. I'm kinda over it. All this media attention on it because she is famous! Lock the lady away!

I haven't heard the Amy world thing but I like that, I think I will use that J/K

[dara1012]

I have been following it. I feel badly for her stepdaughter & daughters and even Joe in this whole thing. In all the testimony and reports it sounds like she wasn't a really responsible mom or respectful wife. The whole "Amy's world" thing seems to be justification for not meeting obligations or following through on plans, I wouldn't put up with that personally.

I do wonder how she couldn't have known she hit a person. It seems highly unlikely. I do understand being lost and confused with poor lighting and construction signs, but that doesn't excuse not pulling over to see what you hit. Seems like she is covering something up.

[ReneeW]

Here's a link to what happened today and the first few paragraphs of the story:

www.startribune.com/local/minneapolis/149486235.html

Amy Senser testified Monday afternoon that she didn't want to believe she was the one who struck and killed Anousone Phanthavong last summer, even as it became more and more apparent that she had.

"I don't know how you wouldn't know you had hit somebody," she said through deep sobs. "And that was not me."

Senser, wife of former Minnesota Viking Joe Senser, took the stand in her own defense Monday as her trial entered its second week. She testified earlier in the day that she was going 50 to 55 miles per hour on the ramp from westbound Interstate 94 and was temporarily looking to the side when something jolted her attention back to the front on the night of Aug. 23. She has said she thought she hit a construction barrel or a pothole.

"I didn't know what had happened," she said. "I've never been in an accident, so I wasn't sure if I hit a pothole or one of those construction signs. I assumed that's what it was."

[angel22]

I haven't been following this case closely but I do remember that when Amy first came forward I truely thought that she and her husband were covering for one of their daughters. HE couldn't say that he did it because they'd lose so much. The daughters have their entire lives ahead of them. Mom was the best choice and "maybe" they could buy their way out of too much trouble. Now that more details have come out I'm pretty convinced that Amy was really the driver and that she wasn't paying attention, hit the guy, then freaked and drove away. Accidents happen. People make mistakes. People get scared. But she committed a crime. She took a life and ran away and refused to talk to the police about it. She came forward because she was forced to. She seems to be very heartless and self-centered. There is NO reason any of this had to happen the way it has. Justice must be served but frankly, I'm afraid that there won't be a satisfactory outcome.