Before handing down Chance Copeland s life sentence for murder, Judge William Eichman in the 364th District Court on Tuesday told the 32-year-old that he believed he didn t intend to shoot and kill the woman driving the SUV carrying three other people two years ago.
However, Eichman told Copeland, who did not testify during his seven-day trial, that he believed the evidence showed that he intended to kill at least one of Oden s passengers. And (the jury) correctly found you guilty of murder, he said.
He denounced Copeland s attempts at manipulating investigators and intimidating witnesses and told him the evidence in the last three days showed that he deserved the life sentence.
Covid 19 coronavirus: High Court hears arguments questioning legality of vaccine rollout
12 May, 2021 05:15 AM
3 minutes to read
Over 100 million people worldwide have had the vaccine. Photo / 123RF
multimedia journalist at the Herald in Wellington@katieharrisnz
A group questioning the legality of New Zealand s vaccine rollout has argued its case in the High Court at Wellington today.
Much of the case by applicant Nga Kaitiaki Tuku Ihu Inc focuses on whether the vaccine being rolled out to the majority of the country fits within the provisional consent legislation in the Medicines Act that it has been granted under.
The vaccine, Pfizer-BioNTech Covid 19, has been formally tested on more than 40,000 people - half received the vaccine, the other half a placebo which consisted of slightly salty water. Since it started being used widely, tens of millions of people have now received it.
It s just amazing to show that people do care about freedom of speech, lawyer Sue Gray said.
The High Court had to make a second court room available for the public to watch via video link.
Before the hearing began, court security warned them they were there to witness and watch and not to get involved.
With the rules set, the applicant s lawyers argued the provisional consent given by the Health Minister only covers the vaccine s use on a restricted basis for a limited number of patients - not the entire population. It has not been lawfully given because this particular medicine - this vaccine has been approved for those aged 16 and over, lawyer Warren Pyke told the court.