Pistorius granted bail

[cali]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/blog/2013/feb/22/oscar-pistorius-bail-decision-live-coverage

[Are_grits_groceries]

1. And that bloody Magistrate Nair talked

for over TWO hours before he ruled. What a mook!
We needed the Dancing Itos at the end.

[Tommy_Carcetti]

5. Might be typical South African court procedure

This case is an odd "through the looking glass" experience into the South African justice system. It's odd seeing a sensational celebrity murder trial not based in the U.S. One might think this is how foreigners felt in 94-95 looking at the OJ Trial.

[11 Bravo]

2. Damn you're quick! (I was just coming to post that same info.)

[n2doc]

3. Guess we shall see if he runs

They should toss Nair in jail if he does.

[lapislzi]

4. That was my thought.

Flight risk, that is.

Imma throw this out there with absolutely no evidence to support my hunch, because it is just a hunch: maybe South Africa doesn't want Pistorius convicted.

The ridiculous blunders by the team of investigators and prosecutors seems almost too convenient.

Flame me. It's just a hunch. I lived in South Africa, and I know how they idolize their sports figures. A disgrace for a world-famous sports figure would not go down well with the moneyed interests.

[Are_grits_groceries]

6. Appointed new detective to lead investigation.

I have wondered if after murder charges reinstated against Detective Botha on February 3rd if he cared and was pissed.

[joeybee12]

15. It's a bad hunch...Botha, the guy who arrested him, had a run-in

with Oscar back in 2009...he was pulling his theory out of his ass, and all we pretty much got our initial news from what this corrupt cop had to say, then things started shaking out a little. Doesn't mean Oscar is innocent, but I don't think the case thus far is all that solid base on getting all the info from one corrupt cop who lied about the witnesses and lied about the testosterone.

[MadHound]

7. Not surprising, given the blunders of the investigation,

And the way that the prosecution's case was dismantled under cross. The next question is can the prosecution recover from its bad blunders and come up with a powerful, effective case to put Pistorius in prison. Or will this be another made for TV disaster like the OJ trial.

[muriel_volestrangler]

12. Don't be so sure; the judge's reasoning was about bail, but he cast doubt on Pistorius's version

Reasons for giving bail included:

...
He did not think the prosecution's case was so strong that Pistorius's only reasonable reaction were he released would be to flee.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/feb/22/oscar-pistorious-bail-judge-reasons

But he also said:

Why did he not verify who was in the toilet?

• Why did Steenkamp not scream back from the toilet?

• Why did the deceased and the accused not escape through the bedroom door rather than venture into the toilet?
...

I don't think the case for the crime was dismantled, and I don't think the magistrate thought that, either. But he thinks Pistorius isn't a flight risk, and has a chance of avoiding a murder verdict (or of getting a reduced sentence), so he won't flee.

[NightWatcher]

8. His friend picked him up from court in a white Ford Bronco

It's AC damnit!!!

[11 Bravo]

10. Who will play the slow white Bronco in the movie version of OJ's trial?

Peyton Manning :rimshot:

Thanks, I'll be here all week. Don't forget to tip your waitress!

[sadbear]

9. I wonder what a flight risk in South Africa means.

He could probably disappear anywhere else in sub-Sahara Africa, but would he choose that?

Anywhere else in the world, he'd be too recognizable.

This was, IMO, probably the most appropriate decision.

[lapislzi]

11. Question would be...

Who doesn't have an extradition treaty/policy, and who would like that feather in their national cap? Pistorius will go on being idolized in South Africa regardless, and they will claim the credit for any forthcoming athletic achievements, much as they did for all the expatriate athletes during apartheid.

I don't know enough about the man to know where he might have ties.

[kudzu22]

13. I just find it funny that an Olympic sprinter

is not considered a flight risk.

[lapislzi]

14. SNAP

A welcome change from the "he hasn't got a leg to stand on" jokes...

[redqueen]

16. I knew it. I fucking knew it.