Comments by "Glamdolly" (@glamdolly30) on "Ronnie Oneal Cross-Examines His Own Son | COURT TV" video.
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It's disappointing that COURT TV never starts their reports with a few words of explanation about the context of the crime and the accused's alibi. In 2018 Ronnie O' Neal murdered his girlfriend and their 9 year old daughter and attempted to murder their 8 year old son (now aged 11), then set fire to the family home to destroy evidence.
O' Neal is claiming his girlfriend murdered the children, and he only killed her impulsively, out of self defence and rage that she had killed his kids. That's the oldest lie in the domestic abuser's handbook. Unluckily for him, one of the children survived to tell the true story!
The prosecution say the crime was premeditated first degree murder, and attempted murder, the worst level of homicide for which they are seeking the death penalty. That chump is literally fighting for his life.
He killed his 9 year old daughter with repeated axe blows to her face, head and neck. He repeatedly stabbed his son in the stomach. He then attempted to shoot his girlfriend dead as she fled to a neighbour's home to get help. The gun jammed, so O' Neal beat her to death on the neighbour's front doorstep with the weapon, a long barrelled rifle. The beating was so brutal the gun broke into several pieces, which were recovered from the crime scene.
When emergency service arrived, the little boy staggered out of the burning house and collapsed. He was rushed to hospital by ambulance, and told medical crew en route that his father had killed his mother and sister and had stabbed him. His knife wounds were so severe, his intestines were hanging out.
A firefighter gave evidence and said he recovered the little girl's dead body from the burning house, where the floor was slippery with her blood. He carried her outside and laid her on the front lawn, and said her face was totally unrecognisable. He had hugged a male colleague, and wept.
I've heard that when O'Neal cross examined his son, the little boy told him: "You stabbed me in the stomach". I would have liked to have seen that. The child has been adopted by one of the detectives who investigated the murders. It's the first time he's lived in a family free of his father's abuse. O' Neal is trying to use this to his advantage, claiming the detective is coaching his son to frame him for the murders!
This scumbag had a documented history of domestic abuse, with many calls made to police by his girlfriend. He had recently fathered a baby with another woman. He is headed to death row. He's so clearly mentally unstable, as evidenced by the aggressive way he yelled his opening speech at the jury, I'm amazed the judge allowed him to represent himself. He doesn't appear to be restrained at all. I hope the judge doesn't regret her decision when he's declared guilty - I think his reaction could be explosive! I suggest all armed officers in the court keep a close eye on their weapon.
Making his son interact with the man who murdered his mother and sister and nearly killed him, is a travesty of justice. Who knows how badly that trauma could affect him? The law should be amended to protect child victims of serious crimes from this happening again. I' Neil's defense layer could and should have asked whatever questions he wanted asked - he should not have been allowed to address the child directly, even over Zoom.
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He's a manipulative narcissist, like most domestic abusers and killers. Notice how he started off telling his son "It's good to see you". He's grooming the kid, hoping he can still exert influence on him and his testimony, as his father.
There's no doubt he murdered his wife and daughter that night in premeditated attacks. It's unlucky for him one child survived to tell the true story. O' Neal is claiming his girlfriend attacked the children, and he killed her in an impulsive revenge attack. It's the oldest story in the book for family annihilators like him! The jury won't buy it - you could see he was capable of the crime from the aggressive way he addressed them. The guy is crazy!
The child has been adopted by one of the detectives on the case, and he is finally living in a loving, stable family. Not surprisingly his father had a history of domestic abuse, and had fathered a baby with another woman.
It's wrong this 11 year old has been forced to have this direct communication with his father and would-be killer. Poor kid was only 8 years old when his dad tried to kill the whole family, and set fire to the house to destroy evidence. This little boy has spent the last 3 years physically and mentally healing from his father's knife attack on him (when police arrived, his intestines were hanging out), and the loss of his mother and sister. He witnessed him murder his 9 year old sister with repeated axe blows to her face, head and neck.
Having to speak with O'Neal again, even over Zoom, could badly traumatise this child, and set back his recovery. The law is an ass! Where is the consideration for victims of crime - and especially child victims?
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@SkinnyRob You talk about emotion as if it automatically correlates to a lack of logic or judgement. That is a false assumption. Without emotion, man is nothing, and laws mean nothing. There is emotion behind every single great human achievement since time began my friend! It's a fundamental mistake to despise emotion. Emotion is the life blood of human civilisation and human advancement.
There is a big question mark over this man's mental health, and that's one aspect of public concern over his being allowed to represent himself - with all the privileges that affords him.
Human beings usually prioritise the safety and well being of children above every other consideration, and that is strongly reflected in the laws of every civilised society. That convention has sadly fallen through the cracks in this case, due to the priority the law gives to the rights of the accused and the legal presumption of innocence.
While that presumption of innocence is a crucial cornerstone of every decent judicial system, many people feel that should not come at the detriment of children. Ronnie O' Neal's child has paid a heavy price for his father's presumption of innocence. I think the law should be slightly amended in this area, to satisfy both the defendant's rights and the rights of children not to be brought into direct contact with an adult charged with harming them.
In my view O' Neal's assisting defence attorney could have put his questions to the child. My objection - and many others' objection - is that the child was forced by the existing system to interact directly with the accused. Who knows what additional psychological harm that could do to an 11-year-old, who is just starting to heal 3 years after his father murdered his mother and sister in front of him, and attempted to stab him to death. This is about as extreme a case of domestic violence as you'll find.
Child psychologists in the UK have confirmed re-living a crime like that in court can be just as disturbing to a young mind as experiencing it was. And what more powerful and distressing way to take a child back to that event in his/her mind, than to make them speak with the murderer - even over Zoom - and hear his voice. As adults, we may struggle to empathise with that experience. But it's an experience that child will likely carry with them for the rest of their days, along with the crime itself.
Last year the Scottish Parliament passed new legislation specifically to protect children from courtroom encounters like this one. It means that any child witness or victim in a serious crime case, will now give pre-recorded video evidence ahead of the trial, which will be played to the jury. The defendant's questions will be put to the child by a lawyer, during that pre-recorded evidence.
This change in the law will not in my view compromise any defendant's rights, but will spare children the unnecessary trauma of a direct interaction with the defendant.
The law of any country cannot be set in stone and unchanging. The law must be an organic thing, subject to amendment to reflect the ever changing values and morality of every society. If it were not subject to change, America would still have slavery!
I hope we will see an amendment in the US law, to prevent any other child from the additional, courtroom injustice this child has undoubtedly suffered.
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@dianaprince3176 I'm not American and as my posts make clear, I understand US defendants' right to represent themselves and cross examine witnesses - even minors, as in this case.
I thought my point was clear, but as you didn't understand it I'm happy to explain it for you again:
I don't believe that right for defendants in serious crimes like murder/rape to directly question witnesses, should extend to children. YouTube comments on the case suggest many people are outraged on this little boy's behalf. I hope this murder trial prompts sufficient public anger to start a national debate about child witnesses, that leads to greater legal protections for them.
In my view the US justice system is weighted too far in favour of the defendant, to the detriment of its most vulnerable victims, minors. Ronnie O' Neal should not have been able to directly quiz his 11-year-old son and victim, about the ordeal he and his murdered mother and sister suffered at his hands. Additional psychological harm could be done to that child, in having to once again face his father and would-be murderer (even over Zoom), and revisit that life-changing horror.
This is about as bad as domestic violence cases get. Ronnie O' Neal killed his 9 year old disabled daughter with repeated axe blows to her face, head and neck, witnessed by his then 8 year old son. He chased his fleeing girlfriend with a rifle, shooting at her as she ran to a neighbour's house for help. When the gun jammed, he beat the mother of his children to death on the front doorstep, the impacts breaking the rifle into pieces. He then returned home and stabbed his son so viciously, when emergency services arrived his intestines were hanging out. The boy also suffered burns when O' Neal set fire to the house.
No justice system is perfect but as a journalist I can vouch child witnesses/victims are better protected and prioritised in British courts. Last year the Scottish Parliament passed the 'Vulnerable Witnesses Act'. It ruled in the most serious crimes, young people under 18 do not appear in court live, either in person or remotely, as this little boy did. Instead, minors pre-record their evidence in advance of the trial, and it is played to the jury. The new law, modelled on the Scandinavian legal system, means children don't have to face the accused in court or be cross examined. Psychologists recognise that giving evidence in court re-traumatises a child and can be almost as distressing as the crime itself.
The laws of a country are not set in stone, and nor should they be. They should be organic and evolve with the changing culture and values, to reflect modern morality. Most people watching this alleged domestic killer quiz his son will feel revulsion. That gut instinct kicks in when a situation just isn't right - and in many people's eyes, doing this to a child is very wrong. The drama that played out in that courtroom this week reflected very badly on American justice. It can and should do much better than that!
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Why can't we change the rules now? Just because a law was made many years ago, doesn't mean it's right or can't be amended to fit current morality. If your logic stood, we would still have slavery!
Most people would not think it acceptable that an 11 year old child can be quizzed by his would-be killer like this - even via Zoom. That man murdered his mother and sister, and tried to murder him.
The poor boy's spent the last 3 years grieving their loss, healing from his own physical and mental scars, and trying to find stability in his life. A family adopted him, but it didn't work out. He was then adopted by one of the detectives who worked his family's murder case. He's been to hell and back, but is finally in a good place, with good people who love him.
Then he gets the call from court, and is told he has to not only see his father and would-be killer again, but be questioned by him. And that monster who terrorised him and took away his family forever, gets to speak to him and say "It's nice to see you". That is not acceptable!
The defendant's questions could and should have been put to the child by a defense attorney NOT by him personally. Seems the law is all about the rights of the accused, and the victims get overlooked. We need to do more to protect victims of serious crimes - and especially child victims. America must do better than this!
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@SkinnyRob In fact the evidence shows that courtroom experience will not be a positive experience for the child as you assume, but an ordeal almost as psychologically damaging to him as the crime itself.
Feelings - or rather emotions - inform every important achievement and glory of mankind since civilisation began. Without emotions, laws would be meaningless - every law ever made is underpinned by human emotion. Emotion does not automatically equate with poor judgement or lack of objectivity, quite the opposite!
This child was wrongly made to face his would-be killer not because society doesn't care about him and the damage that will do, but because the accused's rights have been given priority above all else - even the best interests of a child.
This is highly unusual. In civilised societies, nothing trumps the rights of children. I believe this is a 'blip' in the law that needs to be addressed and amended, without compromising the defendant's rights.
Ronnie O' Neal's defense lawyer could have directly communicated with the child, instructed by the accused, without negating O' Neal's legal rights or subjecting that child to the trauma of speaking directly with him. The intimidation and manipulation in the interaction between father and son was clear. O' Neal started off by telling the child he tried to stab to death 3 years ago: "It's good to see you", to which the child felt compelled to respond in kind: "It's good to see you too".
That 11-year-old was forced to exchange pleasantries with the man who murdered his mother and sister! That is not acceptable, and will undoubtedly come back to haunt him. He will feel he was disloyal to his murdered family. Ironically, he will also almost certainly feel responsible if his father is found guilty and receives the death sentence. His memories of speaking with his father over Zoom, as the prosecution's star witness, will stay with him forever and haunt him horribly if his dad is put to death.
Laws are not immovable and set in stone. As societies evolve and consensus and morality alters over decades, so the law must evolve and reflect those changes. I mentioned in another post to you that last year Scotland introduced a new law specifically to prevent any child experiencing the injustice this child did in court. Now a child involved in a serious criminal case as witness/victim, will pre-record their evidence on video ahead of the trial. And defence questions will be put to the child at that time, The video will be played to the jury. This new law does not compromise the defendant's rights, but protects children. I hope after the appalling spectacle of child abuse we just witnessed in this American court, the US will consider a similar change in the law to protect minors.
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Amen, that man is pure evil. The little boy is now being raised by one of the detectives who investigated the murders, it's the first time he's lived in a home without Ronnie O' Neal's abuse.
It is so sad he's had 3 years to heal physically and mentally from his father's violence (when police arrived, his intestines were hanging out from the knife attack), and the loss of his mom and sister. And then the court makes him face his would-be killer, and the killer of his family, and answer his questions. It's wrong - just the sound of that murderer's voice could traumatise the child and set his recovery back!
That PoS is pretending his girlfriend attacked the children, and he killed her in an impulsive crime of passion. Unlucky for him one of the children survived to tell the true story! He'd been abusing his girlfriend for years, and even fathered a baby with another woman. If only she had been able to escape him with her children, she and her daughter would be alive.
More must be done to protect women and children from scumbag domestic abusers like him! And more must be done by courts to protect child victims of crime from ever having to interact with the defendant again. O' Neal could have given his questions to a defense attorney, to ask the child. I think having to speak to his dad direct will inevitably bring that terrible night sharply back in focus for him, and be a very damaging experience.
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Ronnie O' Neal is claiming his girlfriend attacked their children, killing their 9 year old daughter and stabbing their (then) 8 year old son multiple times. He says he only killed her, impulsively and unplanned, in self defence because she had just killed the kids. Unluckily for him one of the kids survived to contradict his lies - he attacked everyone, his mother is a totally innocent victim.
Even if she had killed the kids, he chased her to a neighbour's house shooting at her, then when the rifle jammed he beat her to death with it on their front doorstep, so how was she any threat to him - she was running away! Also, if he only killed her in self defence, why did he set fire to the house? It's obvious the prosecution is right - he killed his partner and daughter and attempted to kill his son in premeditated attacks, then set fire to the house to destroy evidence. He's headed to death row. I only hope they cuff him before the guilty verdicts are read out, because he's clearly batshit ctazy and capable of attacking the judge and jurors!
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This is the second COURT TV report I've seen on this murder trial which failed to outline the context of the crime, and explain the alleged killer's defense! C'mon Vinnie - I know you're a qualified lawyer not a journalist, but that's just plain lazy.
I am a journalist, so I'll do it for you - Ronnie O' Neal is claiming his girlfriend attacked his children killing his daughter and injuring his son, and that he killed her in an impulsive, revenge fuelled rage ie a 'crime of passion'. The prosecution says that's baloney and he went to her house to kill her and the children in a coldly premeditated, first degree murder.
The law is an ass on so many levels. Where is the legislation to protect that child from ever having another encounter with his father, his would-be killer and the killer of his mother and sister? That man is clearly crazy and the poor kid shouldn't have to even hear his voice again, never mind answer his questions!
Seems this defendant, a suspected double killer, has it all ways. After initially having his mental issues confirmed, he is declared competent for trial - in fact he's so damn competent, he's allowed to be his own lawyer! Yet we're told if he's convicted, he's allowed to play the mental health card to get himself a more lenient sentence! WTF? Talk about having it all ways! Is he mentally responsible for his crimes and competent, or not?
I hope there's an outcry about this trial, and that it causes a change in the law to protect child victims of serious crime from being directly questioned by the accused. Who knows what long term effects this additional trauma will have on this 11 year old child? Ronnie O' Neal's questions could have been asked for him by a dense attorney, to spare that child the ordeal of communicating with him directly, who knows if the poor kid will have nightmares and bed wetting after this?
Incidentally, I heard there was a dramatic point in this little boy's testimony, when he told his father "You stabbed me". Why wasn't it shown in this report?
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I heard that the child did tell his father "You stabbed me". I wish they had shown that bit! I agree, he was only 8 when it happened, and has probably blanked a lot out through trauma anyway.
The piece of shit Ronnie O' Neal is pretending his girlfriend attacked the children, killing their daughter with an axe and stabbing their son. That way he can claim he only killed his girlfriend in self defence because she was armed and dangerous. Obvious bullshit, how could it be self defence when he chased the girlfriend to a neighbour's house (poor woman ran there for help), and battered her to death on the doorstep, then he set fire to the family home to destroy evidence.
Unluckily for him the son survived to tell the world it was his father, not his mother, who attacked him and his 9 year old sister. Ronnie O' Neal had a long history of domestic violence and had recently fathered a child with another woman. He's so obviously guilty! If I was a juror I'd be very scared about what he could do when the guilty verdicts are read out, he could go nuts especially as it's a death penalty case.
He doesn't appear to be wearing handcuffs or any form of restraint. If there are armed officers in the court, I hope they keep a close eye on their guns!
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@dianaprince3176 If you are a former lawyer, I'm amazed an ex professional would conduct herself in such a rude, undignified manner on a public forum.
You threw dumb insults at the original poster, calling her a 'Karen' and telling her if she doesn't like the US way she should move to Saudi Arabia (seriously?!). You even used childish 'Clown' and 'Rolling Eyes' emojis - the hallmark of every tragic troll who ever lost an argument.
The best, most compelling attorneys engage with the arguments, they don't just dismiss them out of hand! Nor do they lose their cool and sink to ill-mannered insults and name-calling. Were you struck off? It could explain your anger issues.
As a retired public defender you should know that a country's laws are not dictated by lawyers but reflect the wishes and values of ordinary citizens, most of whom have no legal qualification. The clue is in the historic term; 'The People Versus'. The original poster's eloquent condemnation of this child interrogation by his would-be killer was widely supported, with 207 upvotes to date, proving she made a perfectly reasonable and valid point.
It is arrogant, deluded nonsense, for you to claim nobody but a lawyer (practising, retired or struck off), can have a valid opinion on the law!
Nor does a poster have to be American to have a valid viewpoint on the US Constitution, law, and the unacceptable questioning of an 11-year-old child by the family annihilator who disembowelled and set fire to him aged 8, after murdering his mother and sister. It's a scenario reasonable, decent human beings of ALL nationalities find shocking and wrong, and are entitled to state a view on. It's a human rights issue. Your position: 'You're not American, therefore have no right to express an opinion on our courts', is just plain stupid!
It's disappointing you lack the intellect and basic courtesy to enter into an intelligent, respectful discussion on this fascinating subject. That the civil rights of the accused in America trump the rights of the child - which are rightly sacrosanct and the number one priority in every other forum in the US and other civilised nations - is a curious anomaly.
Here in the UK, greater efforts to protect minors involved in criminal proceedings are ongoing. In May 2019, a new law was passed unanimously in Scotland, meaning under-18s called in the most serious criminal cases can now provide their evidence in pre-recorded form. This spares them the traditional, formal court proceedings and the trauma of facing the accused either in person or via live link, as poor Ronnie O' Neal Jr had to endure.
The new legislation is based on the Scandinavian system of 'Barnahus' or 'Children's House', because minors are questioned in a sympathetic, informal environment, where they know they will not encounter the accused. It puts the care and welfare of the child at the centre of all decision making - a priority which was conspicuously lacking in Ronnie O' Neal's murder trial!
'Barnahus' puts all support services for child witnesses under one roof, recognising the trauma that multiple interviews in different locations with different agencies, can cause. To America's credit, 'Barnahus' was first developed in the US, before being adopted in Iceland in the late 'nineties, then rolled out across other Scandinavian countries where it is lauded as a big success story. Now it has arrived in the UK. It's deeply regrettable that the US, which was so brilliantly progressive in originating 'Barbahus', has yet to adopt and implement it.
Child psychology experts have long documented the harm that can be done to child victims/witnesses in cases of murder, sexual crimes, domestic violence and human trafficking, by re-traumatising them with an examination by lawyers, or worse as in this case, by the accused.
A major advantage of the 'Barnahus' system, is increased conviction rates in these serious crimes. Which suggests it not only benefits the young people it was set up to support, but also promotes justice.
As I've said in other posts, the laws and legal practices of any country cannot be unchanging, and forever set in stone. They must be organic, constantly monitored and if needs be amended, to accurately reflect the ever-shifting values and priorities of the ordinary citizens they represent. While you cling to a bad practice that negatively impacts on children, and repeatedly justify it with the 'C' word - constitution - you stubbornly stand in the past and deny the possibility of change.
I believe a child involved in serious criminal proceedings, has the right not to be confronted and terrorised by the accused as part of due process. Unlike you, I believe that is an injustice and a fundamental transgression of children's rights, which will inevitably be addressed and abolished in the future. Advancements in human rights always take longer than they should.
If you'd been around in the 1600-1800s, no doubt you'd have presented the same arguments you've constantly parroted here about the US Constitution, to defend slavery in America! In the centuries in which slavery was enshrined in US law, you'd have told me it would never be abolished, nor should it be.
For hundreds of years the prevailing attitude (even among those with some social conscience), was that black people were inherently inferior, and slavery was inevitable and would never end. Thankfully the Abolitionist movement in the US challenged and fought those blinkered, bigoted assumptions. Their courage and refusal to be defeatist, finally resulted in the adoption of the 13th Amendment of 1865, which officially abolished slavery.
In closing, I must point out you sent TWO responses, to something I wrote over a month ago. Poor Diana. You're obviously frustrated in your retirement, feeling impotent, irrelevant and unloved.
Who knows how many years of dreary stagnation lie ahead? Try to find better uses of your time than posting tetchy, ill-tempered drivel on public forums. All you're doing is exposing your poor debating skills, and revealing how rude, cantankerous and intransigent you are. And those are not admirable or appealing qualities at any age!
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