Mission failure or Beheading a possible bad PR move.

[Myself]

If you start a TV network to present the positive aspects of your culture this may be a setback.

U.S. Muslim TV network founder charged with beheading wife

Mon Feb 16, 6:18 PM EST
The founder of a U.S. Muslim television network has been arrested and charged with murdering his wife by beheading her, the network's Web site and local media reported.

Muzzammil Hassan, founder and CEO of Buffalo, N.Y.-based Bridges TV which launched in 2004 with a mission to show Muslims in a more positive light, was charged after reporting the death of his wife, Aasiya Hassan, 37, on Thursday night.

After Hassan, 44, told police his wife was at the Bridges TV offices, in the village of Orchard Park, they found her body there, beheaded, The Buffalo News reported.

Authorities said Aasiya Hassan, with whom Hassan had two children, had recently filed for divorce and had an order of protection mandating that he leave their home as of February 6.

He was being held in a county detention center charged with second-degree murder.

"Our deepest condolences and prayers go out to the families of the victim," a statement on the network's Web site said on Monday. "We request that their right to privacy be respected."

"There had been problems before and there had been prior incidents of physical abuse," Corey Hogan, whose law firm Hogan Willig represented Aasiya Hassan in the divorce proceeding, told the newspaper.

(Editing by Alan Elsner)

[Manedwolf]

Since when is BEHEADING second degree murder? It doesn't just come off.

[RevDisk]

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/article5753440.ece

....

Ok, less than stellar move if trying to portray one's culture in a positive light.  If you take it upon yourself to be a "positive image" of whatever, you should probably consider acting in a manner condusive to spreading the good world.  Claiming to be a champion of tolerance and such, then hacking off someone's head...   Yea.  Epic fail.

[Standing Wolf]

If you take it upon yourself to be a "positive image" of whatever, you should probably consider acting in a manner condusive to spreading the good world.

Maybe beheading wives is one of the better things about Islamic "law."

[K Frame]

Since when is BEHEADING second degree murder? It doesn't just come off.

It's the definition as based in New York state law. First degree murder carries a very specific set of circumstances with it. Murder of a police officer can be charged as first degree, IIRC.

[Werewolf]

He was being held in a county detention center charged with second-degree murder.

Ummmmm...

Wouldn't beheading someone require at least some pre-meditation?

Isn't premeditation the significant difference between 1st and 2nd degree. Isn't 2nd degree murder generally considered a crime of passion that meets the standards of murder but happened on the spur of the moment?

Does NY condone beheading? Afterall 2nd degree murder isn't subject to the death penalty and if anyone deserves the death penalty it's someone who beheads another.

OH! Wait! He's muslim.

Nevermind...

[K Frame]

HEADS UP, CLOWNFISHES!


Before everyone starts on the "He's getting special treatment because he's a Muslim" bullshit line of "reasoning," at least take a few moments to try to understand the definition of first degree muder under New York State Law.

In New York, first degree murder requires the finding of special circumstances, such as the murder of a police officer, murder with torture, something like that.

If all you are going to do is spout moral indignation, stay the hell out of the thread and go spout in front of a mirror.

[Werewolf]

murder with torture, something like that.

So beheading isn't torture or something like that then?

[Iain]

So beheading isn't torture or something like that then?

Depends if that was done post mortem or not. There have been a murders where the victims have been beheaded post mortem, but it seems to have been done as an attempt to thwart identification.

[Gewehr98]

I don't think he gets it, Mike.   

[K Frame]

"So beheading isn't torture or something like that then?"

Certainly no more or less so than any other form of murder.

Quit trying to belabor the point. I'm in an even worse and less forgiving mood today than normal.

[Jamisjockey]

So beheading isn't torture or something like that then?

Unless you were there with a sharpie making the dotted line on the back of her neck for him, I don't think you can quantify exactly how, when or why he beheaded her.

If you disagree with the charge of 2nd degree murder maybe you oughta email or call the appropriate district attorney's office:
http://www.nysdaa.org/daroster.cfm

New York Penal Law Section 125.25 - Murder In The Second Degree.
 Â§ 125.25 Murder in the second degree.
    A person is guilty of murder in the second degree when:
    1.  With  intent  to  cause the death of another person, he causes the
  death of  such  person  or  of  a  third  person;  except  that  in  any
  prosecution under this subdivision, it is an affirmative defense that:
    (a)  The  defendant  acted  under  the  influence of extreme emotional
  disturbance for which there was a reasonable explanation or excuse,  the
  reasonableness  of  which  is  to  be determined from the viewpoint of a
  person in the defendant's  situation  under  the  circumstances  as  the
  defendant believed them to be. Nothing contained in this paragraph shall
  constitute  a defense to a prosecution for, or preclude a conviction of,
  manslaughter in the first degree or any other crime; or
    (b) The defendant's conduct consisted of causing  or  aiding,  without
  the  use  of  duress  or  deception,  another  person to commit suicide.
  Nothing contained in this paragraph shall  constitute  a  defense  to  a
  prosecution for, or preclude a conviction of, manslaughter in the second
  degree or any other crime; or
    2. Under circumstances evincing a depraved indifference to human life,
  he  recklessly engages in conduct which creates a grave risk of death to
  another person, and thereby causes the death of another person; or
    3. Acting either alone or with one or more other persons,  he  commits
  or  attempts to commit robbery, burglary, kidnapping, arson, rape in the
  first degree, criminal sexual act in the first degree, sexual  abuse  in
  the  first  degree, aggravated sexual abuse, escape in the first degree,
  or escape in the second degree, and, in the course of and in furtherance
  of  such  crime  or  of  immediate  flight  therefrom,  he,  or  another
  participant,  if  there  be any, causes the death of a person other than
  one of the participants; except  that  in  any  prosecution  under  this
  subdivision,  in which the defendant was not the only participant in the
  underlying crime, it is an affirmative defense that the defendant:
    (a) Did not commit the homicidal act or in any way  solicit,  request,
  command, importune, cause or aid the commission thereof; and
    (b)  Was not armed with a deadly weapon, or any instrument, article or
  substance readily capable of causing death or  serious  physical  injury
  and  of  a  sort  not ordinarily carried in public places by law-abiding
  persons; and
    (c) Had no reasonable ground to believe that any other participant was
  armed with such a weapon, instrument, article or substance; and
    (d) Had no reasonable ground to believe  that  any  other  participant
  intended  to  engage  in  conduct  likely  to result in death or serious
  physical injury; or
    4. Under circumstances evincing a depraved indifference to human life,
  and being eighteen years old or more the defendant recklessly engages in
  conduct which creates a grave risk of serious physical injury  or  death
  to  another  person  less  than  eleven years old and thereby causes the
  death of such person; or
    5. Being eighteen years old or more, while in the course of committing
  rape in the first, second or third degree, criminal sexual  act  in  the
  first,  second  or  third  degree,  sexual  abuse  in  the first degree,
  aggravated sexual abuse in the first, second, third or fourth degree, or
  incest as defined in section 255.25 of this chapter,  against  a  person
  less  than  fourteen years old, he or she intentionally causes the death
  of such person.
    Murder in the second degree is a class A-I felony.

[MechAg94]

I heard this on the Walton & Johnson radio show this morning.  When I heard the 2nd degree charge, I figured they were concerned that circumstances couldn't be proven to make the 1st degree charge stick.  I have no problem with that.  They should still be able to give the guy a long sentence. 

I figured it might be similar to the Capital Murder statute in Texas which calls for premeditation or commission of another felony at the time of the murder.  He might be able to claim temporary rage or insanity compelled him and it wasn't premeditated.  Since I heard on the radio that he was the one who called the cops, it might be hard to prove.  Not sure of that factoid though.

[Lee]

Definately bad PR for the station.  Where's Cato Calin when you need him?

[RoadKingLarry]

Kind of flies in the face of the whole "religion of peace" thing.

[Jamisjockey]

Kind of flies in the face of the whole "religion of peace" thing.

Yeah, because Christians/Catholics/Mormons/Pagans/Scientologists/Athiests/etc never ever murder their wives?
I've lost any faith that this thread will stay anywhere near positive.
Hey look, I got a new toy....