Justice Is Now On The Doorstep For Darrent Williams

by John Bena on Oct 9, 2008 4:58 AM MDT in Darrent Williams News Comment 29 comments

The news that broke yesterday that a first degree murder indictment was being handed down against gang-banger Willie Clark didn't come as a surprise - Clark had been the main suspect nearly since Day 1 - but it didn't make the news any less sweet to hear.

Williams' mother, Rosalind Williams of Fort Worth, Texas, told The Associated Press that the indictment brought her peace but also dredged up painful memories.

"Oh, I got bittersweet news today," she said of her phone call from Detective Michael Martinez informing her of Clark's indictment. "There's still a long ways to go, a long trial ahead. And we have to make sure this doesn't happen to another family, too."

For the Broncos, the news brought a sense of relief to the situation, according to long-snapper Mike Leach.

"We've been waiting for this for a long time. Hopefully they have all their ducks in a row and everything will work out the way we hope it will," he said. "I hope in some way it brings comfort to D-Will's mom and his family. You can't do anything to bring him back but if it after all these years gives a little comfort to them, hopefully it will."

I can still remember waking up early on New Years Day 2007 and reading the news. It was shocking and maddening at the same time, and quickly removed the sting of the loss the day before that cost the Broncos a playoff spot. How meaningless that all seemed.

Apart from the First Degree Murder charge, Clark faces 39 counts, including murder, attempted murder, assault, crimes of violence and a weapons violation, Denver District Attorney Mitch Morrissey said.

Clark is in federal custody in a separate case. He was long considered a "person of interest" in Williams' slaying but is the first suspect to be indicted.

Hopefully this is the beginning of the end to this horrible chapter of Broncos histroy and the healing process for Williams' family and teammates can now truly begin.

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Good News

My thoughts are with Rosalind Williams and the rest of D-Will’s family. Being from Dallas, in addition to a die-hard Bronco fan, I felt a special (if only a one-way) connection to Darrent. Hopefully this gangster, if he is guilty, will be in the slammer for the rest of his life.

Playoff bound!

by 53guys on Oct 9, 2008 6:57 AM MDT reply actions 0 recs

Is Colorado a deth penalty state?

by Sneaky Sean on Oct 9, 2008 9:05 AM MDT reply actions 0 recs

death penalty

by Sneaky Sean on Oct 9, 2008 9:06 AM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

never mind

looked it up. Yes, but only one person killed since 1976. Maybe he can be the second.

by Sneaky Sean on Oct 9, 2008 9:08 AM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

This is what I was talking about...

…when many were expressing frustration about how long it was taking. There is no statute of limitations on murder but the State realistically has only one shot at a conviction. Better to take your time and make sure you get it right. Apparently law enforcement is confident enough with it’s case now to proceed.

BTW, I call Colorado a quasi-death penalty state. As Sneaky Sean already pointed out, we don’t use it very often. I don’t know yet whether they’re going to seek the death penalty in this case. If they do, expect the case to be long and difficult.

If this be Hell, let us make the most of it!

by Trinidad Jack on Oct 9, 2008 9:19 AM MDT reply actions 0 recs

they use it as often as

they do here. In CA if you get death the odds of dying of old age are better. Those scumbags Peterson and Westerfied will never get gassed. Over 600 men on death row here.

somethings wrong, Trying to conquer these fears i thought were gone. And it's been so long, I'm dying to live in a world i don't belong

by broncfanstuckinsd on Oct 9, 2008 11:59 AM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

Yeah I never really understood that

Why have a death penalty if you aren’t going to use it.

"Me fail english, that unpossible" - Ralph Wiggum

by Broncoman on Oct 9, 2008 12:21 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

600!

Might as well not have a death penalty. I wonder how much it has cost taxpayers to prosecute these cases, only to have them sit on death row.

If this be Hell, let us make the most of it!

by Trinidad Jack on Oct 9, 2008 5:53 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

I've read that it actually costs more

to sentence someone to death than for life in prison. I guess with all the appeals and all the lawyers involved (no offense), it just piles up (so to speak).

"It's all over Fat Man" - Tom Jackson to John Madden 1977 AFC Championship Game

"I love your analysis of our team. Its kinda like watching a spider monkey trying to figure out a jar of peanuts.. you know whats going on.. you know whats in there, but to actually figure it out, is just a bit beyond your mental skills..."
- Bronco Dano

by DesertBroncoFan on Oct 10, 2008 7:59 AM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

No offense taken and...

…you are right. That’s part of the strategy for anti-death penalty advocates, to make the process so expensive and difficult that local District Attorney’s won’t seek it. And in Colorado, and every other jurisdiction I know about, the local judicial district has to pay the cost of seeking the conviction. That can be daunting to a poorer community.

Too many damned Vampires! lol.

If this be Hell, let us make the most of it!

by Trinidad Jack on Oct 10, 2008 11:08 AM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

if a state has the death penalty

then they should use it. If they dont then dont have it as an option. I like how Texas actually executes people sentenced to death

somethings wrong, Trying to conquer these fears i thought were gone. And it's been so long, I'm dying to live in a world i don't belong

by broncfanstuckinsd on Oct 10, 2008 3:02 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

Good point.

I did some studies on the death penalty as a poli sci student. While one of the arguments against the death penalty is the cost involved, it’s not a really fair argument. Most people sentenced to death will live out their life in prison anyway, then you can add in the costs of the many frivilous appeals.

"Greater is an army of sheep led by a lion, than an army of lions led by a sheep" Defoe

by Steve Nichols on Oct 12, 2008 6:56 AM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

Maybe that dude can get some jailhouse justice

I know Colorado has the Death Penalty but they rarely use it and it will be hard to prove 1st degree Murder, I am guessing it gets plead down to 2nd degree Murder which I think is a life sentence, but I would still be in favor of some jailhouse viligante style justice for this scum bag.

"Me fail english, that unpossible" - Ralph Wiggum

by Broncoman on Oct 9, 2008 11:46 AM MDT reply actions 0 recs

I would be surprised if he was convicted on 1st degree

IANAL, but doesn’t a 1st usually have the premeditated component? A confrontation leading to the drive-by wouldn’t seem to be premeditated. Either way, I hope a shank is coming for him….

Owning the Patriots since September 9, 1960

by Darin H on Oct 9, 2008 12:14 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

Yes

That’s what I think is going to be hard to prove is premeditated point, because he sprayed the limo with bullets, it’s hard to prove he “wanted” or "planned "to kill D. Williams or if D. Williams was even the intended target, which I am guessing he wasn’t. Sucks about the law, I think when you attempt murder it should be considered as bad as murder, shouldn’t be a lesser sentence because you didn’t suceed. But hopefully there are some shives getting sharpened as we speak.

"Me fail english, that unpossible" - Ralph Wiggum

by Broncoman on Oct 9, 2008 12:19 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

I'm in law enforcement, I'm not a lawyer.

But I think that premeditation isn’t out of the realm for this case. Apparently, the subject was involved in an altercation, then made the concious decision to follow (stalk) the Williams party from the location of the original altercation to the place of the shootiing (wherever the vehicles were at the time). The offending party was armed, and maliciously used his weapon to fire at several persons in a vehicle.

A crime of passion could have taken place if the shooting had happened at the club (the guy was so mad he “wasn’t thinking”). But the purposeful choice to follow the vehicle and shoot with a weapon sounds pretty deliberative to a reasonable person. I don’t know the elements of 1st degree murder in Colorado, and “reasonable” isn’t always the standard for the law either. he subject faces multiple counts, and the murder one may be a way to force a plea.

"Greater is an army of sheep led by a lion, than an army of lions led by a sheep" Defoe

by Steve Nichols on Oct 9, 2008 12:49 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

agreed

There is definitely an element of premeditation, though it may not be proveable t a trial. At any rate, spraying well over a dozen bullets into a car, what did he mean to happen? Just scare everyone real bad? No, he was trying to kill them.

Jason
The Hanging Curve

by poorboywilly on Oct 9, 2008 1:03 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

I agree, but I really have a feeling that the DA will look for a plea rather than risking not getting a conviction

"Me fail english, that unpossible" - Ralph Wiggum

by Broncoman on Oct 9, 2008 1:58 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

That is what sometimes happens

Like HT says, he is facing multiple counts and they might drop some in order to get him to plea to 2nd degree murder. I hope they have really solid evidence in order to get murder 1.

"It doesn't dissipate" ~ Mike Shanahan

Cutler's 4th qtr/OT game winning drives: 4

by weazel on Oct 9, 2008 9:23 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

I agree with you HT.

He had plenty of time to reconsider, but hung around anyway, waiting. I’m thinking they may charge him with 1st degree murder then plea bargain down to 2nd degree.

And those inmates do love their Broncos. Plus there is the fame factor. The “I’m the guy who killed the guy who killed Darrent Williams,” factor. There might be some rough justice though I personally would hate to see it. I can’t think of anything better for the guy than rotting away inside forever.

If this be Hell, let us make the most of it!

by Trinidad Jack on Oct 9, 2008 5:59 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

Maybe he'll get roughed up enough

to make it even more hard on him to rot away in prison. Make him feel pain for the rest of his life.

I’m starting to sound a little bit more vindictive than I usually am, but in this case, I can live with it!

"It's all over Fat Man" - Tom Jackson to John Madden 1977 AFC Championship Game

by DesertBroncoFan on Oct 10, 2008 8:01 AM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

I'm the same way.

And having seen the criminal justice system from multiple angles, I still never cease to be appalled at times. It can be frustrating, especially on the “small level”, the everyday justice. Most of the time it is a machine that cranks out an end product and that product doesn’t always resemble justice.

But because this case is so high profile, it’ll probably work out all right, justice wise.

If this be Hell, let us make the most of it!

by Trinidad Jack on Oct 10, 2008 10:56 AM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

Agree with the chance to charge 1st and pleas down to 2nd.

One thing to consider about jail house justice that a lot of folks forget about…

Jail house justice, even when it is inmate on inmate, endagers the staff that have to intervene. Most of the serious injuries to corrections officers happen protecting inmates from each other.

Great stuff as always Trinidad!

"Greater is an army of sheep led by a lion, than an army of lions led by a sheep" Defoe

by Steve Nichols on Oct 12, 2008 7:01 AM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

Thanks HT.

It’s nice to know something about something, lol.

If this be Hell, let us make the most of it!

by Trinidad Jack on Oct 13, 2008 12:59 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

I'm not an attorney either

but I have been involved with the families of homocide victims for nearly 15 years now. Your analysis is correct HT (at least under Alaska law). poorboywilly raises the key point. It will be very difficult to prove Clark intended to kill Williams. Also remember, the defense attorney will do everthing possible to discredit the deceased as well as any other people at the scene. Do not be surprised if Branden Marshall is not drug through the mud once again. I think Broncoman is probably correct in that this case will probably get pled down to second degree or even manslaughter.

That’s ok with me. We’re playing for wins, not media publicity....HT 9/11/08

by firstfan on Oct 9, 2008 1:12 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

I just hope

he get’s at least life in prison

by Sneaky Sean on Oct 9, 2008 1:31 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

Along with all of the other charges

I think that is very likely. And that is a good thing.

That’s ok with me. We’re playing for wins, not media publicity....HT 9/11/08

by firstfan on Oct 9, 2008 1:44 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

I am just glad this isn't turning into

who shot tupac and biggie. (sources point to LAPD CRASH unit). The moron confessed in a jail house letter. He deserves the max on all counts.

Okay so why were KNOWN gang memebers at a VIP party for a denver nugget?

by Sneaky Sean on Oct 9, 2008 1:04 PM MDT reply actions 0 recs

Kenyon Martin

That’s my view, Kenyon Martin brought a lot of the “thug” lifestyle with him to Denver, if you look at who he was hanging out with in Denver, I am sure they were there because of him and his crew.

"Me fail english, that unpossible" - Ralph Wiggum

by Broncoman on Oct 9, 2008 2:01 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs