You have to prove conspiracy and attempted murder. All they have is the word of a small time drug dealer. I agree that there was probable cause for an arrest, but the DA also, unfortunately, has to play the cards dealt. There was physcial evidence of a shooting and that Harrison's gun had done that. Unfortunately, there was only circumstantial evidence that Harrison had been the person firing the gun. Not saying that it is right, but it appears that once the victim wouldn't help out the investigation, and then was murdered, there was a sense that it had sorted itself out. If Harrison had been just another guy, I think that it may have been pursued a little harder.

 

On the flip side, I am oddly attracted to what Harrison was doing. He appears to be a small business owner that wouldn't be shoved around by a drug dealer. Then again, why would a multi-millionaire not find a better place to run a business? It's really a strange dichotomy.

 

Weren't there two witnesses and one of them was later killed and it just so happens that 3 minutes of video that could have helped identify the killer is missing from a Harrison owned business? Didn't the guy who was murdered tell people Harrison was going to have him murdered. More importantly didn't Harrison directly lie about the gun not leaving his safe until the day after the shooting even though it was proven to be the gun used in the 1st shooting? I'm guessing there was enough evidence for at least one crime in all of that. Circumstantial evidence has been all that was used in trials before right?

You have to prove conspiracy and attempted murder. All they have is the word of a small time drug dealer. I agree that there was probable cause for an arrest, but the DA also, unfortunately, has to play the cards dealt. There was physcial evidence of a shooting and that Harrison's gun had done that. Unfortunately, there was only circumstantial evidence that Harrison had been the person firing the gun. Not saying that it is right, but it appears that once the victim wouldn't help out the investigation, and then was murdered, there was a sense that it had sorted itself out. If Harrison had been just another guy, I think that it may have been pursued a little harder.

 

On the flip side, I am oddly attracted to what Harrison was doing. He appears to be a small business owner that wouldn't be shoved around by a drug dealer. Then again, why would a multi-millionaire not find a better place to run a business? It's really a strange dichotomy.

 

Keep something in mind that a lot of people don't realize. You CAN be convicted solely on circumstantial evidence. Obviously alot tougher to do for a DA, as it makes an easier path for "reasonable doubt", but it's been done many times before. Harrison's own statements were fairly inculpatory. The evidence with the gun was also strong. And, again, in most drug-realted shootings, you're rarely going to have eyewitness testimony from the "perfect" witness - you get stuck with other drug dealers and street thugs and bystanders who probably also are "tainted" to some degree. Hard to believe they didn't have enough to charge in this one.

Weren't there two witnesses and one of them was later killed and it just so happens that 3 minutes of video that could have helped identify the killer is missing from a Harrison owned business? Didn't the guy who was murdered tell people Harrison was going to have him murdered. More importantly didn't Harrison directly lie about the gun not leaving his safe until the day after the shooting even though it was proven to be the gun used in the 1st shooting? I'm guessing there was enough evidence for at least one crime in all of that. Circumstantial evidence has been all that was used in trials before right?

 

Absolutely!! :thumb:

It's a very interesting read. Whatever you think about Harrison, I hope it at least sheds some light for folks unfamiliar with how difficult it is for those unfortunate enough to be raised in such troubled circumstances. While it in no way, shape or form makes something so horrible as murder excusable, it certainly makes it easier to understand how someone can fall into bad choices on the streets, given a harsh reality of day-to-day living that most of us could never dream of having to deal with.

 

It's unfortuante for those people without the means or ability to escape from that lifestyle and conditions. Harrison choose to continue that lifestyle long after becoming a millionaire with the means to repudiate such existence.

It's unfortuante for those people without the means or ability to escape from that lifestyle and conditions. Harrison choose to continue that lifestyle long after becoming a millionaire with the means to repudiate such existence.

 

With a lot of pro athletes who hail from the worst of the worst conditions, the urge is strong to give something back to the community that produced them. It's what led Magic Johnson to open movie theatres and other such businesses in decaying urban communities, and perhaps was the same thing on Harrison's mind. He apparently didn't get the memo that it's OK to invest in the community, but that it's a good idea to remain detached from it as well or risk falling into those same traps that were there before they left for college.

Keep something in mind that a lot of people don't realize. You CAN be convicted solely on circumstantial evidence. Obviously alot tougher to do for a DA, as it makes an easier path for "reasonable doubt", but it's been done many times before. Harrison's own statements were fairly inculpatory. The evidence with the gun was also strong. And, again, in most drug-realted shootings, you're rarely going to have eyewitness testimony from the "perfect" witness - you get stuck with other drug dealers and street thugs and bystanders who probably also are "tainted" to some degree. Hard to believe they didn't have enough to charge in this one.

 

Correct, but after the Allen Iverson debacle, I think that she wanted to have an airtight case due to the publicity that it would generate.

Weren't there two witnesses and one of them was later killed and it just so happens that 3 minutes of video that could have helped identify the killer is missing from a Harrison owned business? Didn't the guy who was murdered tell people Harrison was going to have him murdered. More importantly didn't Harrison directly lie about the gun not leaving his safe until the day after the shooting even though it was proven to be the gun used in the 1st shooting? I'm guessing there was enough evidence for at least one crime in all of that. Circumstantial evidence has been all that was used in trials before right?

 

Here's the problem. One of the witnesses wouldn't cooperate while he was alive. The other was scared for his life and his character could have been shredded on cross examination. They weren't going to win the case on circumstantial evidence.

With a lot of pro athletes who hail from the worst of the worst conditions, the urge is strong to give something back to the community that produced them. It's what led Magic Johnson to open movie theatres and other such businesses in decaying urban communities, and perhaps was the same thing on Harrison's mind. He apparently didn't get the memo that it's OK to invest in the community, but that it's a good idea to remain detached from it as well or risk falling into those same traps that were there before they left for college.

 

Agree. I applaud those guys that do indeed invest back into the struggling communities from which they were able to pull themselves out of. But I certainly get the feeling that in Harrison's case he intentionally chose to keep himself part of that gangsta lifestyle and wasn't dragged back down into it.

 

I'm probably not the most objective person in a case like this, but I find it fairly hard to believe that all this shooting could have occurred in the middle of the street in daylight with witnesses around and the shooter - whoever it may be - cannot be determined/prosecuted. Then the shooting victim gets gunned down a short time later and again no credible evidence to determine the killer.

Agree. I applaud those guys that do indeed invest back into the struggling communities from which they were able to pull themselves out of. But I certainly get the feeling that in Harrison's case he intentionally chose to keep himself part of that gangsta lifestyle and wasn't dragged back down into it.

 

I'm probably not the most objective person in a case like this, but I find it fairly hard to believe that all this shooting could have occurred in the middle of the street in daylight with witnesses around and the shooter - whoever it may be - cannot be determined/prosecuted. Then the shooting victim gets gunned down a short time later and again no credible evidence to determine the killer.

 

"Teflon" Harrison. Someone credible needs to step up.

"Teflon" Harrison. Someone credible needs to step up.

 

Again, though, if you think you're going to generally have a priest, nun, schoolteacher, or Grade "A" number one citizen as an eyewitness to most drug-related/gang type shootings, it just doesn't happen. You have to accept that you're going to be dealing with "tainted" witnesses going in.

Again, though, if you think you're going to generally have a priest, nun, schoolteacher, or Grade "A" number one citizen as an eyewitness to most drug-related/gang type shootings, it just doesn't happen. You have to accept that you're going to be dealing with "tainted" witnesses going in.

 

Exactly, which is why she wouldn't pursue the case. If she's going to charge once of Philly's most famous people w/ consipracy to committ murder, she's going to want something concrete to go in with. The media would be on this like white on rice. Like the article said, the AI thing happened just a few years ago and made the DA look like a moron. This isn't about justice, I believe that this was a purely political decision. Had this been a run of the mill drug dealer, he'd be in jail by now.