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WALTER HOLTON AND David Freedman, lawyers for Molly Martens-Corbett and Thomas Martens, said yesterday that appealing the second-degree murder conviction could take approximately a year.
Freedman said the appeals process began when he and Holton both gave notice of appeal during the sentencing hearing on Wednesday.
The first step in the process is requesting a copy of the court transcript.
The trial lasted a little over three weeks, including jury selection. The jury listened to over 20 witness testimonies and saw 200 pieces of evidence throughout the trial.
Holton believes it would take approximately a year — give or take — for them to receive an opinion from the North Carolina Court of Appeals.
“We will do that right away,” Holton said, regarding the transcript request.
Obviously, it takes a bit of time for (the court reporter) to get all of that assembled and for the clerk to get all of the exhibits assembled and so forth. Once that is done, we hope to move as quickly as possible.
Holton said Molly Martens-Corbett was transported to the North Carolina Correctional Institution for Women in Raleigh, and Freedman said Martens was transported to Central Prison, also in Raleigh.
Both lawyers said their clients will be processed and then the Department of Public Safety will send each of them to an appropriate correctional facility.
Freedman said the processing usually takes about a month, and he assumes both would be sent to a medium-level security prison.
Jason Corbett died on 2 August 2015. Davidson County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to a report that day of an assault at the Corbetts’ home at Panther Creek Court in Wallburg.
Martens, a 67-year-old retired FBI agent who was visiting the Corbetts with his wife, told authorities he was awakened by an argument between his daughter and son-in-law and went to their bedroom with a baseball bat, where he found Jason Corbett attacking his daughter.
Martens and Molly Martens-Corbett claimed Jason Corbett was choking his wife and threatening to kill her, and they acted in self-defence. Investigators did not believe that explanation.
Authorities said Jason Corbett was planning to leave Molly Corbett — his second wife and former nanny to his children — and return to his home country of Ireland.
On Wednesday, 12 jurors decided that they did not act in self-defence and found them both guilty of second-degree murder. Both were sentenced to between 20 and 25 years in prison by Superior Court Judge David Lee.
Davidson County District Attorney Garry Frank estimated that getting the court record together could take 90-120 days.
Once that’s approved, another 60-90 days is required for briefs to be submitted and then it’s a matter of the Court of Appeals’ calendar. Similar to Holton and Freedman, Frank estimated the process would last at least nine months to a year.
Frank said in his law experience, he’s never been part of a case with such international attention and courtroom drama.
“There’s been a few where with large families and emotions and everything, but nothing of this nature in my jurisdiction and my experience or my private practice experience,” Frank said.
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Is that the picture of him actually dying?
Could be…but I’d say it’s more likely “Invisible gay man strikes again”
I hope that the gates of heaven (or hell more likely) are painted pink when he gets there…..
He was not spreading the word of God, nor was he a messanger of God.
You dont have to like or endorse other peoples lifestyle but remember “let he who is without sin cast the first stone”.
Gimme a rock!
Wonder what he did when he realized he was going to hell, and all the fags were getting into heaven
Good riddance to the hate-monger, one less evil sleaze in the world!
If he was a Muslim brainwashing his kids to hate Americans he would have been locked up but because he was a WASP and the targets were gay men he was allowed to carry on under the freedom of speech rule.
I think that page was missing in his bible.
The nightclub in London ? Went there for years good stuff
Shane, perhaps you don’t know it, but ‘fag’ is considered by many to be a derogatory term.
Ya mean the next person that says Jehovah …..
I don’t think there will be much sympathy for this man.
Let’s picket his funeral
One of the craziest individuals I’ve ever heard. The level of control he had over his cult was extremely frightening
Justin
I’m sure an attempt to picket his funeral will be made but that’s only sinking to the level of WBC.
it would be fun though…
Let’s not. It only validates his own pickets. It’s better he receives no recognition of any kind
I just finished making my ‘God Hates Fred’ sign
If there is a hell he is going directly there…..how ironic!!
Good riddance
Let’s hope he’s wrong supernaturally speaking ( bout his patriarchal hate god )and is reincarnated as a female to male transsexual , gay ,non Christian WITH full past life memory ,now that’s karma
Id love to dress up as god. Stand beside his grave with a sign saying “fred was a as*****
His friends and family have asked if press and public would respect their need for privacy at this difficult time ( HA!!) :-)
Remember seeing him on that Louis Theroux documentary, especially one scene where he kept shouting “You’re gonna eat your babys!” during one of his crazy ‘sermons’ .A seriously twisted and evil individual. Good riddance.
He was making it up as he went along
Hope someone protests at his funeral. The way his family and church have done at many military funerals.
I hope they don’t. I hope they choose not to lower themselves to his indignified level. That would be the best response to everything he did.
The family would probably love it if they did. All they do anything for is the attention.
Ideally, this should get absolutely minimum media attention – That is what would really annoy the rest of that lot. But that ain’t going to happen because he was such a well know, even if he was hated by the majority, man.
Much better to take the high road on this one. They may have been hate filled people with an axe to grind, that doesn’t mean they have to infect others with their hate.
To quote Bill Hicks “We Lost a Moron!”
Beat me to it!
As of writing this there were 4 views and 3 comments. This is one of those articles where I wish i had popcorn.
Yep, I’m sitting back me my bowl of fruityloops and I’m gonna enjoy watching the board go crazy.
I’m munching on cat food. The taste doesn’t take away from the experience
It should make up for the lack of traveller stories lately.
They stole my roof
They put it on my house.
I hope not, I live in a basement
Heaven is anywhere he is not.
The world just became a happier place. May he rot in the hell he believed so strongly in.
I wouldn’t go that far, he was a grandad and will be missed, sorry for his family
Horrible to take joy in someone’s passing, but this man was evil personified.
So it’s true what they say. Only the good die young. Truly one of the most despicable creatures I’ve heard of. Definitely no loss to the world.
Watched a documentary on WBC and his daughter is some piece of work obviously daddy girl but it gets worse she has 8 or 9 kids so this bigotry is set to continue
The LGBT community should so have a pride rally at his funeral.
Don’t forget the US military
.. it’s like reacting to a Troll on an Internet Forum – by reacting to their bile, hatred and rubbish you in some way give credence and recognition to their existence. Ignore and show how their hatred is having no effect on anyone whatsoever.
I’m tempted to say good riddance but……………….aah heck………….Good Riddance you old bigotted fart.
Great guy. May he rest in perpetual agony.
An utterly awful man!!
Hell has a new inmate … Fred Phelps of the maligned Westboro Bapist Church has died..
GOOD RIDDANCE …
And all that hate that he vented towards people was for nothing in the end. His daughter Shirley is even more poisonous than he was, however his son Nathan is a really good person who left the family at 18. Hopefully this will be a catalyst of sorts and will finally break their monotonous and vile activities.
He left this world a worse place than he entered it thanks to his group. I don’t wish death on anyone but he won’t be missed.
Don’t let the door hit you on the way out
A man that did his best to hurt people all for the sake of his attention grabbing bigotry. I find it very hard to say anything nice about him of those he left behind. I just hope the soldiers families and the LGBT community he has hounded in the US have some closure.
Unfortunately, this will not be the end of the WBC. There’s always his wife and some of his brainwashed children to carry on his dark, evil flame.
Yeah it’s frightening. You would hope that without their ‘saviour’ and leader they will quieten down, but the opposite is probably more likely!
@Chris
With a bit if luck and maybe a little “divine” intervention they will off themselves in a mass suicide….
This guy was mentally troubled, not evil.
In his youth he was actually a lawyer and an activist for black rights who did a lot of good.
He even sued the government for appointing an ambassador to the Vatican to defend the separation of church and state.
Obviously his actions since were abhorrent, I don’t claim otherwise… Just thought I’d point out that he wasn’t always such a pr1ck.
He lost his license to practise law due to his lack of respect for it.
I love a good news story in the evening :-)
On international day of happiness too what a coincidence !
Good riddance to bad rubbish,hope he rots in hell and his family and followers follow,sooner rather than later.
Thank god for dead Baptists.
A very nasty excuse for a man.
Good riddance to him.
To spend a life going out of his way to hate the way he did is just so sad. I almost feel sorry for him. But to picket funerals like that is about as low as you can go, unforgivable.
I think we should forgive him. That would sure piss of the rest of his cult. As I always say love your enemies nothing annoys them more.
If we dig him up and REALLY love him would that be turning the other cheek ?
so that’s what they did with cromwell
Best news I’ve heard today. Evil, vile old mad, may he rot with all his disgusting beliefs.
god hates Fred Phelps
Yay woohoo
This would have been a lot better if he’d died at the wheel of a bus with his whole family on board…Come on Fred give us the death that you and your family deserve I for one feel cheated! Worst family since Fred and Rosie West
Meh.
To quote Christopher Hitchens’ words when Jerry Falwell died, “I think it’s a pity there isn’t a hell for him to go to”. Anyway, good riddance.
To quote the late great Christopher Hitchens. “If this guy had an enama they could bury him in a matchbox”. A horrible excuse of a man. A racist & a homophobe.
I hope it was slow & painful.
Let’s hope nobody ever says the same for you. As bad as anyone can be that’s a horrible thing to say.
Meanwhile you earlier lamented his passing. Oaf.
That was me mocking people who say such things. Genius.
No, its an epic fail for one looking for attention.
Burning in Hell.
Nuff said approach from journalist, Enoch Burke will in tears.
You mean Enoch bigot by Jared ? ( not typo trying for pun couldn’t resist )
Phelps the man died recently but his logic sense and reason not too mention compassion and empathy died along time ago.The world is truly a better place with him and his kind good riddance.
Just look at the documentary with Dr Christian cure me I’m gay to see the handy work of such religious nuts.Utterly despicable and pathetic.
Without(damn phone)
That was just horrific. America is such a f@@ked up place. The kids saying it was satanic and being gay was a choice!
Probably did more work and garnered more support for the LGBT community than anybody else. Even if that wasn’t intention.
God hates Fred Phelps
God doesn’t exist
Hung Xi, sometimes she does.
But just for one day :)
Is it a coincidence that is International Happiness Day? I think not…
Fred came across as a pretty intimidating guy in that Louis Theroux documentary. I wondered if he had bullied and brainwashed his family into following his beliefs. Maybe that’s he’s dead they might just snap out of it.. Or maybe the money they receive from interviews and media coverage is just too good to give up..
How funny would it be to see people protesting his funeral.
I dont agree, Im sure that’s what many would like to do, but I think they should show him they will not stoop to his level, im sure Shirley and and the rest of his twisted cronies would actually like a protest at the funeral their such pathetic attention seekers, I say to really piss them off no one should turn up that will embaress and humiliate the family and maybe finally show them that it wasn’t the LGBT community and soldiers who were the bad and evil ones all along but them themselves
A beautiful life, tragically cut short.
http://www.theonion.com/articles/history-of-the-westboro-baptist-church,35557/
The Journal are a bit late with this one.
Interestingly, his son has stated that he was ‘excommunicated’ from his ‘church’ last year… no news on the whys or wherefores, I have to say, I’d love to know what went down. I suspect it’s a bit too much to hope he recanted.
Presumably his disgusting followers wanted to take their actions a step further and even he didn’t approve. I’d presume mutiny!
I published the story just before 4pm, minutes after it was confirmed by the Kansas TV station and before Associated Press, the Guardian, and most other major news sites. Not sure how you can say we were late with it tbh.
Because they believe they are immortal and any sickness people suffer is because they are evil. So if he was sick and dying in their minds he was evil so booted him out to preserve their ideals.
They believe they are immortal?! Seriously?! They are all going to get a shock so….
Yes, that was in the Louis Theroux doc. Only evil people die.
Perhaps the confusion stems from the article in huff post with his son that was published the other day – it said he was on the edge of death, and George Takei was urging people not to picket his funeral.
He wasn’t actually dead when that article went up though.
Excommunicated from the church because he was seriously ill and as they claim taxes for a church they would have bee liable for his medical care by excommunicating him they don’t have to pay and he is paid for by the state
Good riddance!
“A fine up standing man with nothing but respect for others and the best of intensions. Who tried to help others at every chance he got”. Said no one ever.
Bad manners to speak bad of the dead.He’s dead GOOD.
Freds dead baby. Freds dead.
So Fred Phelps has died. A man who has did so much for the rights of gays and war veterans in America with his insane bible belting causes. I’d say picket his funeral with placards like he has so many others but a few inbred members of his brethren is more attention than he deserves.
Paint his tombstone rainbow :-)
Zippidy doo daa… zippidy yaaay, my oh my what a wonderful day….
Beelzebub is a happy chappy today.
Ah Molly, ya got that song stuck in my head!
Happy international Happiness day Ailbhe !!!!!
Karma sure knows how to kick butt.
Right back at ya!
Someone please picket that funeral
Off with you Gavin
I hope he suffered
Another bigoted ignorant homophobe bites the dust.i feel there will be a little more tolerance and a little less hate in the world after fred phelps death
This is an awful thing to say, but he was an awful man, I hope he really suffered, good riddance to a disgusting human.
Wonder if they will picket HIS funeral!
The classy thing would be not to sink to his level
Who, the WBC? They’re meant to have excommunicated him, so you never know..
The church will presumably picket his own wedding.
I never even thought of that, but I actually wouldn’t be surprised now that you mention it…
A deluded and grossly obnoxious individual, the picketing of the funerals of American soldiers was disgusting.
The guy was a nutcase as were his family and followers, Christians my ar-e, burn baby burn.
No loss to humanity, let’s hope the rest of his family follows suit!
He comes across as lacking in real intelligence, he refuses to engage with Louis and stoops to using insults and glib remarks when he is asked real and substantive questions. This is the true sign of a bully who uses people’s own fear as a powerful weapon. The earth is a nicer place without him!
Good man Carroller! Exactly, someone else can use his oxygen now
I hope his ideology dies with him.
Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahahahahahahahahahahahaha! Made my day.
He’s about to find out who god actually hates.
Hope he goes to heaven , gets punched by Freddie mercury so hard he falls in to hell , and gets the pitchfork treatment by Satan
Piss on his grave
Would love to see a massive gay gathering at his funeral, give him a good send off down below!
Good riddance hope he rots in that hell he is so fond of.
He died a few days ago
Must have been a slow death. They should bury him in concrete as I’ve no doubt his cult followers will be expecting him to rise again on Easter Sunday.
He’s still dead now. This sort of news isn’t urgent,
He died on Wednesday night. And it’s still Thursday morning in Kansas…
I dread to think what kind of fruit loops will be taking over from where he left off!!
@Trevor
Maybe the Iona nut jobs should apply….
I kind of feel sorry for him in that he wasted his life preaching extreme bigotry and hate for nothing. Life is short, embrace it, have respect for others, be caring and loving, be happy and positive.
Happy days!
Devil has a new right hand man.
Died on UN International Happiness day… hmmmm…..
Nice to read some good news for a change.
So sad to hear. RIP
I’m not saying I believe there is a hell or anything but if there is I would like to think that all of the soldiers and gays funerals that himself and his absolutely deranged family picketed would join together and have their wicked gay way with him.
not sure why he was given the oxygen of publicity. There was about a few dozen members of his odious little sect. They should have been ignored…although he achieved one thing -people are united for once on this in condemnation of the man
Taken too soon. Be with the angels
He is of no loss to society, he was full of hatred & bigotry.
That photo is begging to have “Surprise bumsex” added!
Test
@Sara: Test successful ^_^ You won one Internets.
Fred Phelps will be buried under a urine trough to protect groundwater from piss contamination…
God hates plumbing !
Fair play to him , he stook to his guns till the end.
Born a bigot died a bigot , fair play to him raised more bigots along the way ….night johnboy night Maryellen … Garbage
@Stephen
So did Hitler (Godwin point bagged….)….
Would love to protest at his funeral!
The libtards on the journal are more bigoted and hatefilled than he was it seems. Classy comments folks.
Hopefully there’s a few protesters at his funeral.
Vaguest hash tag ever …#death !!
Say it in a spooky voice deathhhhh ! Sends a chill down the spine ..
Good riddance, a crazy man who controlled people into believing his. Craziness..
Good riddance
Have a drive by playing The mighty Slayers “God hates us all” I’m sure Fred would appreciate the sentiment
The theory was that Phelps himself was gay & couldn’t deal with it. Ironically his family disowned him before he died and are apparently intending on picketing his funeral. They are all pure evil!!!
I’ll say a few Hail Marys for him.
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