Wednesday, April 9-Sentencing Of Quincy Cross

10:32 PM-The jury has recommended life in prison without the possibility of parole for Quincy Cross.  The jury went into deliberations just before 2 PM Wednesday and returned just before 10 PM. 


4:18 PM- The jury just came back into the courtroom to ask a question of Judge Stark. The question was not read out loud, but Judge Stark after a brief meeting with attorneys told the jury the answer is 20 years.

So far, jurors have deliberated a sentence for about four and a half hours.

1:57 PM-After lunch, the prosecution and defense gave closing statements to the jury.
Prosecutor Scott Sutherland told the jury that Quincy Cross had a complete disregard for the life of another person, or the family of that victim, Jessica Currin. He also said that he is the voice of Jessica Currin today, because she no longer has a voice. Sutherland told the jury that childhood abuse is no excuse for this crime. During the eight years since the murder, Sutherland says Cross has gotten to live his life, he has bragged about the murder to his associates, and then comes into court today and asks for mercy. But, Sutherland says he showed no mercy towards Jessica Currin. She had so much life to live, the pride and joy of her life was her son Zion, and she had a family that loved her so much, Sutherland told the jury. He also said that Cross may not have burned her body and left it behind Mayfield Middle School, but if not for his actions she wouldn't have been there. Sutherland told the jury, there will come a day when Zion will have to understand what manner of evil Quincy Cross coldly and senselessly snatched his mother from him, and what lesson will Zion learn about the value society places on his mother's life? That is up to you, the jury, to decide, said Sutherland to the jury. He asked them to give Cross the death penalty, and to know that Cross sentenced himself to that when he made the choice to murder Jessica Currin.

Then, the defense made their closing remarks to the jury. They expressed sorrow for the Currin family's loss, and then talked about a song they heard on the radio last night that is about how you measure your life. She says there is no way you can measure the life of your child, and that it will not be a measure of Jessica Currin's life to give Cross the death penalty. She asked that they consider what they call "emotionless" testimony of Victoria Caldwell and Vinisha Stubblefield. They asked the jury to consider the good and the bad things that happened in Cross's life, including the fact that he came from an abusive home and abused drugs. They told the jury, that justice does not demand the death penalty. It demands that they weigh every factor involved in the defendant’s life, and consider letting him live to have hope for himself and his family.

At 1:52pm, the jury went to deliberate a sentence.

12:00 PM-This morning court proceedings began at 9:45. Both the prosecution and defense waved giving an opening statement, and they went straight into witness testimony.
 
The prosecution first called Sergeant Sam Steger with Kentucky State Police to the stand. He identified several judgment forms from counties in Northwest Tennessee and Western Kentucky. It shows Quincy Cross has a criminal history involving assault and drug charges dating back to 1998.
 
Next, Jean Currin took the stand. She testified about her daughter's personality. According to Jean Currin, Jessica loved to take pictures and video tape family functions. She also had a baby son at the time of her death named Zion. Now, Zion is eight years old and has been raised by Jessica's parents. Jean Currin told the jurors that he believes Jessica was his older sister, and that he always says she was so pretty and he wished he could have known her. He tells his grandparents he thinks he looks like Jessica. During this emotional testimony, a picture of Zion was put up on a projector, and one of the jurors began crying.
 
Then, the defense presented their witnesses. First, they called Jackie Anderson, Quincy Cross's cousin. She says she was like an aunt to Cross, and that he was a happy caring child. According to her, he helped care for their ailing grandmother before she died. She also says the family loves and supports him, and that he was raised in the church. She never witnessed violence or aggression from Cross. In fact, she says he was always very respectful to the family.
 
Then, Cross's half sister Raschelle Brown took the stand. She claims their childhood was happy, until their mother remarried. She says their stepfather was verbally abusive, and they witnessed him hit their mother. By the time Cross was 15, he was living on his own and had dropped out of school. However, Brown claims he has been a caring uncle to her two children who look up to him. She says they have taken this very hard, and that they love their Uncle Quincy.
 
Cross's girlfriend Melissa Strickland took the stand. She began dating him in 2006, and he was living her when he was arrested for the murder of Jessica Currin. She says she never witnesses violence or aggression from Cross. He took care of her two children, and was always doing things to help around the house.
 
Finally, a twist in an already complicated trial. Vincent Yustas, Cross's defense attorney, tried to take the stand as their last witness. However, before he could testify there was an objection by the prosecution, and the judge would not allow him to take the stand.
 
Judge Stark read instruction on sentencing to the jury at about 11:30. They will not begin deliberating until 1pm. According to Judge Stark, some of the wording is confusing on a few of the jury forms. They want to clarify the language before the jury begins its deliberation.