Reading up on that case on WIkipedia, Judge Burton S. Katz seems corrupt as hell. After the trial he was transferred to Juvenile Justice system, I wonder if that was his reward?
To establish a history of Sweeney's violent behavior, the prosecution called one of Sweeney's ex-girlfriends, Lillian Pierce, to testify. Pierce, who did not testify in the jury's presence at the request of Sweeney's attorney, stated that she and Sweeney had dated on-and-off from 1977 to 1980. During the relationship, Pierce claimed that Sweeney had assaulted her on ten occasions and she was hospitalized twice for injuries he inflicted on her. During one such assault, Pierce sustained a perforated eardrum and a collapsed lung. She later suffered a broken nose.[9] During Pierce's testimony, Sweeney became enraged, jumped up from his seat and ran towards the door leading to the judge's chambers. He was subdued by two bailiffs and four armed guards. Sweeney was handcuffed to his chair and began to cry. He apologized for the outburst; Judge Katz accepted the apology.[21] Attorney Michael Adelson requested that Judge Katz rule Pierce's testimony inadmissible as it was "prejudicial". Judge Katz granted the request and the jury never learned of Pierce's testimony until after the trial. Katz also refused to allow testimony from Dunne's mother, Ellen Dunne, as well Dunne's friends, ruling their statements "hearsay".[9]
On August 29, defense attorney Michael Adelson also requested that Judge Katz rule that there was insufficient evidence to try Sweeney on the charge of first-degree murder because there was no evidence of predetermination or deliberation. Judge Katz granted the request and instructed jurors that they were only allowed to consider charges of manslaughter or second-degree murder.[17][22] Deputy District Attorney Steven Barshop later said this decision, along with Judge Katz's previous rulings barring the testimonies of Sweeney's ex-girlfriend, and Dunne's mother and friends, were serious blows to the prosecution's case against Sweeney.[19]
Sweeney's conviction[edit]
On September 21, 1983, after eight days of deliberation, the jury acquitted John Sweeney of second-degree murder, but found him guilty of the lesser charge of voluntary manslaughter. He was also convicted of misdemeanor assault for the altercation with Dunne that occurred on September 26, 1982.[23][24]
Dunne's family was outraged by the verdict, calling it an "injustice".[24] After Judge Katz excused the jury and told them that justice was served, Dominick Dunne yelled, "Not for our family, Judge Katz!"[25] Before leaving the courtroom, Dominick Dunne accused Judge Katz of purposely withholding Sweeney's ex-girlfriend's testimony from the jury which would have helped to establish his violent history with women.[24] Victims for Victims, a victims' rights group established by actress Theresa Saldana, protested the verdict by staging a march outside of the courthouse.[26] Afterward, several media outlets debated the events of the trial and the verdict. Several also criticized Judge Katz's actions. One local Los Angeles television station polled viewers, who rated Judge Katz the fourth worst judge in Los Angeles County.[27]
On November 7, Sweeney was sentenced to six years in prison for manslaughter, the maximum sentence he could have received, plus six additional months for the assault charge. At Sweeney's sentencing, Judge Katz criticized the jury's ruling of manslaughter, stating that he felt Dunne's death was "a case, pure and simple, of murder. Murder with malice."[26] The jury's foreman, Paul Speigel, later told the media that he and his fellow jurors were surprised by Judge Katz's criticism and called his comment "a cheap shot". Speigel felt that Judge Katz's criticism stemmed not from their verdict, but from the harsh criticism he received after the verdict was given. Speigel went on to say that had the jury heard all the evidence, they would have convicted Sweeney of murder.[28][29]
Dominique Dunn final television appearance was that of a teenage mother who is a victim of child abuse in an episode of Hill Street Blues titled "Requiem for a Hairbag."
Dunne (pictured above, far left), who played the eldest daughter Dana in the first film, was strangled by her abusive ex-boyfriend, John Thomas Sweeney, who was a sous chef at LA's Ma Maison. Sweeney was convicted of manslaughter and served less than four years of his six-and-half year sentence. Since then, Sweeney has changed his name to John Maura and has relocated to the Pacific Northwest. Dominique Dunne is buried at the Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery.
More: It Follows' metaphor aims to empower women through sex
The unexpected death of actor Julian Beck
Beck, who played Henry Kane, an evil preacher in Poltergeist II: The Other Side, was also the cofounder and director for world-renowned The Living Theatre in New York City. Beck was diagnosed with stomach cancer in 1983 and died on Sept. 14, 1985, at the age of 60.
Actor Will Sampson's death from kidney failure
Best known for playing Chief Bromden in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, the Native American Creek actor also played Taylor, the medicine man, in Poltergeist II. At the age of 53, he passed away of kidney failure after undergoing a heart and lung transplant.
Shocking misdiagnosis and early death of Heather O'Rourke
Strange reason a paranormal 'seer' called to creepy set of new Poltergeist movie
Image: Warner Bros.
O'Rourke played the youngest daughter Carol Anne in the first three Poltergeist films. The blond darling was discovered by Steven Spielberg when she was eating lunch with her mother at the MGM cafeteria. Her older sister Tammy was on the lot shooting the film Pennies from Heaven. O'Rourke became famous for the lines "They're here," and "They're back," from the first two Poltergeist films.
In 1987, O'Rourke was misdiagnosed with Crohn's disease and treated with cortisone. A year later, the 12-year-old became very ill and couldn't stop vomiting. As she was rushed to the hospital, she suffered cardiac arrest but was revived. At the hospital, it was discovered she had an acute bowel obstruction, from which she died during surgery. The O'Rourke family sued the Kaiser Foundation for wrongful death and the case was eventually settled out of court.
The murder of actor Lou Perryman
Perryman played the character Pugsley in the original Poltergeist film, but also appeared in such films as The Blues Brothers. Living in Austin, Texas, Perryman was murdered in 2009 by Seth Christopher Tatum, who admitted killing Perryman with an ax and wanting to steal his car. Tatum, an ex-con with a history of mental illness, is currently serving a life sentence in prison. Lou Perryman was 67 at the time of his death.
More: Cinderella: The glass slippers are actually a sexual metaphor
Actor Richard Lawson's near-death experience
Strange reason a paranormal 'seer' called to creepy set of new Poltergeist movie
Image: Warner Bros.
Having played Ryan in the original Poltergeist, Lawson (pictured above right), barely escaped being a victim of the film's curse when a commercial airplane he was on crashed in 1992. Luckily, Lawson survived; however, 27 out of the 51 passengers did not.
Strange reason a paranormal 'seer' called to creepy set of new Poltergeist movie
Image: Fox
Electrical problems while shooting Poltergeist (2015)
Director Gil Kenan explained his strange experiences on set during a recent reddit AMA: "The location for the house, during shooting, I chose because it had a strange and unnecessary field that the houses of this particular community were built around… And we found — throughout production — that we had persistent and repeatable equipment [failure] only on that strange plot of land."
Kenan continued, "For instance, lights that could turn on anywhere else in the neighborhood would blow out the second you'd try to light them on this plot…Also, I used a lot of aerial drone photography in the film, and the drone pilots were never able to lock in the GPS signal in this field. We would have to move 10 feet away to launch the craft."
Paranormal analyzer Brenda Rose called to set of new film
To deal with the unsettling experiences while shooting the remake of Poltergeist, the Cleveland-based seer was asked to "cleanse" the set of evil energy. About her work on the Ontario set, Rose said, "Usually, when spirits get lost, they need a bit of guidance to find their way back to their destination."
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GeorgeT ago
I have been doing an extensive research on Poltergeist & predictive programming.
shunpikah ago
Dominique Dunn, a fellow actress of that movie was strangled & her killer got less than 6 years or so.
liatris ago
Reading up on that case on WIkipedia, Judge Burton S. Katz seems corrupt as hell. After the trial he was transferred to Juvenile Justice system, I wonder if that was his reward?
To establish a history of Sweeney's violent behavior, the prosecution called one of Sweeney's ex-girlfriends, Lillian Pierce, to testify. Pierce, who did not testify in the jury's presence at the request of Sweeney's attorney, stated that she and Sweeney had dated on-and-off from 1977 to 1980. During the relationship, Pierce claimed that Sweeney had assaulted her on ten occasions and she was hospitalized twice for injuries he inflicted on her. During one such assault, Pierce sustained a perforated eardrum and a collapsed lung. She later suffered a broken nose.[9] During Pierce's testimony, Sweeney became enraged, jumped up from his seat and ran towards the door leading to the judge's chambers. He was subdued by two bailiffs and four armed guards. Sweeney was handcuffed to his chair and began to cry. He apologized for the outburst; Judge Katz accepted the apology.[21] Attorney Michael Adelson requested that Judge Katz rule Pierce's testimony inadmissible as it was "prejudicial". Judge Katz granted the request and the jury never learned of Pierce's testimony until after the trial. Katz also refused to allow testimony from Dunne's mother, Ellen Dunne, as well Dunne's friends, ruling their statements "hearsay".[9]
On August 29, defense attorney Michael Adelson also requested that Judge Katz rule that there was insufficient evidence to try Sweeney on the charge of first-degree murder because there was no evidence of predetermination or deliberation. Judge Katz granted the request and instructed jurors that they were only allowed to consider charges of manslaughter or second-degree murder.[17][22] Deputy District Attorney Steven Barshop later said this decision, along with Judge Katz's previous rulings barring the testimonies of Sweeney's ex-girlfriend, and Dunne's mother and friends, were serious blows to the prosecution's case against Sweeney.[19]
Sweeney's conviction[edit] On September 21, 1983, after eight days of deliberation, the jury acquitted John Sweeney of second-degree murder, but found him guilty of the lesser charge of voluntary manslaughter. He was also convicted of misdemeanor assault for the altercation with Dunne that occurred on September 26, 1982.[23][24]
Dunne's family was outraged by the verdict, calling it an "injustice".[24] After Judge Katz excused the jury and told them that justice was served, Dominick Dunne yelled, "Not for our family, Judge Katz!"[25] Before leaving the courtroom, Dominick Dunne accused Judge Katz of purposely withholding Sweeney's ex-girlfriend's testimony from the jury which would have helped to establish his violent history with women.[24] Victims for Victims, a victims' rights group established by actress Theresa Saldana, protested the verdict by staging a march outside of the courthouse.[26] Afterward, several media outlets debated the events of the trial and the verdict. Several also criticized Judge Katz's actions. One local Los Angeles television station polled viewers, who rated Judge Katz the fourth worst judge in Los Angeles County.[27]
On November 7, Sweeney was sentenced to six years in prison for manslaughter, the maximum sentence he could have received, plus six additional months for the assault charge. At Sweeney's sentencing, Judge Katz criticized the jury's ruling of manslaughter, stating that he felt Dunne's death was "a case, pure and simple, of murder. Murder with malice."[26] The jury's foreman, Paul Speigel, later told the media that he and his fellow jurors were surprised by Judge Katz's criticism and called his comment "a cheap shot". Speigel felt that Judge Katz's criticism stemmed not from their verdict, but from the harsh criticism he received after the verdict was given. Speigel went on to say that had the jury heard all the evidence, they would have convicted Sweeney of murder.[28][29]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dominique_Dunne
GeorgeT ago
Didn't know that. Thnx
liatris ago
Dominique Dunn final television appearance was that of a teenage mother who is a victim of child abuse in an episode of Hill Street Blues titled "Requiem for a Hairbag."
liatris ago
There were 8 incidents between the 2 movies.
http://www.sheknows.com/entertainment/articles/1084556/the-poltergeist-curse-tragedies-allegedly-caused-by-both-films
The tragic death of Dominique Dunne
Dunne (pictured above, far left), who played the eldest daughter Dana in the first film, was strangled by her abusive ex-boyfriend, John Thomas Sweeney, who was a sous chef at LA's Ma Maison. Sweeney was convicted of manslaughter and served less than four years of his six-and-half year sentence. Since then, Sweeney has changed his name to John Maura and has relocated to the Pacific Northwest. Dominique Dunne is buried at the Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery.
More: It Follows' metaphor aims to empower women through sex
The unexpected death of actor Julian Beck Beck, who played Henry Kane, an evil preacher in Poltergeist II: The Other Side, was also the cofounder and director for world-renowned The Living Theatre in New York City. Beck was diagnosed with stomach cancer in 1983 and died on Sept. 14, 1985, at the age of 60.
Actor Will Sampson's death from kidney failure Best known for playing Chief Bromden in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, the Native American Creek actor also played Taylor, the medicine man, in Poltergeist II. At the age of 53, he passed away of kidney failure after undergoing a heart and lung transplant.
Shocking misdiagnosis and early death of Heather O'Rourke Strange reason a paranormal 'seer' called to creepy set of new Poltergeist movie
Image: Warner Bros.
O'Rourke played the youngest daughter Carol Anne in the first three Poltergeist films. The blond darling was discovered by Steven Spielberg when she was eating lunch with her mother at the MGM cafeteria. Her older sister Tammy was on the lot shooting the film Pennies from Heaven. O'Rourke became famous for the lines "They're here," and "They're back," from the first two Poltergeist films.
In 1987, O'Rourke was misdiagnosed with Crohn's disease and treated with cortisone. A year later, the 12-year-old became very ill and couldn't stop vomiting. As she was rushed to the hospital, she suffered cardiac arrest but was revived. At the hospital, it was discovered she had an acute bowel obstruction, from which she died during surgery. The O'Rourke family sued the Kaiser Foundation for wrongful death and the case was eventually settled out of court.
The murder of actor Lou Perryman Perryman played the character Pugsley in the original Poltergeist film, but also appeared in such films as The Blues Brothers. Living in Austin, Texas, Perryman was murdered in 2009 by Seth Christopher Tatum, who admitted killing Perryman with an ax and wanting to steal his car. Tatum, an ex-con with a history of mental illness, is currently serving a life sentence in prison. Lou Perryman was 67 at the time of his death.
More: Cinderella: The glass slippers are actually a sexual metaphor
Actor Richard Lawson's near-death experience Strange reason a paranormal 'seer' called to creepy set of new Poltergeist movie
Image: Warner Bros.
Having played Ryan in the original Poltergeist, Lawson (pictured above right), barely escaped being a victim of the film's curse when a commercial airplane he was on crashed in 1992. Luckily, Lawson survived; however, 27 out of the 51 passengers did not.
Strange reason a paranormal 'seer' called to creepy set of new Poltergeist movie
Image: Fox
Electrical problems while shooting Poltergeist (2015) Director Gil Kenan explained his strange experiences on set during a recent reddit AMA: "The location for the house, during shooting, I chose because it had a strange and unnecessary field that the houses of this particular community were built around… And we found — throughout production — that we had persistent and repeatable equipment [failure] only on that strange plot of land."
Kenan continued, "For instance, lights that could turn on anywhere else in the neighborhood would blow out the second you'd try to light them on this plot…Also, I used a lot of aerial drone photography in the film, and the drone pilots were never able to lock in the GPS signal in this field. We would have to move 10 feet away to launch the craft."
Paranormal analyzer Brenda Rose called to set of new film To deal with the unsettling experiences while shooting the remake of Poltergeist, the Cleveland-based seer was asked to "cleanse" the set of evil energy. About her work on the Ontario set, Rose said, "Usually, when spirits get lost, they need a bit of guidance to find their way back to their destination."
millennial_vulcan ago
I put that in the title...very odd story too. Needs reinvestigating