December 6, 2016 — The Court of Appeals hearing
It’s late and it’s taken a long time for this to process, but here is the entire hearing in the appeals of the murder convictions of Matthew and Paul Jones:
December 1, 2016 — We have been granted permission to film the appeals hearing
And so that’s where I’ll be Tuesday morning, in the Grand Rapids Court of Appeals courtroom, listening to the lawyers for Paul and Matthew Jones making their case for overturning the brothers’ convictions for the 1989 murder of Shannon Marie Siders. This is not a rehearing of evidence; it is matter of determining if the prosecutions and convictions were all in accordance with the proper operations of the lower court. The Court of Appeals will hear but likely not announce a decision until some weeks or months from now. If the Jones brothers are denied on their appeals, they may appeal that decision to the Michigan Supreme Count. Most often that high court has denied certiorari…that is, has declined to take up the case. And that will be an end of it.