The problem with spreading false narratives in criminal cases

Should Kimmel have been shitcanned? I won’t comment on that. But his comments regarding Kirk’s shooter are irresponsible.

In high profile criminal cases like this, spreading false narrative taints a potential jury and complicates prosecution. A real headache for the legal system.

Probably best to leave the early speculation and conspiracies to the internet trolls rather than bring them to the mainstream.

Trump does this all the time and the left (and many on the right) understand the damage this does. To lament Kimmel getting suspended for spreading misinformation is a bit like the pot and the kettle.

This page is a permanent link to the reply below and its nested replies. See all post replies »

ChipmunkErnie · 70-79, M

Interesting, I can't find a thing online with Kimmel spreading any false rumors. He seems to have been suspended for saying the same thing Tucker Carlson and many others have said: Trump is using Kirk's murder for his political gain.

tobynshorty · 51-55, F

@ChipmunkErnie Eaxctly! If you don’t like the show turn it off.

trollslayer · 46-50, M

@ChipmunkErnie implying the motive. Sounds benign, but that is the prosecution’s job. Having juries believing other motives when they come in is problematic for prosecution. This is no different than Trump or one of his mouthpieces claiming the motive had to do with a trans roommate.

ChipmunkErnie · 70-79, M

@trollslayer What? Trump's motive?

trollslayer · 46-50, M

@ChipmunkErnie no, the shooter’s.

I’m not saying Kimmel should be fired (I personally think this was very minor compared to other things I have heard), only saying that implying motive is irresponsible as it only feeds conspiracies. Kimmel’s comment about MAGA exploiting Kirk’s death is accurate. But implying that the shooter is “one of their own” may complicate a prosecution that is trying to show this was a political killing, or a defense trying to show this was a murder and not an assassination.

ChipmunkErnie · 70-79, M

@trollslayer You give Kimmel credit for more power than he has, and the whole reasoning behind it seems silly to me. Kimmel, if he implied that, is only one of hundreds of media types who have said it. We cannot live in an informational vacuum.

trollslayer · 46-50, M

@ChipmunkErnie seems like they (The Trump admin) were looking for an excuse. Again, I disagree with the action ABC took, and strongly disagree with the pressure from the Trump administration here.

I am just remembering the OK trial and how irresponsible speculative comments from public figures made that trial difficult.