"The Chicago Critical Mass community can take a lot of credit for increasing the profile of the Fitzpatrick case and the subsequent verdict.

"Right after McBride was killed, the only media coverage was a buried paragraph or two in the Sun Times and Tribune. Then TC (O'rourke), Gin (Kilgore) and others organized the memorial ride which brought major media coverage to the case. The moving description of the killing in Travis Culley's book (The Immortal Class) helped bring more attention to the case. And TC's and Jeff Balch's dedicated monitoring of the case and the recent front page Reader article no doubt reaffirmed the importance of the case in the SA's eyes.

"Thanks in part to the hard work of many CM activists (I'm sure I left many out), an important precedent-setting verdict asserting cyclists' right to the road has come out of this horrible tragedy.

"While I feel an empty sadness about the murder and the impending long prison sentence, I'm proud of the important role our community played in bringing about an approximation of justice and making it less likely that this tragedy will be repeated on Chicago's streets."

-- Michael Burton

Full Coverage of The Carnell Fitzpatrick Road Rage Murder Trial

Daily Trial Reports | Verdict delivery | Media Coverage | Background | Memorial Ride

"I hope he has some time to think about what he has done, turn his life around, find a way to give his life some meaning, and, if he ever gets released from prison, become a productive member of society. I hope his children will be able to cope with the loss of their father. I hope his conviction gives the McBride family some closure so that they can move on. I hope that bicyclists will be able to get the respect that we deserve on the roads. I hope that people everywhere will learn to resolve their differences without anger, hatred, and violence."

-- Dan Korn

Dan Korn attended every day of the McBride trial, and posted detailed accounts to the CCM listserv. Here are the accounts to date:

Thanks to Dan for all the work keeping everyone informed!

How the verdict came down:

"I happened to show up at the courthouse about half an hour before the bailiff came out and announced that there was a verdict. Other bikers there were Tim Herlihey and George Christensen, a friend of Tom's. Jeff Balch, the writer, was also there.

"It was about another half hour before the judge and jury came into the courtroom, during which time the spectator gallery filled almost to capacity, Tom's friends & family on one side, Carnell's on the other. One of the defense counsel also arrived.

"About ten minutes before the jury came in, several sherriff's deputies came in, asked that everyone remain calm regardless of the verdict, and stood by the door.

"Then, for ten minutes or so, there was complete silence in the room, except for the crackling of the deputies' radios. Quite surreal. That was a long ten minutes, I'm sure, for the two families. The tension was terrific.

"Then, suddenly the judge came in and announced that the jury had a verdict. The jury was immediately brought in and the verdict read. After the verdict, several members of Carnell's family ran from the room, crying and screaming.

"The judge then polled each member of the jury, by name, to confirm the unanimous vote. I saw Carnell sitting silently with his head in his hands, his attorneys hand on his shoulder. People were crying in the gallery. A bailiff came up to Carnell, asked him to empty his pockets, and took him away. Just like that.

"The defense asked the judge if Carnell could see a member of his family. The judge said he no longer had that authority, that it was strictly up to the sherriff's department. The judge then asked to have Carnell brought back into the courtroom. He had him sign over his bond money to his defense team. He then was taken out.

"I think the decision was a just one, and that it took a lot of courage for the jury to make it. They could have taken the easy way out by returning the reckless homicide verdict.

"But I don't feel like celebrating -- seeing someone convicted of murder is not a pretty sight. His family committed no crime, but they will suffer just the same."

-- Jim Redd, Webmaster

 

Trial News coverage:

More info and background on the McBride case:

 

The McBride Memorial Ride, May 2, 1999

Photos and writeup by Dan Kopald

Photos by Dan Kliman: