Tobin Kerns testifies

Teen says he had no part in Marshfield HS plot:

Tobin Kerns testified in his own defense today but I don’t like where they’re going with it…

One of the two teenagers accused of plotting a Columbine-style attack at Marshfield High School in the fall of 2004 took the stand in his own defense today, telling a judge he had no part in the plan.

Instead, Tobin Kerns, 18, laid the blame on Joseph Nee, 20, who is being tried separately, saying he never took Nee’s scheme seriously. In Brockton District Court this afternoon, Kerns admitting egging Nee on in front of other teens, but only because he through it was a joke.

“I did not assist him in anything,” Kerns said in a confident voice.

I don’t like it when guilty parties use the “joke” defense. I like it even less when an innocent party uses it. It’s obvious that if Tobin was involved in the plan that he definitely had a change of heart. I think they should have focused on that rather than saying that Tobin had no involvement. Then again I didn’t go to any fancy lawyerin’ school.

Tobin is supposed to testify again tomorrow.

Comments

2 responses to “Tobin Kerns testifies”

  1. Anonymous Avatar
    Anonymous

    Sounds familiar…like when Nee ran to police to place the blame on Toby for the crime that Nee was responsible for — but now at least everything has come out in the open for Toby. And, I’m sure Nee will also have his day in court to explain why he ran to police, was still trying to recruit the other boys, and deflect blame from himself to place it on Toby.

  2. B Avatar
    B

    Although Tobin’s lawyer is implicating Joe as the mastermind of the plot and deflecting attention from Toby it is obvious that Nee was a bad influence on him and that Toby recognized it. After Toby received mental help and was in a better mental state than when Joe was living in his home he pulled away from his former group of friends, especially Nee. Joe lived at his home so there must have been obvious disagreement of beleifs or actions that lead up to their falling out. It seems as though Joe did not plan on that occurrence and took it very personally which resulted in HIS CONSPIRACY with Joe Sullivan and Dan Farley to implicate Toby in this horrific plot as revenge. Also, how did Joe know that his binder would still be in Tobin’s room months after their falling out because it is obvious that Joe never went to Toby’s home after that event. Joe seems very sneeky and harmful if you ask me. I think that Tobin’s lawyer’s defense is reasonable. They arent hiding anything and people are always going to question peoples motives for defense but in this case I think that the defense is just. Also, I wonder why there is no word on Joe’s trial. Now that Toby’s trial has ceased i would imagine that Nee’s trial would be underway. I feel like even the people who originally implicated Toby in the plot realized that it was the wrong course of action and Nee’s trial will never receive as much attention as Toby’s simply because he was not the PRIMARY suspect although he should have been. It sounds as though the police did not do a thorough enough investigation and had a biasof some sort. Well, we’ll see what happens but I look forward to the announcement of Joe’s trial and seeing who will actually come to his defense because I have a feeling there will be a sparcity of witnesses willing to testify on his behalf. Also, why would Toby want to “shoot up” the school that his girlfriend attended? And it seems as though she never had any knowledge of the plot so if Toby was actually going to be a part of it wouldn’t he have warned her?

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