Billy Joe Shaver Found Not Guilty !!!
Outlaw country music legend Billy Joe Shaver was found not guilty for shooting Billy Coker with a .22 pistol outside Papa Joe’s Saloon in Lorena, TX, on March, 31st of 2007. After less then two hours of deliberating, the jury came back with a not guilty verdict, just after 6 PM Central time according to The Statesman.
“Billy Joe Shaver grew testy during cross-examination at his aggravated assault trial today, bristling when a prosecutor suggested that he has cultivated an outlaw reputation. “More like an outcast, “ Shaver said under questioning by McLennan County Assistant District Attorney Beth Toben.”
Shaver faced up to 20 years in prison if he was found guilty. Though Shaver’s case looked grim at times during the trial, with witnesses refuting his assertions that Billy Coker had been intimidating him and that he was “fearful” and shot Coker in self defense, Shaver by all accounts never seemed scared of the verdict, booking shows for after the trial. He’s playing a gig in Houston tonight.
“I knew in my heart we would win.” Shaver said after the trial.
“The defense to aggravated assault is self defense. It’s a God given right that is recognized by our law since time began,” said Shaver’s lawyer Dick DeGuerin.
The song Where Do You Want It? written by Dale Watson did come up in the trial.
“I actually asked him “Why do you want to do this.” For one reason or another someone turned it into “Where do you want it,” Shaver said. “You’re still gonna write the song but with different lyrics,” the prosecutor Toben asked.
Shaver and his lawyer objected to that comment and caused verbal outbursts by some of the observers in state District Judge Matt Johnson’s courtroom. Shaver said that earlier he was referring to how Dale Watson had written a song called “Where do you want it,” from accounts from the original affidavit.
Shaver friends Willie Nelson and Robert Duvall showed up support Billy Joe at the trial. You can see a video of Willie from the courtroom by clicking here.
Photo from Rod Aydelotte/Waco Tribune-Herald
April 9, 2010 @ 5:20 pm
Good to hear!
April 9, 2010 @ 6:00 pm
God Damn Right!!!!
April 9, 2010 @ 6:01 pm
FANTASTIK NEWS TRIGGERMAN! I’ve been watching the tweets on this for several days now and am glad as all things “HONKY TONK HELL” IT WAS YOU THAT POSTED THE GREAT NEWS! THANKS FOR KEEPIN IT “REAL COUNTRY”! ALSO FOR YOU SEMI LOCALS, BILLY JOE SHAVER AND LORETTA LYNN WILL BE AT THE NELSONVILLE MUSIC FESTIVAL IN OHIO ON MAY 15TH…WOOOOHOOOOO!
April 9, 2010 @ 6:42 pm
I might be there AJ.
He’s playing a The Muddy Roots Festival two weeks later. Might be at that one too.
April 10, 2010 @ 5:40 am
so where do you want it… lol
April 10, 2010 @ 8:04 am
cool.
April 10, 2010 @ 11:16 am
Cool. There are a bunch of different ways this could be looked at but given how our court system operates in this country I’m not gonna worry about the particulars of the case. It’s cool that’s he’s free and out playing, that’s really the end of it.
April 10, 2010 @ 1:36 pm
Amen !!
April 10, 2010 @ 1:57 pm
Good news !
April 11, 2010 @ 2:41 pm
I love to hear that Americans still have the right to shoot somebody.
April 11, 2010 @ 7:02 pm
…can’t wait to see him at the Muddy Roots Festival! Good job Billy Joe!
April 12, 2010 @ 8:54 am
Thank the Lord! The Muddy Roots Music Festival just wouldn’t be the same without him. (Although I think I would have just busted him out to come play the fest anyway!)
April 12, 2010 @ 10:55 am
Video from Firehouse Saloon, right after he was found not guilty:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lNJmu72RqOA&feature=player_embedded
April 12, 2010 @ 2:36 pm
NEW POST FROM THE FIREHOUSE SALOON ON THE NIGHT OF THE VERDICT…>
April 12, 2010 @ 2:43 pm
THIS KINDA SUCKS TRIGGERMAN IF I CAN’T POST A VIDEO!
April 12, 2010 @ 2:48 pm
Link is right above your comments AJ, it’s just one click away.
Saving Country Music 3.0 will have embedded video capability and nesting comments. Doing my best on a negative budget.
April 14, 2010 @ 12:57 am
THIS IS GREAT NEWS TO HEAR..DO NOT FUCK WITH US OLD FUCKERS BECAUSE WE WILL POP A CAP IN YOUR ASS..WHERE DO YOU WANT IT?
Saving Country Music » Blog Archive » Shaver Mends Ticker, Ready for Muddy Roots
May 23, 2010 @ 3:05 pm
[…] surgery allowed him to miss a scheduled arraignment on a felony gun possession charge. Shaver was found not guilty for shooting a man in self defense in 2007, at a trial last month in Waco, but still faces the federal gun charge. […]
Billy Joe Shaver & Willie Nelson Release Wacko From Waco « Saving Country Music
February 8, 2011 @ 11:53 am
[…] that the ink has dried on the acquittal of Billy Joe Shaver for shooting Billy Coker with a .22 pistol outside Papa Joe”™s Saloon in Lorena, TX, (just outside […]