The split decision of the Ghost Ship criminal trial stirred up intense emotions on Thursday, and it's clear the 2016 warehouse fire made a lasting impact in our Bay Area communities.
We created a space for you to share your thoughts and reflections after the outcome. Here are some of those responses:
What are your thoughts on the criminal trial outcome?
"I'm heavily involved in the local DIY scene and my heart aches. So many of the sanctuaries we misfits build for ourselves aren't up to code. I feel like this could've happened at any of my favorite places: the DIY venues and punk houses where I feel socially safe. I recognize that a conviction may have felt like closure, but I can't imagine that it would have been a true victory. I can all too well picture this tragedy happening at any of the spaces I love, and my own friends on trial. With or without a conviction, there would have been no justice." - Caitlin H.
"Mixed, as I wasn't privy to all the facts, but I obsessed over all media accounts. I felt neutral on Harris and slightly biased against Almena based on media and shared community reporting, but I feel the most confused and pretty much incensed over the landlord, Chor Ng, and her family, who all manage multiple properties and have documented unresolved issues, NOT BEING CHARGED. But allegedly getting $3m in insurance payments. That feels the most criminal and tragic to me." - SCP
"So no one is responsible?" - Marcia Hagen
"I am horrified at the jury decision. It is unconscionable that 36 dear souls roasted to death because of inaction and greed on the part of two men in a position to provide a safe environment for their guests. I am left feeling that the jury just wanted to go home - and who could blame them after months of trial and weeks of deliberations fraught with emotion. The system failed these victims and their families." - Lynda
"Max Harris never should have been charged and the DA should be ashamed that she charged him instead of the landlord. I could see how jurors could be split over Almena, it was not clear cut. Hopefully they can reach an agreement instead of doing another 6-month trial. This also goes to show that the judge was wrong to reject the plea bargain and the prosecutor was right to offer one, implicitly recognizing weaknesses in the case." - Jenny
"I followed this whole trial very closely because it was just such a tragedy. My feelings here at the end: Derick Almena is a cocky, ass who wasn’t ever thinking about something as mundane as “safety.” He was an artist! Inspiring a community! He’s a narcissist, but I don’t think he’s a murderer. Max Harris was just a young kid who got sucked into Almena’s World view. The souls who died attending a concert didn’t know what they were walking into. It’s a horrible tragedy, all around. Social services walked through the property and visited it many times, and never did anything. We all need to pay more attention and do better. Assess every situation you walk into. Know where your exits are. If your gut tells you something’s not right, trust it. It’s all just so sad." - Wyoming
