Good news: Philly is in bloom and The Upside is here | Morning Newsletter

We’ve got some good news, Philly. Literally. The Upside, the Inquirer’s new four-page Sunday section that celebrates inspiration, hope, goodness, and solutions, hits newsstands today. In print and online you can read about a Bala Cynwyd couple who have opened their home to a young family while their critically ill toddler is receiving long-term care at CHOP; a South Jersey arm wrestling champ who donates his trophies to the Special Olympics; and why one woman swears by the power of a daily thank you note. This morning we also go behind the story with reporter Mensah Dean about the unlikely good news a Philly man charged with murder received last month.

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— Oona Goodin-Smith, Aubrey Nagle (morningnewsletter@philly.com)

Each week, we go behind the scenes with one of our reporters or editors to discuss their work and the challenges they face along the way. This week we chat with reporter Mensah Dean, who recently covered the unusual acquittal of Jabir Kennedy. In 2017, Kennedy shot four men, killing one, and was charged with first-degree murder and three counts of attempted murder. Facing 17 1/2 to 34 years in prison, Kennedy argued the shooting was in self-defense and was instead found not guilty on all counts last month.

When did you first hear about this story, and what type of research did you do to catch up on what had happened since Jabir Kennedy’s first mention in the news in 2017?

I first heard about this case when Kennedy’s lawyer emailed me the evening the verdict came out, March 15. I’ve known the lawyer, David Nenner, for about 10 years and have written numerous articles about his cases. If not for my relationship with Nenner I would never have known about the case, because I did not cover the trial. I used to cover the Criminal Justice Center exclusively for the Daily News, from 2009 through 2014. Today, I cover cases that I’ve been following or if someone gives me a tip about. Before interviewing Kennedy and Nenner the Monday after the verdict, I read the articles that had been published in December 2017 about the shooting and Kennedy’s arrest a week later.

What is it like covering these kinds of cases and going to hearings? What do you look out for?

Covering newsworthy court cases that are unusual or high profile is exciting. I always try to make contact with the lawyers to get a rapport going so I can chat with them during court breaks. I take note of the composition of the jury to see how it breaks down by gender, race, socioeconomic status, etc. I pay attention to how the jury reacts to witnesses, including the defendant, if the defendant testifies.

Have you ever covered a case like this before?

I have covered just a handful of trials where a defendant accused of shooting or seriously injuring someone has been found not guilty. One of the most memorable was the 2011 trial of Gerald Ung. The Temple University law school student testified that he acted in self-defense when he shot a recent Villanova University graduate student six times on an Old City sidewalk. The jury found him not guilty.

What’s one thing you hope readers take away from a rare moment like this?

I hope readers learned a little more than they knew about what constitutes self-defense.

Stay in touch with Mensah via email at deanm@phillynews.com or follow him on Twitter at @MensahDean.

That’s wheelie cool, @nbs2.

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Have you submitted a question to Curious Philly yet? Try us. We’re listening to our readers and doing our best to find answers to the things you’re curious about.

Our readers’ latest question: Why doesn’t the Peco building display the temperature anymore?

The answer: Technical difficulties.

“Congestion downtown is a good thing. Automobiles are filled with people going to work, shopping in stores, eating at restaurants, enjoying entertainment venues, using parking garages. Banging drivers over the head with another onerous tax sounds like a really stupid idea to me. People can and will avoid the city of Philadelphia. Don’t take consumers who drive for granted. They can disappear and never come back.” — lm920, on how congestion pricing might come to Philadelphia’s streets.

Emmy-winning NBC News White House correspondent and Fairmount native Kristen Welker had quite a homecoming last month as she emceed an event she grew up attending with her mother.