I haven't been following it closely either (too depressing to see what has become of our society), but I thought the note from the judge that she will allow manslaughter is a flag to the jurors that that's what they should do. While I don't see the kid as the boy scout they were originally portraying him as, I don't think he merited what he got either. And to me that kind of sounds like manslaughter. You know, me and my JD degree
so take that for what it's worth.