Saturday, July 09, 2011

Trial by jury

jury pool



I'm one of those moms people keep talking about. Kind of. ...

I'm the kind who can picture themselves dealing with a missing child. Or not dealing with it. Picturing themselves, instead, not coping at all.

But I couldn't bear to watch the media coverage of the Casey Anthony trial. I couldn't stand to see all the law-abiding citizens lining up for a chance to gawk, rationalizing their behavior as anything other than morbid fascination and mob mentality.

I couldn't stand the presumption of guilt.

And then she was acquitted, stunning pretty much everyone except, it seems, folks who believe evidence should weigh more heavily than the circumstances surrounding that evidence. More heavily than emotion. Especially when first degree murder is charged.

I can understand the shock. I can understand the anger being raw and natural. But I had to admit I was proud of that jury. Proud that they came to such an impartial judgment based on law for an otherwise unlikeable woman.

Most people it would seem, at least in the immediate aftermath, see the decision as proof of a fatally flawed American justice system. And already states are trying to remedy it with more reactionary laws.

I hope they come to their senses, though. Because what happened in Florida is how the system is supposed to work.

1 comment:

V.G. said...

The prosecution should have gone for the lesser charge of manslaughter, as there was not enough evidence for a murder 1 charge. No definite evidence that Casey intentionally murdered her child and it was not an accident, besides the pictures of her partying it up so soon after. I personally think Casey had planned to use that night out as an alibi by saying she thought her child was well and with the Nanny. But when the Nanny story was debunked it worked against her…but not conclusive.

There was a good doc. on MSNBC about much evidenced that was not introduced in court…most all, interviews and circumstantial.