MEDIA TRASH NOVELS COME TO LIFE

Some bumbling jury pools

By Victor M Adamus

In the 1995 trial of O J Simpson, pitched as the trial of the century, countless TV viewers became trial junkies with the majority deciding that the mountain of evidence against Simpson would surely bring a guilty verdict and the prosecution would have made murder one stick, Simpson would have taken a seat on death row.  However, the jury brought in a verdict of “not guilty” shocking the world viewers but answered the question that none of the jurors wanted to fry a hometown hero.



Caylee Anthony

In a more recent trial here in Florida of the death of 3 year old Caylee Anthony, the prosecution went for murder one, seeking to prove that Casey Anthony, the mom, was the only suspect who could have murdered her child.  The defense brought in enough theories to the contrary, based on state’s evidence, that confused the jury and caused them to render a “not guilty” verdict.  It was a trial junkies dream with the wrong ending. 

Scott Peterson who held the media’s attention unfolding what was termed “the perfect marriage” to Laci who was pregnant with their first child Conner was convicted of murdering Laci and their unborn child and since 2005 sits on death row in San Quentin State Prison maintaining his innocence.  The fetus of baby Conner washed ashore from the San Francisco Bay, the same fishing area Peterson was seen on the day his wife disappeared in 2003.  Finally, for TV trial junkies, the jury got it right.

These three examples and there are hundreds to choose from question the integrity of the Justice System most importantly with the latest in DNA and other specific chemistry, including tests that can pinpoint the time of death of the victim, are worthless if the jury doesn’t see the significance of the tests or understand the Judges orders.  A popular football star, announcer and contributor to the local community, can get a pass from his hometown jury pool just because of his fame and fortune. 

Although scholars will write volumes of the Justice System being the most balanced of any country in the world, ignoring evidence by a jury makes it highly debatable.  Even when a jury is composed from out of town jury pools, and even if the evidence points to only one person who had the care of her child, the last person to see her alive, the theories offered can offset “beyond a reasonable doubt” if, in fact, there was opportunity for a different scenario left unexplained by the prosecution.  But for the heightened interest of millions of viewers it reminds me of your classic nosey neighbor multiplied by millions. 

O J Simpson’s surreal Bronco ride on the day of his arrest was witnessed live on TV by millions of viewers worldwide. If you were old enough to have viewed it, it was the slowest police chase in history and perhaps the beginning of the trial junky syndrome that has people hanging on every word during a high profile trial.  It makes me wonder why judges allow the cameras in the courtroom.