I don't know WHY the Jury let Avila off, if the two girls came forward and witnessed that he did in fact, molest them. I can't see that Avila had an attorney of Feldman's class, maybe even a public defender, but the Prosecutor didn't present a strong enough case to convict the first time. So the Jury is blamed? I don't know....
And I can't judge how Mantha's Mom is feeling, except to say, I don't blame her for saying ANYTHING at this time.
OTOH, Samantha's Murder and Now Cassie's Murder come at the worst possible time for DW.
If the Jury were sequestered and couldn't watch the news, listen to Rick Roberts and read the papers, they wouldn't feel the pressure to go forward and convict... but now, (and I don't care what anyone says to the contrary) they will feel it's their duty to find him guilty, lest they suffer the consequences if down the road, he commits an act of violence.
The jury is tainted, and Westerfields right to a fair trial have been violated, IMHO.
sw
These are the hardest kinds of cases to prosecute. There apparently was no physical evidence, as he molested them by playing with their privates while bathing them.
Juries in southern Calif. may be gun shy to convict on only the word of the children because 20 years or more ago a daycare owner and workers in S.Calif. were convicted of molesting and all kinds of gross things. It turned out to be all false happenings.
Some of the things the children told of were the most awful things you could imagine. These ideas were planted in their minds by some social worker. The jury believed the children.
I know, you can't, it's just so sad.:(
OTOH, Samantha's Murder and Now Cassie's Murder come at the worst possible time for DW.
If the Jury were sequestered and couldn't watch the news, listen to Rick Roberts and read the papers, they wouldn't feel the pressure to go forward and convict... but now, (and I don't care what anyone says to the contrary) they will feel it's their duty to find him guilty, lest they suffer the consequences if down the road, he commits an act of violence. The jury is tainted, and Westerfields right to a fair trial have been violated, IMHO. sw
I could not agree more.
Could it even be the standard for "beyond a reasonable doubt?"