The Biblical standard for the Death Penalty was "two eyewitnesses." They didn't have videotapes and DNA, but they knew about "beyond a reasonable doubt."
Prosecutor's error, going for Murder One. I hate it, but there it is.
The jury system is really the only thing that stands between us and the utmost, crushing tyranny. Surely in these darkening days of the early 21st Century we can see that.
Just kidding. Agreeing with Dershowitz had to involve some pain. Ouch! (g)
I'll bet she would have plead to a lesser charge, say manslaughter with a 20 year sentence.
Casey Anthony: The System Worked
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Casey Anthony was not found innocent of her daughter's murder, as many commentators seem to believe. She was found "not guilty." And therein lies much of the misunderstanding about the Anthony verdict.
This misunderstanding is exacerbated by the pervasiveness of TV shows about criminal cases. On television and in the movies, crimes are always solved. Nothing is left uncertain. By the end, the viewer knows whodunit. In real life, on the other hand, many murders remain unsolved, and even some that are "solved" to the satisfaction of the police and prosecutors lack sufficient evidence to result in a conviction. The Scottish verdict "not proven" reflects this reality more accurately than its American counterpart, "not guilty."
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Excellent post.