I defend this jury and would defend any jury. These people put their lives on hold and served a thankless job so that a piece of trash could have a fair shake, knowing that people who were not there would call them names and impugn their character.
You watched the trial, but you were NOT in the jury box. You saw things and heard things that they did not see or hear. You heard opinions which were not presented at trial. They did not.
The jury could only decide based on what they saw and they were allowed to throw out things which they did not believe. They were allowed to weigh the evidence and decide what seemed to fit.
The jury was allowed to consider that the police could have had the baby's body in August back when it had tissue on it, but they said that they were too busy, in their own words, to look. They are allowed to consider that, especially in light of the fact that they knew in August that they were missing a baby, and that the place they were asked to look was near the baby's family home. But they didn't get around to actually looking until December, and lo and behold, there it was.
See, when the police or the prosecution makes a massive mistake, as they did, the benefit of the doubt goes to the accused. Not to the state. Those are the rules the jury follows.
Thankfully, though, if you think that the jury did such a poor job and you find yourself not trusting juries, there is a perfect solution for you and yours:
If you or friend or family member ever needs a criminal trial, give up the jury option and put your life in the judge's hands.
If it ever happens, I pray that the outcome meets your expectations. When I see those cases in the news, they almost always meet mine, which is why I would demand a jury.
Normally one might agree with your assessment. But our court systems are just as corrupt as our Government. There were all manner of mis-steps in this case from the get go and that by all involved in this case. Even so the evidence presented was sufficient to have brought in a guilty verdict, aside from the death penalty.
The problem was IMO the jury did not understand what they were there for or the ability to make a fair judgement of this case. Doubtful they even understand “critical thinking”. And the ‘evidence’ since that verdict would support this.
In murder cases jurys request various pieces of evidence while in deliberation. A photo, a document, whatever... but they do this recognizing the ‘seriousness of their task’. But not a single piece of evidence was requested by this jury....and that is beyond stunning.
Additionally the little time spent on delberation would attest to their time being spent on ‘persuading jurors’,.... and frankly discussion appears to be more about “who” killed Caley rather than on the accused, which was not their task. This was made very clear by the jurors who gave interviews to the press, whose statements certainly would give anyone pause on what did they really think their job was to begin with.
As for where Casey will go from here....I suspect to a mental health facility somewhere for the protection it will afford for the time being...and with that some counseling which may or not be helpful to her. For I think to her it’s all hand in hand with the role she must play to sustain herself. She hasn’t stepped out into the world on her own except for those 30 some odd days but has been in her parents home. Her attorneys replaced her parents roles for the time being...and I suspect if in a facility this will transfer to those who assist her there.
CAsey is in no way prepared to do life on her own...especially in light of the circumstances she has created for herself now. Further the lure of money and fame will likely keep her stay there shorter than most might have hopes for.
Imagine a woman who thought caring for her child was a burden and now she has the burden of public opinion whereever she may go. Her life will not play out in the end as she has hopes for....regardless if she is guilty or not...she has layed the stage and it will now play out according to public opinion.
I know jury duty is a thankless job, and our system relies on these people who give much. In this case, however, I wonder. The prosecution may not proved the case in the minds of THIS jury, but with all the circumstantial and other evidence and the behavioral chronology .. the thought they could actually deliberate that short a time and come up with NO connection to Caylee’s absence and death is just really hard to swallow.
Listen to the logic of this juror.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CW_J9kpj3BQ
She would’ve preferred a video-taped or witnessed murder or accident .. something easy .. maybe a bottle of chloroform or roll of duct tape in Casey’s hands video-taped .. and even with ALL the evidence of the tape and garbage bags from the house on Caylee, the absolute smell of death from the police dog, the partying, no reporting of her missing, etc. etc. .. she still could not form an opinion as to a reasonable scenario for what happened to that innocent baby, who was the direct responsibility of Casey, and who was naturally completely directly involved in her own child’s whereabouts, health and wellbeing.
Even though Casey partied non-stop during the month little Caylee was known BY HER to be missing, and UNreported, she can still say there was no evidence of Casey being neglectful. WHAT????
Shockingly, this juror still doesn’t know with certainty that she didn’t do it, yet agreed to sign off with the rest that she was only guilty of doing what is her forte: lying. Unbelievable.
Anatomy of a successful murder in the hot (especially Florida) summer:
neglect or drug to the point of death, or directly murder someone, secret the body away in garbage bags and duct taped, allow time to go by and the body, flesh, bones to decompose and gradually get eaten and moved by animals, rot in a stinking swamp for months in the hot FL sun and heat, then state different lies about her whereabouts for months, blatantly lie repeatedly to the police .. and without traceable evidence from organs or proof to the direct link to cause of death, plant the idea that the defendant was molested or abused as a child and that’s why she lies and behaves abhorrently, that there was a pool accident and her father was involved, bring in fringy expert psychological witnesses, multiple fantasy scenarios for the jury .. then
bingo:
the monster .. the mother or father, whomever it is .. can be found completely disconnected to the absence and ultimate death of their own child.
You watched the trial, but you were NOT in the jury box. You saw things and heard things that they did not see or hear. You heard opinions which were not presented at trial. They did not.
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I didn’t and I would have convicted her and been a hold out.
But then again, I’m never picked for jury duty, I use logic and intellect and never make it past voir dire. Don’t get me wrong, I would LOVE to serve, but I won’t perjurer myself to get on a jury.
I was even blackballed from US District Court because I had so many of the jury pool agreeing with me during the process. It was a deportation case.