Held Prisoner in Hampton Roads

On Casey Anthony

Innocent and not guilty are two different concepts. Without cause of death and direct forensic evidence, the prosecutors put forth a lot of circumstantial theories. I watched quite a bit, and I don’t think they made the case. The jury had to decide based on the evidence, not how unlikeable Anthony was.

Personally, I cannot understand how someone could go a month without notifying the authorities, or even worse, hit the party circuit. But, there are all kinds of reactions to stressful situations.  I do not like Casey Anthony, and I am certainly not alone.  However, my personal dislike does not invoke the death penalty.

Unfortunately, the press – Nancy Grace, in particular – made the trial into both a personal quest and a ratings bonanza. I found that extremely disgusting. I also think that the roving crowds of outraged citizens need to quit taking justice in their own hands, and put some faith – or at least respect – in our jury system. 
 
Maybe she’s guilty. Maybe not. In any case, the decision is made, and we cannot change it. Further, we are not above the law.   Are we to go out with torches and pitchforks whenever we disagree with a jury verdict?

I used to believe that all trials needed to be in the public eye.  With the sad state of the press today, I'm slowly changing that belief.  Several talking heads, including Nancy Grace, spent months, if not years, working to convict her on the air.  While we celebrate our freedom of the press, perhaps we should not feed it raw meat.

Someone said that the strength of our legal system is not in how we treat the best of us, but rather in how we treat the worst of us.