It was just my luck I got through airport security in time for the Scott Peterson verdict. The path to my gate got jagged as I veered towards a television where a small gaggle was had assembled to hear the verdict in the latest trial of the century. We all listened to CNN as Peterson was pronounced guilty of two murders.
One of my favorite things to do is watch the reactions. In this case, there were three. The first, the majority, was stone silence with nodded heads, grim affirmations they agreed. The second was a lady who gasped and then choked it off when her hand flew to her mouth. The third was more expressive.
One lady's response was a pumped fist and an exclamation of "Yes! Death!" Nobody said a word to her; nobody wanted to. By her words she'd turned herself into a piece of kryptonite. It was an astonishing reaction.
While nobody can safely presume what caused her to react that way, one could reasonably conclude three things. First, she was proponent of the death penalty. Second, she's an idiot with no sense of decency, and third, she felt like somebody actually won something as if it was a sporting contest. In reality, she's right and she's wrong on the last.
While the prosecution won the case, the true winner in the verdict was the judicial system and the law. The system won out despite all the blathering and hoopla from magnanimous media types, critics, lawyers and pundits. A system often criticized and derided for not being flawless performed its function last week: to provide a fair trial to a man accused of murder. In doing so, it validated the rule of law.
Had the decision been left to the public writ large it's fair to say Peterson would never have had a day in court. After all, when scum like Peterson brutally murder the two individuals he should hold most dear and then dispose of their bodies, it's easy to conclude the man ought to be tied in a sack and thrown into an active volcano. But, thankfully, the legal system doesn't allow that.
Peterson had the opportunity to disprove the prosecution's case. One of the most distinguishing factors in American society and law is "innocent until proven guilty." Peterson was able to provide his own defense, witnesses and megastar attorney in order to say he didn't do it. In the end, it was left to 12 individuals (not one, not a mob) who'd been carefully screened and selected to provide the greatest possible impartiality. Those individuals found him guilty in accordance with the law; the justice system won.
The rest involved come away with bits and pieces but no joy. Peterson lost his freedom (and, maybe, his life), Mark Garagos took another high profile hit and the bereaved family members got justice but it will never fill the void of a lost daughter and grandson. What occurred should leave even those who agreed with the verdict sobered in the end. When a man is found guilty, cheering is not the proper response.
Next week the jury gets the unenviable task of deciding whether or not Peterson gets sentenced to have a needle jabbed in his arm. We'll discuss that aspect a week from now.
Read More
Three Air Jam teams take home the win
October 12, 2012Nineteen teams shimmied, shook and flipped for a sold out John R. Emens Auditorium on Thursday night during the 25th annual Air Jam.
Bill Clinton Speaks at North Central High School
October 12, 2012Former President's Speech Could Have Effect on State Senate Race
