I went out this evening. On my way home, as is my custom, I gave my mom a call. Usually my dad is asleep¹. Tonight he was not.
The three of us talked for a while. My dad has a cold; he didn’t stay on long.
After all the small talk was out of the way my mom asked if I had seen the verdict? I had not. The verdict in the Scott Peterson² trial was rendered this afternoon.
We had been having an early dinner whe it was scheduled to be announced. Originally I asked Helaine and Steffie if they’d mind me turning the TV on. Then I realized it wouldn’t make much difference to me whether I heard it as it happened or caught it later. I didn’t have any serious doubt that I would hear it a thousand times.
My mom and I talked about how evil Scott Peterson was and then she started to tell me about the jury. They were “eloquent,” she said, though my father came up with another word which seemed more appropriate at the time.
My mom was right. They were eloquent.
I have just finished watching some of the Q&A with three of the jurors. I have no idea if they are a representative sample of the pool in general. I do know if there was a trial whose outcome affected me, I’d like these people in the jury box.
It seemed as if they had taken their duty seriously. They wanted to play fairly – by the rules. They understood that the eyes of the country would be focused on them and the life of one man would be in their hands.
So often what we see with the government are functionaries playing fast and loose with the rules. Just recently Bernard Kerik withdrew from consideration for Director of Homeland Security. The aura of scandal has wafted through the Connecticut atmosphere for months.
It is said that a jury is usually made up of people too dumb to get out of jury duty. Lawyers plot and plan how to manipulate them. Judging by what I saw today the opposite is true. These were citizens who wanted to do the right thing and fulfill their obligation.
Good for us.
¹ – As I live on Hawaiian time, most Florida retirees live on AST or some other zone where midnight comes around 8:00 o’clock local time.
² – Should it be the Scott Peterson trial or the Lacey Peterson trial? How does one decide? There is precedence both ways: OJ Simpson Trial, Lindbergh Baby Trial.