I saw yet another story tonight (this time on Fox 4 News) about a man who was wrongfully convicted 19 years ago. By the way, for the last 19 years, he has been in prison.
DNA cleared him.
Make no mistake about it: DNA won't clear someone from wrong accusations of DWI, Burglary, Arson, and, heaven forbid, Drug Possession.
That's why a jury must understand the concept of guilty "beyond a reasonable doubt". As I tell every jury panel, "that means that at the end of this trial, if you have a doubt about [insert client's first name]'s guilt, and that is a doubt that is reasonable to you, you must let him go."
A jury cannot afford to be wrong.
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3.20.2006
We Should All Be Frightened
I saw yet another story tonight (this time on Fox 4 News) about a man who was wrongfully convicted 19 years ago. By the way, for the last 19 years, he has been in prison.
DNA cleared him.
Make no mistake about it: DNA won't clear someone from wrong accusations of DWI, Burglary, Arson, and, heaven forbid, Drug Possession.
That's why a jury must understand the concept of guilty "beyond a reasonable doubt". As I tell every jury panel, "that means that at the end of this trial, if you have a doubt about [insert client's first name]'s guilt, and that is a doubt that is reasonable to you, you must let him go."
A jury cannot afford to be wrong.
