Story thread · 2 reports / 2 sources

You came for a fair trial. Your jury came to change the world.

theblaze.com · 4h · first reportShare

A jury has one job: to decide a criminal case on the evidence and the law. That’s it. When jurors approach a verdict as a chance to advance a cause, even the strongest prosecution can fail before the first witness testifies. Comments after the Lindsay Clancy mistrial raise troubling questions about whether some jurors understood why they were there. They also suggest that prosecutors had a serious problem by the time the jury took its oath. No juror’s political ambition, sympathy, or preferred message can relieve that juror of the duty to follow the law. Every stage of a trial gives lawyers a chance to shape how jurors see the case. An opening statement establishes a theory. Testimony and exhibits support it. Closing arguments offer a final opportunity to persuade. But no argument can overcome a juror’s refusal to follow the court’s instructions. Jury selection must identify people who intend to use a verdict to send a message rather than judge the case before them. I have tried high-p