I didn't know this until last week, but I am still processing that trial that I served on. I haven't had occasion to think about it and it hasn't come up in conversation very often. Well, last week I woke Sheila up in the middle of the night, screaming out the name of the defendant and saying something else that in that dream that I felt needed to be done. I had no recollection the next day that I even dreamed about it in the first place, and would never have known if I had not been told.
So yes, I guess it's still there. It came up in conversation with another couple we met for dinner last Saturday night that we've become good friends with. They know the details of the crime, they know what I know about it (which is a different story than what Organized Media told their audience) and since it came up I made use of the opportunity to vent about it a little.
OK, I've let it be known that this had the attention of Organized Media. Organized Media did NOT tell the same story that we in the jury box and those attending the trial heard. Organized Media was there at the trial, they had people who knew more of the context than I originally did, but Organized Media could not resist the opportunity to paint those they didn't like in a bad light. In some cases it was due to sloppy reporting and in other cases it was due to their agenda, which in this one, could not have possibly advanced a political cause of any kind imaginable, but it was an opportunity to make the right people look bad and there was no way they were going to let that go.
As tempting as it is to tell the story here, I'm not going to do it, and this time I'm going to tell you why.
One. The conviction is being appealed. That may take a year or two to run its course. I say nothing here because I want no influence whatsoever on the appeal process and the eventual decision. I will say that the prosecution did their homework, we took the instructions seriously, we gave the charges due deliberation, and my conscience is clear in how I voted and what I argued for when we finally got to discuss the case.
Two. Even if this wasn't appealed, I still wouldn't talk. I have reason to believe that Organized Media isn't done with this yet. It's going to come up again in a couple of years. The story will be told again in reenactment form on some channel somewhere, and those telling the story simply will not be able to resist the urge to embellish this. Several of the details are bad enough as they are. It's downright bizarre. I simply will not help Organized Media in this in any way, shape or form. They have the facts. I can't make Organized Media tell the truth about this.
Three. There are the innocent parties to be taken into consideration, some of whom had their turn on the stand. Those involved have gone thru their own personal hell over this. They are never going to get over it. Time will not heal these wounds. I know of other serious crimes that will leave scars, but folks, in this one, there are many more people who will never get over this. Let them get on with their lives.
OK. I realize I'm still processing what happened. I may be doing this for some time to come. A lot of tabloid type of stuff was involved, and like most true crime stories it's both fascinating and revolting at the same time.
As Birdman would say.......it's a lot like watching a squirrel short out a transformer. As grotesque as it is, you can't help but stare at it.
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