I agree with a judge giving the sentence. It's pretty clear to me the typical layperson doesn't really understand aggravators vs mitigators and how to weigh them, evidence, hearsay, and what should or shouldn't be considered when deliberating. I was appalled to learn the DT could pretty much accuse the victim of atrocious conduct without any corroboration; that it's up to the jury to decide what's real or not. I'm sorry, that just doesn't equal justice to me, and it's evident I know very little about the law.
I don't judge juror's abilities by other cases that ended up with most of us scratching our head during the guilt phase or sentencing phase. Cases like this really are anomalies and rarely happen in our justice system.
In fact I found the 11 jurors to be filled with intelligence and common sense. They certainly did seem to know exactly what was expected of them and knew how to follow the law.
They also knew the difference in mitigating factors vs. aggravating factors. They also knew the mitigating factors had to substantially outweigh the aggravators and knew they did not.
Countless jurors all across America sit in judgment on death penalty case and 99% of the time they come to the correct and just verdict.
It will never be decided by a sole Judge. The USSC has long ruled no one can be given death by only a presiding Judge and it must only come from a jury of their peers. I don't see that ever changing and really there isn't any need to change it. What does need to change though is the majority vote should rule like it is in the state of Florida.
Also what does need to happen in death penalty cases is each juror needs to be thoroughly vetted to see if they are being totally honest and forthright. That is the only way to insure another #17 type juror is not on a death penalty case.
I do think this fiasco will change the way jurors are picked in the future and now the state will make sure that all social media sites are checked thoroughly, not only at the first of jury selection but throughout the trial. And if one of the jurors has a family member who is a felon they will have to explain in great detail all of the particulars from
beginning to end of their criminal history without purposeful omissions and those facts will be verified by the court to see if they are true and will verify who the prosecutor was on the case(s).
As far as the DT and what they got away with............I think that too is an anomaly pertaining to this case only and wouldn't happen in any other courtroom by another presiding Judge. KN et al produced the worst case of nothing but victim blaming and JSS allowed it all in.
IMO