hindsight2020
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Me neither. My biggest issue with Stephens, apart from obvious lack of expediency, is her willingness to throw out the constitution in favor of the defendant's rights and conduct a trial with such secrecy.
IMO, America's courtrooms are something the rest of the world should aspire to. Obviously, I'm biased being American. No justice system is perfect but the transparency of the US justice system is something nearly sacred to me. Over here, not only do you have a secret court - literally - see link below, but you have little in way of reporting before and during trial in normal court, due to draconian broadcasting laws supposedly designed to ensure a defendant's rights. Considering victims are often named, illegally, on social media; sentences are routinely investigated for leniency; and several judges have been heavily scrutinized for comments made during trial and/or sentencing (like one judge stating a 13 year old seduced a sexual predator that groomed and assaulted her) - I think this side of the pond has a long way to go. It's arguable that an open courtroom, and true transparency, would go a long way in alleviating many blights to our justice system.
That Stephens is conducting a trial essentially in a constant sidebar with sealed documents, unnamed witnesses, and a closed courtroom, is extremely worrisome from the 'outside' looking in.
JMO and FWIW
http://www.theguardian.com/law/2013/jun/14/what-are-secret-courts
I understand the legal system as well as the theory of relativity, but I will say this, even with transparency, our justice system is *not on equal footing across the board. I wholeheartedly believe if JA was a man, a death sentence would have been imposed by the first jury, but instead we heard of a male foreman pleading for the killer’s life and another handful of tearful jurors. If anything, they should have been crying for Travis and his family, it doesn’t make sense how they got it wrong.
*A classic example of the disparity, go figure:
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/06/u...le-defendants-receive-death-penalty.html?_r=0
Secrecy tends to make this trial all the more frustrating. In the end, who knows, maybe there will be an explanation to this madness and we will feel and think differently then. On a positive note, I am thankful and glad she was found guilty of murder and it is my hope, she will never see the outside of a prison for the rest of her miserable existence.