As mentioned in my previous blog (scroll down to read), I served as a juror. Although a minor case (meaning not high profiled), the job of a juror is still the same. We must look at the facts and ONLY the facts.
The Case:
The charges against the guy was Assault Against a Peace Officer with a Deadly Weapon.
It happened in Baypoint (aka Gunpoint) where a Peace Office
recognized the defendant and wanted to question him. The defendant
became hostile, ran from the cop and ended up in a field where the
office drew his gun on the defendant while the defendant was holding a
large rock in his hand. The defendant then flung the rock at the cop
hitting the cop in the arm (where the gun was).
The Court - Day One:
We listened to the Defense's opening statement
The Prosecutor's opening statement
Then we heard from the Officer who was assaulted and witnesses.
Day Two:
More testimonies and then closing arguments. Once all that was done the judge, just as the judge did in the Anthony case, gave us our instructions along with the packets needed for us to do our work.
Jury Room:
The packet basically breaks down each item.
Assault
Peace Officer
Deadly
Weapon
From the list and its definition we had to determine if he did assault the Peace Officer. After we made our determination we moved to Peace Officer and those definitions. Made our decisions there. Next was deadly weapon (referring to the rock - a big one at that) that the Peace Office was hit with. We first had to determine if the rock was a deadly weapon. 11 of us said no. One said yes. OK. Now, us 11 had to explain to the 1 juror that it WASN'T a deadly weapon because before it became such, it was a rock and ONLY a rock.
There were two questions we had to ask the judge (actually, I had to ask since I was Foreperson). I think one had to do with a penal code, but I forget what the other one was.
One of our decisions, should we have found Mr. Garcia guilty, is to determine which Penal Code was he guilty of.
We did find him guilty of Assault Against a Peace Officer With a Deadly Weapon, but it wasn't an easy decision to come to. We had to go by evidence - hardcore evidence.
Before going into the jury room I was convinced Mr. Garcia was as guilty as they come. But when I entered the jury room and looked at the break down of everything, I wasn't so sure. I don't think any of us was sure and it made for great discussions.
I highly recommend everyone watch the movie 12 Angry Men with Henry Fonda. I watched that movie after serving juror duty and I had much more appreciation for the job. But watch it to get a sense of what a jury has to go through and the decisions they have to make.
We can all agree the sky is blue, but when its broken down into tiny pieces and we have to put those tiny pieces together, we all will not agree the sky is blue.
Regarding the Casey Anthony case:
Some sat and watched the trial since day one and hoped for a guilty verdict. Some caught the end of it, me, and hoped for a guilty verdict and felt she was guilty. I began thinking and feeling like the majority of the population and had no doubt she would be found guilty. But when I got the phone call from a friend of mine telling me they found her not guilty, I was shocked. I stayed shocked for about an hour, until I remembered the job of a juror and I have to say that they did their job.
They could have easily gone in there and found her guilty and called it Bob Hope. But they were in there for approximately10 hours. The paperwork they had to go through and the stuff they had to read and agree upon - I can't imagine.
Their decision was not made from the heart - it was made from the law. If it was from the heart they would have been in and right back out - but they were in there for 10 hours.
Having Casey go to prison won't bring Caylee back (cliche, I know). People think that Caylee didn't get justice, but she did. She has thousands and thousands of people she's never met, care about her and wishing they could have taken her into their home (me included) so she didn't have to be subject to what her mother did. Caylee has the hearts of a lot of people, which is more than Casey can say. Casey now has the strong dislike of thousands and thousands of people.
I could easily rant and rave about the decision and what a horrible person Casey is, but what good is it going to do. I will be mad about the verdict - for I am human - but I will respect the verdict - as a former juror.
Again, I am not trying to sway people's decision or showing in favor of Casey in any way. Just trying to give others a better understanding of the jury process.
I look forward to comments and/or questions.
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