The Casey Anthony trial and the end of Constitutional jurisprudence

[Bold Believer]

All we've heard for the last few weeks is Casey Anthony this and Casey Anthony that as this woman has been tried in the media over and over again. Video and photos showed her from nearly every angle, seemingly taunting us all with her weird mood swings. Transcripts played on the TV seem to indicate that she was not as forthcoming with the truth as she should have been. But as an American, there is a LOT about this media circus to be concerned about, especially in the light of the Constitution and American jurisprudence.

American jurisprudence can be summed up as: innocent until proven guilty by a preponderance of the evidence. Until recent years, cameras of any kind were forbidden in the American courtroom. Now however, whenever a so-called high-profile case comes along, we're inundated with coverage until our public opinion is formed, be that opinion right or wrong. Then when the jury charged with actually reviewing the evidence and coming to an impartial verdict doesn't come back with the verdict that we expect (want) them to, the defendant becomes the victim. Angry mobs form outside of the jail. The media plays the trial back over and over again so that the opinion is formed in the minds of a gullible public that the jury got it wrong, and furthermore, casting doubt as to whether or not justice is being done in the American system. And that my friends is the whole idea behind it. If the American people can be convinced that we do not have a fair system of justice, then they will clamor for something else. If the American people can be convinced that the American government does not represent them, they will clamor for something else.

May God help us if we get that 'something else.'

In example: I just saw on one of the news networks the following crawl at the bottom of the screen:

"Police say Florida teen killed parents with a hammer..."

Seems like news on the surface, but subliminally the thought is planted in our minds: "Wow, the cops say this kid killed his parents with a hammer, it must be true. Police don't lie." Get the picture? Let me rephrase it: Police say Florida teen killed parents with a hammer... You know... the police that bastion of truth.

Goodbye innocent until proven guilty. Hello God knows what.

[Shiloh62]

All we've heard for the last few weeks is Casey Anthony this and Casey Anthony that as this woman has been tried in the media over and over again. Video and photos showed her from nearly every angle, seemingly taunting us all with her weird mood swings. Transcripts played on the TV seem to indicate that she was not as forthcoming with the truth as she should have been. But as an American, there is a LOT about this media circus to be concerned about, especially in the light of the Constitution and American jurisprudence.

American jurisprudence can be summed up as: innocent until proven guilty by a preponderance of the evidence. Until recent years, cameras of any kind were forbidden in the American courtroom. Now however, whenever a so-called high-profile case comes along, we're inundated with coverage until our public opinion is formed, be that opinion right or wrong. Then when the jury charged with actually reviewing the evidence and coming to an impartial verdict doesn't come back with the verdict that we expect (want) them to, the defendant becomes the victim. Angry mobs form outside of the jail. The media plays the trial back over and over again so that the opinion is formed in the minds of a gullible public that the jury got it wrong, and furthermore, casting doubt as to whether or not justice is being done in the American system. And that my friends is the whole idea behind it. If the American people can be convinced that we do not have a fair system of justice, then they will clamor for something else. If the American people can be convinced that the American government does not represent them, they will clamor for something else.

May God help us if we get that 'something else.'

In example: I just saw on one of the news networks the following crawl at the bottom of the screen:

"Police say Florida teen killed parents with a hammer..."

Seems like news on the surface, but subliminally the thought is planted in our minds: "Wow, the cops say this kid killed his parents with a hammer, it must be true. Police don't lie." Get the picture? Let me rephrase it: Police say Florida teen killed parents with a hammer... You know... the police that bastion of truth.

Goodbye innocent until proven guilty. Hello God knows what.

The media knows how powerful TV is, and as we've all seen, all they need to do is play the same tape over and over again every 30 minutes to insure that the public that is glued to their seats is sufficiently brainwashed.

[MorningGlory]

There's nothing wrong with our system, it worked in the Anthony case just as it was created to work. If we all stop watching the hateful, judgemental, broom riding divas like Nancy Grace and that Vallez-Mitchel woman or Dr. Drew as they ENDLESSLY replay the trial and the 2 seconds of Casey herself leaving the jail.......this will all go away. Believe me, these media morons don't care about that little girl; it's all about ratings. Why else would they still be sitting in the rain outside the jail when Anthony herself was long gone?

[mizzdy]

I think the Casey case is just one in a long line of others thats been tried in the American public. I think cameras should be left out of the court room. Tape them for the jury to go back over or for any number of legal reasons but keep the public cameras out of them is my opinion. It doesn't just stop at what the jury hears for those watching on their tv screens but what they hear commentators say, what our friends say we do act as members of the jury sometimes. We have reality tv, court room tv, the list is endless its coming out of our wazoos! My husband has always joked that the tv was the false prophet and sometimes I think hes right. I still like my sci fi though.

shalom,

Mizz

[darkest_red]

Jack Johnson - Good People

You win

It's your show now

So whats it gonna be

'Cause people

Will tune in

How many train wrecks do we need to see?

Before we lose touch

And we thought this was low

It's bad gettin' worse so

[Chorus:]

Where'd all the good people go?

I've been changing channels

I don't see them on the TV shows

Where'd all the good people go?

We got heaps and heaps of what we sow

They got this and that

With a rattle a tat

Testing one two,

Man whatcha gunna do?

Bad news, misused,

Got too much to lose

Gimme some truth

Now whose side are we on?

Whatever you say

Turn on the boob tube

I'm in the mood to obey

So lead me astray by the way, now

Where'd all the good people go?

I've been changing channels

I don't see them on the TV shows

Where'd all the good people go?

We got heaps and heaps of what we sow

Sitting round feeling far away

So far away but I can feel the debris

Can you feel it?

You interrupt me from a friendly conversation

To tell me how great it's all gonna be

You might notice some hesitation

'Cause whats important to you is not important to me

Way down by the edge of your reason

It's beginning to show

And all I wanna know is..

Where'd all the good people go?

I've been changing channels

I don't see them on the TV shows

Where'd all the good people go?

We got heaps and heaps of what we sow

They got this and that

With a rattle a tat

Testing one, two

Now what you gonna do?

Bad news, misused, gimme some truth

You got too much to lose

Whose side are we on today anyway

Okay, whatever you say

Wrong and resolute but in the mood to obey

Station to station desensitizing the nation

(Where'd all the good people go?)

Going, going, gone.

A song that has always spoken to me with regards to television!

[Bold Believer]

The media knows how powerful TV is, and as we've all seen, all they need to do is play the same tape over and over again every 30 minutes to insure that the public that is glued to their seats is sufficiently brainwashed.

Shiloh, you probably didn't realize that you paraphrased Hitler's infamous statement: “Make the lie big, make it simple, keep saying it, and eventually they will believe it”

[other one]

The media knows how powerful TV is, and as we've all seen, all they need to do is play the same tape over and over again every 30 minutes to insure that the public that is glued to their seats is sufficiently brainwashed.

Shiloh, you probably didn't realize that you paraphrased Hitler's infamous statement: “Make the lie big, make it simple, keep saying it, and eventually they will believe it”

i don't know that it really matters, but it was Joseph Goebbels that said that, not Hitler.... one was aobut as evil as the other as far as that goes though.

[Guest]

Trouble

As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:

There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.

They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.

Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips:

Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness:

Their feet are swift to shed blood:

Destruction and misery are in their ways:

And the way of peace have they not known:

There is no fear of God before their eyes. Romans 3:10-18

And Trust

As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the LORD is tried: he is a buckler to all them that trust in him. 2 Samuel 22:31

____________

Praying For This Poor Lost Mother

And For Her Would Be Murders

Mercy And Salvation LORD

In Jesus

Amen

[princess2000]

Is it horrible that I don't actually give a ****? I mean until the verdict I knew next to nothing of the Casey Anthony trial except that it's been going on for what feels like 4 years now. I still don't know anything about it except that a bunch of people thing the wrong decision was reached. 12 Angry Men much? As with most things besides the Iraq war, the more the TV covered it the less I cared. It didn't affect my every day life, she didn't supposedly kill my sister, why does it matter?

To be truthful, it's crime drama's fault, we always see the one we believe to be guilty go away. It's people who watch to much tv passing thier own judgement while people who have studied law and such (and teens who took criminal law classes) who look at it and go "They never actually said she was innocent, just 'not guilty'," That was like the first lesson in Criminal Justice, not guilty does not mean innocent.

edited to delete inappropriate word by Mizzdy

[other one]

Is it horrible that I don't actually give a ****? I mean until the verdict I knew next to nothing of the Casey Anthony trial except that it's been going on for what feels like 4 years now. I still don't know anything about it except that a bunch of people thing the wrong decision was reached. 12 Angry Men much? As with most things besides the Iraq war, the more the TV covered it the less I cared. It didn't affect my every day life, she didn't supposedly kill my sister, why does it matter?

To be truthful, it's crime drama's fault, we always see the one we believe to be guilty go away. It's people who watch to much tv passing thier own judgement while people who have studied law and such (and teens who took criminal law classes) who look at it and go "They never actually said she was innocent, just 'not guilty'," That was like the first lesson in Criminal Justice, not guilty does not mean innocent.

Well, I'm sure Miss Scarlet would be disappointed in you. I've been trying to figure out why we're making such a fuss over this particular case for years. So, I guess Miss Scarlet would be disappointed in me also. I really do care, but the system did it's job and it is what it is and we just need to get on with life.