Friday, August 21, 2009

And I complain about my windowless office

Sentencing was today. Of the man I convicted of murdering his mother. Even though he had no reason to. I was really torn over whether or not to go to the sentencing hearing.

Part of me was scared to sit next to this man's relatives, who clearly believe in his innocence, in case they recognized me as Juror Number One. And, you know, hated me for putting their innocent relative in jail.

But part of me really wanted to know what the judge would say, and what he would have to say. He never spoke at the trial, and in a trial concerning the motive-less killing of one's mother, hearing what the suspected killer has to say might have been interesting.

I ended up not going, mostly because fear and lazy are my default. I'm kind of glad because the article about the sentencing hearing mentioned lots of weeping. And I'm not great with that. What if I would have stood up and been like, "I take it back! Juror Number One RECANTS!" How embarrassing.

Apparently, he is still protesting his innocence, and so is his family. Still, the judge sentenced him to life without parole. I wonder why she did that? I do wish I'd been there so I could have heard her reasoning. That means that the man I convicted will never, ever, again be a free man.

Unless the appeal goes well.

He will never have another job, or apartment. I don't see how he can get married or have children, but you see crazy things on TV these days. He will never ever again in his whole life get to decide what's for dinner. He won't even get to chose to have a late lunch and then eat second dinner instead.

So here's the lesson folks: Don't own a gun. Because then a jury can never falsely convict you based on the fact that the bullets that killed your mom are a match to your gun. Because, remember, you don't have a gun.

Also, not having a gun decreases the chance that you will shoot your mother in the face.

Either way, he would have been better off with no gun.

3 comments:

  1. I, too, am curious about what the judge said, but I'm kind of glad you didn't go. You performed to the best of your ability and good judgement at the time--you genuinely did your duty. This man chose his own path.
    Did you hear that I received a jury notice last week? Now that, I think, must be your fault--or at least contagion of some unrecognized sort.

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  2. SHUT UP!! That seems really crazy. But you've gone before, right?

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  3. Not in Florida. Hmmm...gotta be contagious.

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