I believe that judge Belvin Perry is right to blast the media, which in the case of Caylee Anthony’s murder trial turned the entire event into a circus.
On another note, isn’t it incredible that in this country, with very specific laws stating that those accused of a crime are innocent until proven guilty, that the vast majority of the population is so irrational that they want to condemn members of a jury because they found the accused not guilty of murder? I suppose the masses who are outraged by the verdict never stopped to think how they as jurors would have ruled, given the circumstances. That would be expecting too much from the mindless masses… TGO
Refer to story below. Source: Reuters
By Barbara Liston | Reuters
ORLANDO, Fla (Reuters) – The names of jurors in the Casey Anthony murder trial will remain secret until at least October 25 to allow those enraged by her acquittal to “compose and restrain themselves,” according to the judge’s order on Tuesday.
Judge Belvin Perry acknowledged in his 13-page order that juror names must be disclosed eventually under Florida’s broad Public Records laws. But he took the opportunity to complain about modern-day media.
After a 7-week nationally televised trial, Anthony was found not guilty July 5 of murdering her 2-year-old daughter Caylee in 2008, but was convicted of lying to law enforcement officers about Caylee’s disappearance and sentenced to four years in jail.
After officials took into account time spent in jail awaiting trial and time off for good behavior, Casey Anthony was released on July 17.
Perry lamented what he said was the blurring of lines between news and entertainment, saying court proceedings have become just another form of mindless entertainment and a revenue source for broadcast networks.
“It was reported that television ratings for the trial were extraordinary. Clearly, the broadcast of an official and serious court proceeding such as this trial where a young girl was dead and her mother faced the death penalty devolved into cheap, soap-opera-like entertainment,” Perry wrote.
“Unquestionably, use of Florida public records laws by the media … has become simply a tool to sell a story. It is time that Florida’s public records laws recognize this fact,” Perry wrote.
He also advocated a new law to keep juror names secret in “specific, rare cases” both to protect jurors constitutional right to privacy and to prevent potential jurors from avoiding service.
Three jurors have already voluntarily identified themselves and talked about the verdict.
(Editing by Jerry Norton)
Silly Judge… All he does by “blasting” the media is stimulate the lactating cash cow for them. If you want to hurt corporations you can do so only by accessing monetary fines but of course, he can’t do that as they have not committed any violations – to my knowledge. In the news shows / entertainment world, it is part of the business dynamic to create these so called “circuses.”
And the Cash Cow goes, MOOOOOO.
Hey, the lactating “thing” sounds interesting, even though it’s a bit too bitter for my taste… But nevertheless, anytime a guy can be “connected” to a nipple, it’s OK with me!
You know… been thinking about it and you’ve really got to hand it to the men and women that become judges. They give up potential livelihoods of possible opportunities that they sacrificed some of their youth for, and for what? At best, to aid our abstract, esoteric, and idealistically conceptual legal and justice system into appearing as if it works – the best we can hope for in a system as there really is no way of absolutely knowing, how many innocent people get fucked, and how many guilty ones get away with murder. In the end of the Casey Anthony saga, Judge Belvin Perry will be the one person to have profited the least, even less than some juror who may in fact be a sixth grade, donut selling, drop-out.