Secrets of the Jury Room

My anger knows no bounds as to an Australian high court decision on the quashing of a verdict that two lower courts had found on behalf of complaints against a high profile pedophile, a pedophile that has friends in extremely high places.

I was reminded of this book that I had read 15 years ago after I had spent a month on jury service and had been on 3 cases, one that involved rape and the other two pedophile. I can say it was a very draining experience that took a long time to recover from. I asked a lot of the whys and wherefores as to why this was such a harrowing experience and this book was one I read on the subject.

After the quashing of conviction by the high court I thought to myself “what is the point of the jury service if those found guilty can use their wealth and power to get as far as the high court that can then say that the jury got it wrong” Or as this item by the author of this book said that the high court had decided that the jury decision was “not rational”. So let me get this straight. Juries are not rational? Have these oh so learned people of the high court just decided that they are the only ones who can decide rationality?

https://www.smh.com.au/by/malcolm-knox-hvety

It is now an easy out to refuse to serve. The high stress level and then whats the point anyway? No doubt a rich and famous media organization can use its attack goons to make the victims (the real losers in all this) and the jurists irrelevant anyway.

This has been a truly disgraceful week and my anger knows no bounds.