An attorney's frontline view in Los Angeles

Article Abstract:

The vilification of the jury which found four policemen not guilty of using excessive force on Rodney King strikes at the core of the court system. Mayor Thomas Bradley publicly pronounced the police officers guilty both before their trial and after the verdict. Defendants have the right to trial by jury, not by government officials. The change of venue to Simi Valley, CA, was more than justified by the extensive pretrial publicity, but the jury selection process resulted in a biased jury. However, the public had lost sight of the presumption of innocence before the process began.

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Don't castigate jury: they did their civic job

Article Abstract:

The jury is the bedrock on which the US criminal justice system rests. People are innocent until proven guilty, and the jurors in the Rodney King case were instructed to begin their discussions with this presumption. Regardless of whether or not we agree with their verdict that the four policemen were innocent, we are obligated to accept it. The only legitimate criticism of the trial's procedures is the change of venue to a place very different from Los Angeles. Prosecutors should have a say in change of venue questions, but we must not attack the jury.

Practice, Jury, Juries

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It is always difficult to convict a cop, especially in the suburbs

Article Abstract:

The benefit of hindsight highlights several factors which made an acquittal of the four policemen accused of using excessive force on Rodney King increasingly likely. The change of venue from Los Angeles to Simi Valley was crucial. Culturally speaking, Simi Valley is a different world, and one which prizes law and order. The jury was selected according to Proposition 115, which meant that the judge did all the questioning of prospective jurors. This made it much more difficult for the prosecution to eliminate prejudice.

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