Guilty or not guilty? Vote now!

Guilty or not guilty? Vote now!


C’mere ‘til I tell ya
Daniel Carey

SOMEBODY once said that opinion polls measure the public’s satisfaction with its ignorance. That idea took on a new meaning in Lancashire recently, when a juror was thrown off a trial after she posted a poll on Facebook asking friends if they thought the defendants were guilty.
The woman was on the jury for a case about child abduction and sexual assault, the details of which she posted on her Facebook page. “I don’t know which way to go, so I’m holding a poll,” she wrote on her webpage.
Burnley Crown Court received an anonymous tip about the content of the website, and the juror was subsequently dismissed. The trial continued with eleven jurors, who found the defendants not guilty.
The juror could have been charged with contempt of court, as jurors are not allowed to discuss details of cases with anyone, even family members. Why she thought it acceptable to post the details on her Facebook page is not clear, though the response of a Dublin-based friend of mine may offer some clue.
“Thank God for Facebook!” he said after I drew the case to his attention. “Before it came along, idiots like her could be on juries and the world wouldn’t know about their monumental stupidity!”
‘Monumental stupidity’ is certainly not a phrase that comes to mind regarding the prisoner who recently escaped a German jail in a box. The drug dealer, who was serving a seven-year sentence, effectively mailed himself out of jail.
The 42-year-old prisoner, a Turkish citizen, had been making stationery with other inmates destined for the shops. At the end of his shift, he climbed into a cardboard box. When the express courier arrived to pick up several boxes of merchandise, the one containing the prisoner was also loaded into the lorry. Shortly after it had passed through the prison gates, the inmate cut a big hole in the tarpaulin and jumped off.
Escaping the wrath of a Colorado judge has proven more difficult for noisy people, who have been forced to listen to Barry Manilow songs as punishment. Judge Paul Sacco introduced the new form of sentence after becoming fed up dealing with repeat offenders. Most had repeatedly played their car or home stereo too loud, or were involved in band practices which disturbed neighbours.
People who violate the noise laws in the town of Fort Lupton are required to listen to the judge’s choice of music at high volume for one hour. The selection includes Manilow classics, as well as the theme song from children’s television show Barney And Friends and other apparently ‘uncool’ music.
Court officials take surveys after each session to check whether the offenders enjoyed the music or not. If anyone is found to actually like one of the tunes, it is removed from the playlist to make sure they are only listening to music they hate.
Judge Sacco said the scheme has been far more successful in cutting down repeat offenders than the previous system of fines.