UPDATE: VERDICT RENDERED

The group of 12 I was a part of finished our job earlier today. I feel we were extremely diligent in performing our duty and gave all facets of the case proper attention. Our verdict was guilty, ultimately, though we had an 11-1 vote, and once again, invoking 12 Angry Men, I actually think it was good that we had someone who believed enough in the dissenting opinion to push us to question further. And, obviously, she was to be respected for standing up for herself.

Delivering the verdict was emotionally harrowing, I'll admit. We all felt it. The heavier presence of guards, the tension in the air. We were even polled and had to say our opinion out loud. I am convinced justice was served, though, and in our debriefing, the judge said he felt we had done the right thing and commended us for how seriously we took it. For all my grumbling, this is twice now I have seen how well this system works, and how an intelligent panel of diverse people can come together to sort through evidence and rendering a just and proper verdict.

So, yeah, done. I may write about it more at a later date, but I am now two days behind on work and, frankly, ready to think about other things.

Current Soundtrack: P.M. Dawn, Fucked Music