Is this a sign of our 24-hour-news-network-driven society? In the past, District Attorneys were known for their vocal belief in the wisdom of juries. However, in the case of the trial of Robert Blake for the murder of his wife, the report from CNN.com paints quite a different picture:
District Attorney Steve Cooley says Robert Blake was “guilty as sin” and the jurors who acquitted him of murder were “incredibly stupid.”
Further breaking precedent, he continues:
“Quite frankly, based on my review of the evidence, he is as guilty as sin. He is a miserable human being,” Cooley said Wednesday.
It is rather disingenuous for him to say that based upon his review of the evidence, Robert Blake is guilty. It is not the job of our prosecutors to charge those they feel are innocent.
The response of the lawyers for the defense is rather predictable:
Blake’s attorney, M. Gerald Schwartzbach, said the district attorney’s attack on the jurors was inappropriate and “small-minded.”
It would have been nice if Mr. Schwartzbach had come up with something a bit more original, but given that according to reports Mr. Blake is broke, what can you expect for free?
The most troubling is the utter contempt for the jury verdict that has been expressed by the District Attorney, despite his office as part of the system that is based upon jury verdicts.
As was noted on this weblog by Joe Gandelman when the verdict was announced, the prosecution did not do the required job of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt, which is the fundamental basis of our criminal law.
As expressed by a juror:
Juror Chuck Safko said: “To hear him say we aren’t a smart jury is sour grapes. They didn’t have a good case. Their case was built around witnesses who weren’t truthful.”
Is utter contempt for the fundamentals of our legal system now a part of all levels of that system? Is there a rot from within?
Have political considerations driven by the 24-hour-spin-cycle overriden all thoughts of responsibility to the larger goals of our society, to have a system in place that if not always fair, is as just as any system constructed by imperfect humans can hope to be?
The intemperate and ill-considered comments of the District Attorney involved in this case bring these questions to mind.