The jury failed to find that the State proved aggravation beyond a reasonable doubt. Therefore, the judge must sentence Paul to life in prison without parole.
... and thank God that the verdict is res judicata. Back to the drawing board, people. Reinstate the old-fashioned, reasonable 12-0 verdict system, please.
To me, as a retired DP PD attorney out of Louisiana, a wellspring of horrible DP cases in the Harry Connick heydays, this is as close to actual justice as this can get. Without knowing the details of this case, it appears to me that FL's attempt to be the first in the country in attempting to grease the rails for DP verdicts hinged, apparently, on the prosecutor's office, in picking on a case that it KNEW could not sustain the old tried-and-true "unanimous verdict" schematic that has proliferated our CJS and Constitution for nigh unto 250 years now. So, "let's see if the legislature can work its magic and help us FL prosecutors warm up the electric chair (or whatever) with more bodies, since we have lost our ability to do it the old-fashioned way:" meticulous investigation, candor to the defense, following the course laid before them by other juries and judges who threw out silly and misleading theories of prosecution in the vain hope that juries were impervious to logic - and ability to see through the meanness of the office put in charge of seeking justice.
Bravo to this Paul jury! It took courage to withstand this latest infringement on the right to a fair trial, I ken. On this 11 September, of all days, we should remember that death is literally the final act before "shuffling off this mortal coil". How we answer the final call is the determinative factor to what happens next. God bless all of us. And, thank you, Mr. Paul's jurors... You did the right thing.
... and thank God that the verdict is res judicata. Back to the drawing board, people. Reinstate the old-fashioned, reasonable 12-0 verdict system, please.
To me, as a retired DP PD attorney out of Louisiana, a wellspring of horrible DP cases in the Harry Connick heydays, this is as close to actual justice as this can get. Without knowing the details of this case, it appears to me that FL's attempt to be the first in the country in attempting to grease the rails for DP verdicts hinged, apparently, on the prosecutor's office, in picking on a case that it KNEW could not sustain the old tried-and-true "unanimous verdict" schematic that has proliferated our CJS and Constitution for nigh unto 250 years now. So, "let's see if the legislature can work its magic and help us FL prosecutors warm up the electric chair (or whatever) with more bodies, since we have lost our ability to do it the old-fashioned way:" meticulous investigation, candor to the defense, following the course laid before them by other juries and judges who threw out silly and misleading theories of prosecution in the vain hope that juries were impervious to logic - and ability to see through the meanness of the office put in charge of seeking justice.
Bravo to this Paul jury! It took courage to withstand this latest infringement on the right to a fair trial, I ken. On this 11 September, of all days, we should remember that death is literally the final act before "shuffling off this mortal coil". How we answer the final call is the determinative factor to what happens next. God bless all of us. And, thank you, Mr. Paul's jurors... You did the right thing.
Phil Johnson
AF 11384275