Southern Knight
Guru
I think I can shed some light on this subject.
The indictments -- while obviously a farce -- are not as important as they at first seem. You have to understand the dynamics of a grand jury. This is a group of people that is too large to be completely intimate but small enough to create a feeling of unity. Each jurisdiction is different, but in most cases they meet once a week for several months. In this regard, the dynamic is a perfect medium for "groupthink."
Grand jurors (unlike trial or "petit" jurors) generally enjoy their experience and they form a close bond with the prosecutor. Therefore, they will issue a true bill of indictment unless the prosecutor makes it reasonably clear that he doesn't WANT a true bill (which usually happens where the "victim"/accuser is prominent or politically connected and the prosecutor doesn't want to tick him or her off, so the prosecutor takes the case to the grand jury and lets the grand jury dispose of it by issuing a "no"-bill).
As one prosecutor put it: "They would indict a ham sandwich if you asked them." Historically, this is why the use of grand juries has been limited and were, at times, disfavored, as they were perceived to be "in cahoots" with the authorities. Most states now limit grand juries to no more than a 6 month term.
Regarding the potential make-up of a trial jury in the Durham area, it might not be as black as you think. Jury rolls are taken from voter registration lists. Blacks will turn out in droves at a public rally (they don't have scheduling conflicts with work, school, and the like) but that doesn't mean that they've taken the initiative to register to vote.
I worked as a prosecutor in a Southern town that was 1/3 black. I never had more than one black out of 36 people on a grand jury, nor did I have more than 1 out of 12 on a trial jury. Most of my juries were all White.
The fear I have for these guys is that they will be advised to plea-out to a lesser charge in order to avoid the emotional trauma of a trial. Instead, they should go full bore against this black b!tch and ruin her life, Nifong's worthless life, and the lives of those of all the people involved in this sick episode.
Ultimately, this case could be the one that exposes this country for what it truly has become -- a gulag state. Yeah, you heard me. We have political prisoners in this country just as sure the Soviets once did. These boys are targets for political persecution, too: they are being railroaded because someone in that house uttered the word "n!gger". That's what this is all about; that's ALL this is about. And it sickens me to no end.
The indictments -- while obviously a farce -- are not as important as they at first seem. You have to understand the dynamics of a grand jury. This is a group of people that is too large to be completely intimate but small enough to create a feeling of unity. Each jurisdiction is different, but in most cases they meet once a week for several months. In this regard, the dynamic is a perfect medium for "groupthink."
Grand jurors (unlike trial or "petit" jurors) generally enjoy their experience and they form a close bond with the prosecutor. Therefore, they will issue a true bill of indictment unless the prosecutor makes it reasonably clear that he doesn't WANT a true bill (which usually happens where the "victim"/accuser is prominent or politically connected and the prosecutor doesn't want to tick him or her off, so the prosecutor takes the case to the grand jury and lets the grand jury dispose of it by issuing a "no"-bill).
As one prosecutor put it: "They would indict a ham sandwich if you asked them." Historically, this is why the use of grand juries has been limited and were, at times, disfavored, as they were perceived to be "in cahoots" with the authorities. Most states now limit grand juries to no more than a 6 month term.
Regarding the potential make-up of a trial jury in the Durham area, it might not be as black as you think. Jury rolls are taken from voter registration lists. Blacks will turn out in droves at a public rally (they don't have scheduling conflicts with work, school, and the like) but that doesn't mean that they've taken the initiative to register to vote.
I worked as a prosecutor in a Southern town that was 1/3 black. I never had more than one black out of 36 people on a grand jury, nor did I have more than 1 out of 12 on a trial jury. Most of my juries were all White.
The fear I have for these guys is that they will be advised to plea-out to a lesser charge in order to avoid the emotional trauma of a trial. Instead, they should go full bore against this black b!tch and ruin her life, Nifong's worthless life, and the lives of those of all the people involved in this sick episode.
Ultimately, this case could be the one that exposes this country for what it truly has become -- a gulag state. Yeah, you heard me. We have political prisoners in this country just as sure the Soviets once did. These boys are targets for political persecution, too: they are being railroaded because someone in that house uttered the word "n!gger". That's what this is all about; that's ALL this is about. And it sickens me to no end.
