Checkbook Justice

A recent case in St. Louis County supports my theory that juries should be picked by stopping off at the bus stop nearest the courthouse and rounding up the first twelve people found. I have never heard of a jury recommending a fine in a felony case involving a serious assault. I suppose it has happened somewhere at sometime, but I just never heard of such lunacy.

The case involved a policeman and a policewoman. They were involved in a romantic affair, but not the kind you read about in the storybooks. The evidence showed graphic examples of rough sex. The policewoman claims that on the night of the alleged assault, she was going to end the relationship over fear for safety. Booze and sex reigned supreme that night. So did the policeman's .40 Cal service weapon. It somehow discharged striking the woman in the face. She lost an eye and has had to undergo countless reconstructive surgeries.

Since only the defendant and victim were present at the scene, it amounts to a he said/she said contest. Although the victim was not on trial, I'm sure the jury took a look at her in fulfilling their duties. She was a policewoman engaged in a drunken sexual orgy and somewhat responsible for her own plight. The policeman lost his job and would be barred from further employment in law enforcement. He had children who would be without a father. Besides, he was in possession of drugs and a little jail time for that would surely remind him of his erroneous ways.

So the jury recommended a monetary punishment. An eye for an eye would have been more fitting