BY ERIC ZORN | E-mail | About | RSS  « The mortgage crisis, in
four minutes | Main | Distinctions / differences dept. »
Monday, April 09, 2012  No grand jury in Trayvon Martin case
This is about restoration of faith. Until there is a trial for
George Zimmerman, the whole justice system is on trial...
Charles Blow, New York Times  I shouldn't be, but I'm surprised
to see an NYT pundit advancing this view of what criminal trials
are all about.  To refresh, they are not forums for dispute
resolution or for inquiry into murky and controversial
situations. Before  prosecutors indict and bring a defendant to
trial, they need to have a strong belief in a narrative of
guilt; proof, in their minds, beyond a reasonable doubt that the
defendant is guilty of a violation of law.  In this disturbing
case in Florida, they may well come to have such a belief and
marshal what they feel is sufficient proof. So far, however,
they evidently have not --- nor has anyone in the media
plausibly suggested that they have.  Today's d