Quick Recap:
-Prosecution and Defense are happy with their jury until a juror stops the swearing in and is excused due to language difficulties, subsequently followed by another juror pleading the same problem
-Of all the jurors in all the world, I am picked in the strangest case of happenstance I've ever encountered in a courtroom
Returning from our lunch break, I had no time to stay stunned at the turn of events that had placed me in the jury box. The lawyers lay out all the cards:
A man is on trial for committing Spousal Abuse.
Okay, let me stop for a moment -- I bet you're probably having thoughts somewhere along the lines of "wife beater", "assault and battery", and "repeated abuse" -- am I on the right track? At least, this is what I first thought until I heard what happened:
In the early morning hours of New Year's Day 2007, a heated argument occurred between Mr. S and his wife Mrs. S., both of whom were intoxicated at the time. Mrs. S had allegedly "disrespected" Mr. S in front of their friends and family gathered at their backyard. Mr. S lost his temper and out of sheer anger, threw a drinking glass at Mrs. S, causing a 4 inch laceration to the left side of her face, only inches away from her eye.
Prosecution was going for two counts -- I. Assault with a deadly weapon, and II. Assault with willful intent to harm someone, in this case, a Spouse. Guilty on both counts was their main endgame.
Defense was going to prove that "willful intent" was NOT apparent, with help from testimony given by their daughter who was present at the time the event took place. Therefore, a Not Guilty verdict was only one "reasonable doubt" away.
Open and shut case, right? Something in my gut told me that this was definitely going to be a long walk down a road of gray. I began scribbling in my notepad, listening with ears pitched forward to the first witness: Mrs. S.
TO BE CONTINUED... ;)
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