Will media affect chance of a fair trial ?

Published 12:00 am Thursday, August 14, 2003

The judge in the Laci Peterson murder case, in California has decided to allow the public to view the trial and that means there will be cameras in the court room.

I have mixed feelings about this. I understand that the family would like to keep the matters that will be discussed in the courtroom private, but with America watching Scott Peterson's every move since last December, it seems inevitable that people are going to want to know everything that is going on.

People have made their decisions about what they think will happen in the trial and what they think should happen. People have already decided whether or not they think he is guilty. I also wonder about the jury that they will be using. Odds are they know all of the facts that have been leaked to the media and they probably already have their minds made up as well. It will undoubtedly take a lot of evidence to sway them from what they already have their minds set on.

It makes me wonder if he will ever be able to actually have a fair trial. It is just human nature to go on what we know and our intuition about someone. His suspicious behavior has not helped his image any either.

I don't know whether or not he did kill her and the baby because I do not know all of the facts. I do hope the people on the jury will listen to everything that is being said and will make a good, honest judgment. This should be one of the most important decision these people have ever made. This decision decides whether or not this man's life will be ruined.

I know there is a lot of circumstantial evidence against this man like the fact that he was having an affair. That was wrong and I can see where people would think that would be a reason to kill his wife, but it could also just mean he wasn't happy or he just didn't care about Laci. It doesn't automatically mean he killed her.

I just hope none of the people going into this case already have made up their mind completely that he is guilty or innocent. I hope they will have the mindset to know this is one of the biggest decisions they will make and it will effect him for the rest of his life.