By Jerry Riley

The O. J. Simpson case, the Casey Anthony – what do they have it common?
Was justice blinded by  the media spotlight? The cases do have similarities. The media did their best to force it upon everyone. I couldn’t watch the national news more than 15 minutes without hearing about the day’s trial on any news network!
As both trials progressed, the media showed the viewer things the juries never saw. Did the jury see anything the media didn’t show, maybe while they were airing a commercial? Did they try the case in the media? And when the live production didn’t follow their script, the media became disappointed, or maybe, realized they should be reporting the news and not trying to make it? – wishful thinking, and, what a revoltin’ development this is!
Were the two verdicts wrong? If so, how many other verdicts that are not tried under the media limelight might also be wrong? Has the system changed, or the people? Are we more ready to accept death? Or less likely to judge someone? The morality might not fit the media profile anymore.
Where do we look? What changes do we make? Do we need to change some of our laws? Or just better educate jurors, and keep them out of the spotlight?
Now, HLN has announced that the attorneys for Dr. Conrad Murray do not want the jury to hear Nancy Grace. After the public uproar in the Anthony case, they fear the jury might be exposed to information that may not be allowed by the court.

Jerry Riley is an occasional commentator for the News Bulletin. He is a retired telecommunications supervisor