Justice (again)

More information about the highjack trial coming to light today.

CNN.com – Report: Lone juror saved Moussaoui from death – May 12, 2006

A single holdout kept the jury from handing a death sentence to Zacarias Moussaoui, the only person charged in this country in the 9/11 attacks. But that juror never explained his vote, said the foreman of the jury that last week sentenced the confessed al Qaeda conspirator to life in prison.The foreman, a math teacher in Northern Virginia, told The Washington Post that jurors voted three times — 11-1, 10-2 and 10-2 — in favor of the death penalty on the three terrorism charges that each qualified Moussaoui for execution.

On April 26, the third day of deliberations, the jury’s frustrations reached a critical point because of several 11-1 votes on one charge. But no one could figure out who was casting the dissenting vote, the foreman said, because that person didn’t identify himself during any discussion — and all the votes were done using anonymous ballots

Obviously I’m not advocating a change in the system. This is how it works, and when we put him in the justice system, this could be an outcome.

But it is interesting to note that the overwhelming majority of the jury didn’t have any problems with sending him to the needle. I’m taking comfort in that.