willlienellson comments on TIL In 1992, a man in Texas was sent to death row for murdering his kids by arson. He was executed by lethal injection in 2004. In 2009, through advances in technology, it was found that the fire was likely accidental. According to an expert, "There was no item of evidence that indicated arson."

willlienellson comments on TIL In 1992, a man in Texas was sent to death row for murdering his kids by arson. He was executed by lethal injection in 2004. In 2009, through advances in technology, it was found that the fire was likely accidental. According to an expert, "There was no item of evidence that indicated arson.":

I eventually convinced them all to reverse their first positions and deliver a not guilty verdict, but I basically had to repeat the entire defense case from scratch over again.

Something about not being scowled at by the prosecutor or sitting in the shadow of the judge or something allowed them to actually think objectively.

FWIW, this wasn't anything like a capital crime. I didn't save someones life. It's just something that was a very telling experience for me personally. Because had I (or someone like me) not been there he would have been found guilty in 5 min instead of not guilty in 1 hr.

Based on that experience I think 90% of the population are so inclined to accept "authority figures" that they are extremely likely to deliver a guilty verdict just based on the enthusiasm of the prosecutor. Scary to think about.

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