QC Times notes blog reaction to Kolb mistrial

Completing the circle of cross references, I note that The Quad City Times mentions this blog in a front page article on the reaction to the Kolb mistrail.

WOC's venerable Jim Fisher and callers to his conservative radio show are quoted as well as comments here and at the "SoLo" (South of Locust) blog and John Beydler's "The Passing Parade".
They even quote a comment left at Beydler's blog from yours truly as "TID" at the end of the piece.

Jim Fisher certainly is poles apart from me on many issues, but I note that, at least from what was quoted in the piece, he at least was fair minded in reminding listeners more than once that Hurty had done nothing illegal, and also questioning the propriety of publishing juror's identities and digging into their background and personal lives. He also correctly realized that Hurty is in for some very rough times ahead with all the rabid mob anger directed towards him.

The issue is certainly infamatory and the Times' publicizing Hurty's prior letters to the editor and the revelation of Hurty's web site and private life only poured fuel onto the fire. Whether that was proper is open to debate.

The result is that Hurty's role has now become politicized, which it should never be, with some even going so far as to bash Hurty for being interested in ballet.

But the fact remains that hung juries happen, and if this trial hadn't been so high profile, no one would even notice. But you'd never know from the emotional outrage. You'd think this was the first hung jury in history.

Juries are never predictable, as any one involved in the court system will certainly tell you. The mistrail amounts to a "do-over" and another roll of the dice on the makeup of the next jury. And life will go on, except in Hurty's case his life will be miserable because he didn't do what armchair jurors expected.