My Job as a Professional Newspaper Reader
Friday, July 29, 2011 at 9:36PM This is not about Casey Anthony. I am trying to distance myself from her. I am working on other criminal cases and I will continue to do so, but until I get a firm grasp on them, I will present new human interest stories interspersed with some of my old. Of course, it means the old ones will get a fresh look because I’d like to think I’m a better writer today than I was on April 14, 2005, when this first appeared. Originally, it was simply titled “Beefy King” and I was trying to hone my skills as a writer.
Years ago, I was a hardline artist for an ad agency in Orlando. Everything we created was for the Belk department store chain, based out of North Carolina. Hardline included shoes, furniture, electronics, and other items unrelated to fashion. I would never consider myself a fashion artist - then or now, but I worked there for 11-years. I also designed and built ads that ran in a good number of newspapers throughout the state. Previous to that job I was mostly in the restaurant business. Soon after I started working at Stonebrook Advertising, I saw a fast food restaurant up the street called Beefy King. Since I had come from a background in that industry, I thought it would be a nice place to eat and meet new people. It didn’t take long for the owners, Roland & Sandee Smith, and I to become good friends.
One of the interesting, if not quirky, aspects of my job was our daily morning ritual. My boss insisted that we come to work at 8:30 am, but he (almost forcefully) encouraged us to take a break from 9 to 10. Go out for an hour! Enjoy yourself! Strange, but that was Mr. Stone’s way of doing business. Because of his edict, on most mornings, I would drive up the street to Beefy King, make myself a sandwich and pour a cup of coffee. Black. No sugar. Sometimes, I’d help slice meats or whatever, but most of the time I’d just stand at the front counter reading the newspaper. I guess it depended on whether they needed a little help that particular day. Mind you, I was always glad to pitch in. Since they didn’t open until 10, I never interfered with any customers.
On one particular morning, there was a man working on an ice machine that had broken down. I’d say he was, what you might call, pleasantly plump and he had a personality to match. In other words, he was a very nice fellow. The next morning, he was still tinkering on the ice machine. Good thing the restaurant had a spare. On the morning of the third day, he finished his work and quietly talked to Roland about the bill and something else that caught his attention. As they stood in the hallway between the dining area and the back room, he whispered, “Hey, that guy up there. He’s been here every morning, just standing there reading the newspaper. Doesn’t he have a job? I mean, what’s he do for a living?”
The acoustics were just right and our jovial buddy had no idea I heard every word. “Why, he’s a professional newspaper reader,” Roland replied.
The guy said, “No way. There’s no such thing.”
Roland said, “Go ask him.”
There I stood, deeply ensconced in my work, oblivious to anything else, and completely unaware that he was sauntering my way to ask about my profession.
“Excuse me,” he politely said, as if not wanting to take up too much of my very important time.
I took my eyes away from my work, looked up and in a face that showed great concentration, I said, “Yes?”
I tried not to snicker.
“Well, I’ve been here three days now and I see you reading the newspaper. I was just wondering what kind of job you have. What do you do for a living, if you don’t mind my asking?”
“Why of course not. I’m a professional newspaper reader.”
“Get outta here. I’ve never heard of such a job.”
“Yes. That is what I do.”
“You’re kidding! You get paid to read newspapers?”
“Yes. It’s a rather lucrative job, I might add. There aren’t that many of us in the state.”
“Well, I’m from Florida - born and raised, and I know the state like the back of my hand. What’s the name of the newspaper in Leesburg?”
“Which one? The Commercial or the Gazette? Also, the Orlando Sentinel has a zoned edition.”
“No kidding! Alright. What about St. Augustine?”
“The St. Augustine Record.”
In rapid succession, he asked me about another half-dozen or so cities and towns throughout Florida and no matter what he came up with, I had the correct answer. He had no idea that Belk advertised in all of those newspapers. Actually, we did. Back then, newspapers weren’t as consistent as they are today, so ads were designed to fit each publication.
“Okay… fine… I believe you… a… professional… newspaper… reader. ” It took a little time for this revelation to sink in. “I gotta tell my wife when I get home tonight. She’s not going to believe it.”
As the guy drove out of the parking lot, Roland and I got the biggest chuckle. To this day, I’ll bet that guy still tells people about the job to stump all jobs. A professional newspaper reader.
All kidding aside, there’s one thing I must tell you about Beefy King. I went there almost every weekday morning for about 10 years and I can tell you that it is, by far, one of the cleanest restaurants I’ve ever set foot in. Not only could you practically eat off the floor, the food is very good, to boot. It’s been in the same family since 1968, with the third generation running the show now. There’s not a restaurant critic in town that wouldn’t give Beefy King a glowing review, and for good reason. The place is legendary. If you are ever in Orlando and have some spare time on your hands, try to stop by for lunch. It’s on Bumby. You can tell them a professional newspaper reader sent you.
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Reader Comments (52)
Hell...yeah!!!!!
Good evening friend. I have been lost in the wonderment of justice and as such, lost my fingers and heart for writing to any bloggers until today. Actually I have been on a jaunt up north for a week of sheer idleness with Peter, swimming, touring, barbequeing, reading and meeting lots of people at the pool. It was a great break from routine. It also let me step away from the emotional reactions of everyone and the Anthony verdict. I thought geez I hope my buddies don't think I will just fall off the face of the earth once Casey clown is gone.!!! Never...... I have had so much enjoyment reading your posts and have to confess I have a lot of catching up to do, this weekend on your past posts of the month of Aug. Anyway I am so happy you will be continuing to write on your blog. It is always so wonderful to get your posts in the inbox of my emails. I am a little tired right now but just wanted to let you know I will not be off your readership ...... Hope your health is good and I guess you will let me know if it wasn't right? Nitey night.
Hi Dave - It is so nice to know that I can always stop by your blog and enjoy what I read. Any hints as to which cases you are looking at? There are certainly plenty out there to choose from these days.
I think I've been listening to too many old radio shows because as I was reading this post I pictured the scenario as a Theater Five presentation. Mel Blanc was the ice machine repairman with James Stewart as you. Sure, the era was way before this post's time. Its nice to read a non-Casey post.
I'm looking forward to more posts like this. I know we won't be getting them as frequently as we did during the Casey Anthony saga but I know they will be of interest.
Long time no "see", Weezie! I'm glad you had a wonderful vacation!
ishitzunot, what a name! !LOL
Dave, did your boss ever find out that you were moonlighting as a professional newspaper reader?
What kind of shoes are not fashionable? Horseshoes? Brakeshoes? Ah ha...Shoe horns.
Having read your original article, it was good to do a reread. This was a work of fiction, right? Too bad you did not become a professional thinker. That way you may have got a penny for your thoughts.
Oh, Snoopy, you are so witty!
BTW, ishihtzunot, great name, I love it!
Hi Dave, Cute post. A professional newspaper reader? That's as bad as when I started working at my first full time job in insurance and my boss sent me way across the city to another office to get him a policy stretcher. Of course there is no such thing and I felt like an idiot but the big wigs had a good laugh at my expense.
I look forward to reading your blog whatever you my decide write about.
thank you, reading is my absolutely favorite thing to do.
Still going to get you to enjoy audio books. The only place I can listen to them is in the car. Audio books don't work for me anywhere else.
Hi Dave , Thank you I needed a little laugh about now. Very interesting life you have lived. Keep it up and thanks for letting us tag along. Glad to have you back.
That's pretty funny Dave. It's the weekend here and a light read was in order, thanks. You are a very fine writer now. Do you enjoy it as much as you liked the advertising game?
Hi Dave,
Even though I'm glad to see you moving forward, I would still like to hear your opinion of the appeals process. I know your friend Richard Hornsby is discussing it, and would probably give you his legal opinions.
Whatever you choose to write about, I'm sure that it will be interesting!
MB
Dave, thanks for this article. It is so nice to not see or talk about the other case anymore. This article was a nice change of pace and I could just picture you in that restaurant standing up reading the newspaper and toying with that man. It gave me a laugh. I look forward to reading about the other cases you are working on.
Well, hello there, Weezie! I know what you mean about how justice was snuffed, but it's time to move on as far as I'm concerned. I will not wallow in the mire of Casey Anthony and her entourage.
I'm glad you've been traveling around enjoying yourself. North from where you live has got to be quite north, certainly from my perspective in Florida. What are the swimming pools made of, inverted igloos?
Thank you for enjoying my posts. It's rewarding to know you don't mind playing catch-up. Yes, I will continue writing, but it may be a while before I capture the essence of what I'm going to investigate. After years of Casey, it almost became routine. Meanwhile, I'll cover other areas that I hope you find interesting.
As for my health, it's OK. Nothing to brag about, but I'm not going to complain. Thanks, Weezie, it's always such a pleasure to see you!
Hello Vicky! It's so nice to see you. I sure do appreciate that you enjoy reading my posts. That's nice to know. Thank you for that.
As for hints about some of the cases I'm looking into - yes, I can say that, just in Orlando alone, there's Nicole Ganguzza, Jennifer Kesse and Tracie Ocasio. Of course, Natalee Holloway is still missing. All are cold cases. In the first three, I have access to the records, and I can go to the locations where they were last seen. I do have a special interest in Nicole because she seems to have fallen off the face of the earth. There's hardly any mention of her anywhere. Also, with the three of them, their murderers are still at large.
One thing about Caylee... She may have not gotten her justice in a court of law, but clearly, the court of public opinion stands in the way of her mother ever regaining freedom. She will be scorned forever.
Hi Sherry! What a treat! I'm tickled you really enjoyed this post and you could relate to it from a bygone era. Nothing wrong with that.
If I ever do write another article about Casey, it won't be about her. It will be about the very interesting people I got to know in the courtroom. I could easily share some insightful information and none of it would be bad or gossipy. Just my observations and character assessments.
Thank you for enjoying.
Hi Snoopy! Yes, Mr. Stone encouraged me to read all those newspapers, believe it or not. Also, when I sold advertising for a newspaper in NJ, I was brought a stack of papers to study each morning to keep a close watch on the competition. Actually, Roland wasn't all that far from the truth.
I had no talent when it came to flowing dresses and other articles of clothing -- except shoes, and that got me a deep discount when I needed new ones.
Yes, you did read the original, and this one is a slight variation of that one, with a little creative license, but the story is true, and this is the way I remember it.
Too bad I'm just a penny loafer these days, isn't it? Oh well, at least I'm still kicking around some new ideas, but they're going to need a good polishing before I wear them in public.
Thank you, Frankie! I think everyone has gone through a rite of passage, work-wise. I used to play a trick on new employees when I was the manager of a restaurant. It was embarrassing, but I admitted it within minutes. For that short time, they sure felt bad.
You know, if you told me about an insurance policy stretcher, I'd believe you just like you did. I know nothing about insurance, double indemnities or anything else of that nature. My mind is blank.
Thanks for looking forward to more of my writing. That's encouraging!
Hi calli patti! I really enjoy reading, too. Almost as much as I love writing. Actually, they're both about equal. I never quite got the hang of audio books. I may be prejudiced, though. Years ago, I had a brother-in-law who always listened to those motivational cassette tapes in his car and whenever I rode with him, it really turned me off. Trust me, you don't want to take a long ride with someone like him. It was like listening to Amway, Tupperware and Joel Osteen at one time. You know, MLM... affiliate marketing, and home-based business franchising all rolled into one. I guess that's what turned me off because I keep getting that image in my head when the idea of audio books pop up, despite knowing that's not what it's all about.
I'm really glad you needed a good laugh, Margaret, and that I delivered! Trust me, I've got a lot more where that came from. Occasionally, I'll throw one in for a much needed reprieve from bad news. Thank you, and it's good to be back; from where, I don't know yet.
Hi Tiffany - Thank you, I'm glad you enjoyed it. Thank you, too, for considering me a fine writer now. That's a confidence builder!
You brought up an interesting question. I would be a liar if I told you I don't enjoy design work as much as writing. While both are creative jobs, there are differences between the two, other than the obvious. Almost all design work was done for clients, not me. I faced deadlines and had to work with the customers. Most of the time, my work was acceptes as is because I'm very attentive to their wonts and needs. I got the feel of them. Writing, on the other hand, is something I now do for myself. I set the deadline and it's mine to adhere to or not. Of course, when I wrote about the trial for Orlando magazine, I had to answer to the editor, but I knew the job was fleeting. It had an end date, although the quick ending did startle me as much as it did everyone else. It was a great experience, and Mike Boslet taught me a lot during those 2+ months. I don't really want to do anything like that again, not in the near future, anyway.
While there are similarities between the two, there are many differences between creative thought. I like to say that a picture is worth a thousand words, and a word is worth a thousand pictures. That's the only thing that separates the two.
Very enjoyable post. Next time we're in Orlando area will have to check that one out. We did find some good eateries while there though- TooJays Deli, for one. Professional newspaper reader- reminds me of a story I saw once on CNN, the guy who tests LazyBoy loungers. Gets paid for it.
Or Kato Kaelin's "job" as "security" at OJs! I'm reading "Justice" right now by Dominick Dunne. He would have been so pained by this verdict, too...
Hi Mary B. - I think it's going to be a long time before I address Casey again; at least, directly. I may down the road from a retrospective point of view. The verdict soured me and right now, I've kind of washed my hands of it. I have no desire to give her any further publicity, either. I'd much rather write about the future than the past, and I'm not too keen on what could have/should have been. I realize that a lot of people still want to address it, but not me. I did what I did for nearly 3 years and that was long enough, especially given the outcome.
Thank you for sticking with me through thick and thin. I won't forget that, you know, and I hope I can maintain everyone's interest. If not, oh well, but I'm not going anywhere. I'll still be here writing.
Thanks, Mary Jo. I'm glad you enjoyed my story. It's absolutely true, too, and until I sink my teeth into area crimes, this is most likely the sort of thing you'll be reading. Like the time the bee flew up my nose. Yes, it's true.
As soon as I can get myself grounded in a criminal case, you'll be the first one to know.
Thank you, Karen. Trust me, Beefy King is an Orlando institution. TooJay's is an excellent restaurant, too. There's one in Altamonte Springs, not far from me, and I like to go there occasionally. Some people may say it's expensive, but I say you get what you pay for. The quality and portions are fantastic.
You mean there's an actual job testing La Z boy recliners? Where do I apply!!!??? That's as good as it gets.
You know, I would have loved to have met Dominick Dunne. He's who I would like to emulate. Seriously. He got into it late in life, too, after his daughter was murdered. Yes, he would have been pained by this verdict, as most of us were. I need to read his books.
Dave~~no one really knows when they pick up a newspaper just how much works goes into them before they are put to bed and then go out into circulation. I learned so much when I worked for a newspaper even tho it was in the capacity of an accountant. The ads are the big money makers. The graphic artists took home some big bucks but they worked hard for it.
BTW, I am an old die hard who is still keeping up with the Anthony case. Judging by my stat counter, some people who have sworn off Casey still come and check in several times a day. They may not leave a comment but they faithfully come to read. There is still a lot of unfinished business re the case so I intend to plug away as long as it holds the interest of these people.
Dave, you referred to youself as a penny loafer... I picture you as an old soft shoe and you probably would like to see me be more of a hush puppy. Right?
Shame on you for deceiving that poor man that you were a professional newpspaper reader!!
Hi Snoopy - There's a lot of work that goes into every issue of a newspaper. When I worked for one in NJ, I dummied the ads, meaning I structured the paper and placed ads where they worked the best. I also decided whether to add or subtract pages because of the percentage of ads that took up the space. On a fiscal year, the ads could not be any higher than 66% of content or it would be considered an advertiser and not a newspaper. I had to take that and more into consideration. I also had to make sure no coupon ads were placed back-to-back with other coupon ads, something my boss had done one time.
I don't mind if you or any other blog wants to continue with Casey. I just choose not to. One day, the world will go on without her. Of course, there are times when I am tempted, but I refrain. Eventually, everyone will have to wean themselves from her. I've been waiting for the end of the trial so I could do just that. I guess it's called getting a head start on other areas. Believe me, though, I know where you're coming from. If it still works, it's not broken. Me? I put on my running shoes and took off.
Oh yeah, that poor guy. Shame on me. Did I tell you about the bridge I can sell you?
Dave~~no, I do not want to buy your bridge but I am planning on burning a few that you have sold me, especially the bridge in your nose that wasn't worth a scent. You should buy one of my sky hooks. They really come in handy when you paint a tall building and have to use staging. We also have a sale on plugs for the bottom of your well.
I do have a few other cases that I am looking into. One is so horrific, I cannot handle writing about the details. It concerns a little 10 year old put into a small trunk by her grandmother and cousins and left to die. I also noticed that the husband of the mother of triplets who went missing has been arrested on other charges. The couple was ready to sign divorce papers and her vehicle was found abandoned out on the highway. These cases are not in Florida so the info is not readily available to the public. The Sunshine Laws have spoiled some of us. I am also keeping tabs of Baby Kate in Michigan.
Dang, thunder getting too close....I am out of here..
Dear Dave, I was just in kitchen making my son his stuffed peppers and I thought of something. I am so sorry, I have been trying so hard to get over the verdict and the whole thing, I never asked how you were feeling over it. You were closer to it all than we were, You gave all of us a chance to vent our anger and disappointment of the injustice that was shown Caylee. We never gave you the chance.SOOOOoooooooo Dave here is a big hug from me and I will be listening if you want to talk. We all love and appreciate you so much.
Margaret~~ let's see if your smooth talk will work on the old boy. LOL I wonder if blog radio will be on tomorrow and what Simon will be discussing. Dave is probably busy writing his book about the unmentionable one.
You know, Snoopy, you're getting a little too big for your bridges, and when it comes to wells, you never can tell the depth of a well by the size of the handle on the pump.
I knew that everyone was going to be spoiled by Florida's discovery laws. Illinois is similar, I believe, so you may find something there, if not here. Also, that Baby Kate story is frightening. It's hard to say whether her father gave her away or killed her. He refuses to talk. He was set to deploy to Afghanistan in August, so he knows how to kill. Or his mind is prepped for it. He isn't going there now.
I love stuffed peppers, Margaret. I really, really do! I know it's not easy to get over the outcome of the trial, but I did. Or, at least I think I have. I guess the uber long days at trial and nights of writing plum wore me out, so the break is very much needed. It's time to forge ahead, though.
Thank you for the big hug. That's very sweet of you. You know, I have not been happy with the verdicts. Not one bit. I think justice wasn't served and there comes a time when ethics should play a role in this. There was never any evidence anywhere that Caylee's death was an accidental drowning. As far as I'm concerned, the defense conjured it up as a last resort. Judge Perry wasn't giving in to any of the defense's motions and Baez had to pull a wild card - a Joker - out of his hat. He lied, but aat the same time, he knew it had the possibility of throwing the state off kilter, which it did, in the end. Sure, this whole thing has made me sick. It's almost as if the last three years of work went in vain. I mean, Baez could have said Caylee was abducted by aliens from the planet Zorgon and the silly jury would have bought into it. All semblances of rationality flew out the window. You're darn right I'm upset, but I'm getting over it. This was always a possibility, so as much as I never thought it would happen this way, it did. That's one of the strong reasons why I no longer want to write about it. I'm not overtly upset, but it's a trial I'm not very proud of.
Thanks for asking. That was very nice of you. Believe me, I appreciate you as much as you do me.
Yes, Snoopy, BlogTalk will be on tomorrow afternoon. I should be there if I'm not too busy writing my book.
Dave, you should recognize a few people in the pics...
Here is a link to Jeff Ashton's Facebook. There are some really great pics in here of his retirement party etc. Jeff is a nice looking man with a fabulous smile. He looks so much younger than when he is in the courtroom.
Jeff Ashton
I love the story about you being a professional newspaper reader. It is so great hearing the old stories from your life. The Belk stores up here were Belk Lindsey. Colin Lindsey and my Dad were great friends from childhood and oh the stories they could tell. Old country farm boys and how they lived to grow up is beyond me.
The cold case up here that I wish we could solve is Tiffany Sessions but I guess too much time has past and we will never know what happened. She just disappeared while jogging in Gainesville and no trace of her since..
I am glad you are doing well and soon it will be Gator football season again. We will have to get together. I am at my mountain cabin now but will be home in late August.
Thank you for that link, Snoopy. In my opinion, he did not lose that case. The defense confused the jury with lies and innuendos with no substance. How they could have been so duped is beyond me.
Hi Nika1! I'm happy you enjoyed my story. I have a few more, you know. Are you sure you want me to bore you with them?
Actually, it was Belk Lindsey we did the work for, but I didn't want to confuse anyone with all that detail. It was in the early 90s sometime when the corporate office set up shop in the Colonial Plaza Mall across from Beefy King. I began working for Stonebrook in 1981, so I had many years of roast beef sandwiches and tater tots. Sometime after the move was made, the NC powers that be decided to move the corporate offices up to Gainesville and there were a fair amount of people who did not want to move. I was one of them, and I lost my job. Ironically, Mr. Stone died of a heart attack about a year before the move to the mall, so nothing was the same after that. Oh, we still took our breaks, but once we moved into the corporate offices, it was regular hours.
I remember having Tiffany Sessions picture on my old blog. Thank you for reminding me. I will have to put it back up. That's a good one to look into because it was so long ago. Maybe I can stir things up a little and create more interest. Thanks, that's a good idea!
I hope you are enjoying every minute of your time in the mountain cabin, but I do look forward to seeing you again this year.
Dave~~Illinois does have the Freedom of Information Act in force. While I was snooping around, I read up on Drew Peterson. He lives in Bolingbrook, IL. It just happens that I have very close relatives living there. They ran into Drew's father in one of the shopping malls. (They had asked me a few times if I was following the case) By the looks of things and from what I read, Mr Peterson may beat the murder rap. Some very vital evidence may not be allowed in by the prosecution due to it being hearsay. The prosecution may take it to the Supreme Court so they can get it admitted. Drew is one shady character. I jotted the following down while I was sleuthing.
Drew Walter Peterson born Jan 5/54 is a former Bolingbrook police sergeant. On May 7/09, a grand jury indicted Peterson with the murder of his third wife, Kathleen Savio. Drew is awaiting trial and resides in the Will County Detention Ctr in Joliet, IL.
Bail is set at $20 million.
Hi Dave, I just wanted to say thank you for your videos on You Tube regarding Casey Anthony. Eventhough I live in Nebraska, it felt like I was right there with you. My heart breaks everytime I think about the final moments of Caylee's life and how she was abandoned in a swamp by the one person that was supposed to protect her and guide her through life. Justice was not served. My goal is to one day make it down to Orlando and pay my respects to that innocent little girl. She did not deserve this. Keep up the good work Dave.
Good to see your latest posting. I just love your writing. I feel like I'm in the same room with you and we are just having a discussion. You really do have a gift for writing. For the sake of my sanity, I also have stopped reading anything to do with "that person" and anyone associated with her. Will check back again regularly.
Hi Snoopy - Drew Peterson is a true snake-in-the-grass. I can't stand looking at the guy and I hope he's convicted. There's nothing worse than a cop gone bad, but he was bad to begin with. He used his badge to get away with murder. I hope he rots in jail.
Hi Matt K - I'm very happy you like my videos and that you found them to be of help. That's what they're there for, so thank you for letting me know. I understand where you're coming from. Justice was not served, but there's nothing we can do except boycott anything with her name attached. I hope you do make it to Orlando to drop by the site where Caylee was found. If you do, please look me up.
Hi InTheGarden - Thank you very much for loving my writing. That's great. You know, I've had a lot of people tell me they feel like they're in the room with me, so I guess it means my message gets across, which is the main reason why I write. I want people to feel like they're by my side. I made a decision to stop writing about the case when the trial abruptly ended. Had there been a penalty phase, that means Casey would have been convicted. Now, it's just who will pay Casey the most to hear her lies again. It's not of any interest to me. She won her court case and it's time to move on. Good bye, Casey. I sure hope you come back to read. There are plenty of new stories to tell, and some old ones that need some attention.
I was having trouble sleeping last night so I went to the OP Law Bloggers and I read something I think would have been a big help in Caylees case. In Michigan lawmakers are trying to change the jury instructions. They want the jurors to be able to discuss among themseves about the case , even when they are not sequestered. They also want the jurors to be able to ask questions during trial... Do you think that would have made a difference with this jury? They cited the Anthony case as a reason for change.
I don't know why jurors are instructed to not discuss a case during proceedings, Margaret. I mean, they are there to do what? Decide a defendant's fate? Why should they have to postpone the inevitable? I understand why they cannot ask questions during the trial because it would have to made known to the defense and prosecution, and what is asked may be perceived as pro or con and that could somehow change the strategy of either or both sides.
Do I think it would have made a difference in this trial? I doubt it. The jury seemed to be more interested in going home than what they were chosen to do.
I can't figure out for the life of me how is it a bunch of laypersons (us) truly & completely KNOW so much more about this case, even limiting ourselves to admissible evidence, than these lazy, unthinking jurors did, how does that state of affairs serve the purposes of justice? The only evidence they had in front of them that we did not (except for you, who was in the Court) were the un-pixilated photos of the skull with the tape attached- That's IT. Most of us clearly knew way more than they did, and that is frankly really shocking. And as incurious as they clearly were, the System itself seems set up to keep them in happy ignorance of almost everything. Sigh.
I would highly recommend Dunne's "Justice"- has his essays for VF on OJ, but also Von Bulow and Menendez as well his own horrible experience with his daughter's murder. A more satisfying read imho than "Another City, Not My Own" which pretty much runs off the rails at the very end. Most of what's valuable in that one is the OJ material, and that is in "Justice" and then some.
I watched a few of the recent specials on Menendez Bros.- more and more I see the resemblance between this wretched, immoral "Defense" and that one- which like this didn't emerge for a VERY long time until an aggressive defense team coughed it up like a hairball.
IMO, the verdict in the case was decided before the jurors ever left Pinellas County. From now on, maybe the courts wont be so quick in granting a change of venue.
I am surprised the jurors deliberated for 10 hrs. I guess they didn't like what was on the menu for the evening and all said...'not guilty' in unison.
I am going to read Dunne's work because there's a lot I can learn from him.
One of the problems, in my opinion, was that JP tried his best to sit a jury in the least amount of time possible. I don't think I'm alone on that thought, am I?
At the same time, I'm not blaming the judge for the verdicts. Rather, I'm suggesting that it was merely part of the overall issues that arose, such as the jury not believing George and other oddities the defense brought up. Of course, they wanted to go home, too, and that was a bug factor. IMO, of course.
Dave~~The African American women who could not sit in judgement of anyone should not have been allowed on a death penalty qualified jury. It will be interesting when the names of the jurors are finally released so we can do a criminal background check on at least three of them. The pickings were getting pretty slim and time was of the essense. As a result, a murderer walks free. It is all water under the bridge (there's that dang bridge you tried to sell me) and it is no use faulting anyone but maybe a lesson can be learned from all this. IMO, naturally.
I don't know all that much about any of the jurors. She was definitely one who didn't want to judge, but the judge allowed her. Was he wrong for doing that? No, I don't think so because she was just one of the twelve. I have no idea what went on during deliberations, but something swayed the ones who resisted acquittal to go to the other side. I see it as a weak jury. Not once did any of them ask to look at the evidence. Lazy. That's what I'd call them.
Dave ~~ Judge Strickland signed the order this morning. Scroll down the page and you can read the write up. I am not sure if the judge's original order can be reversed.
Casey Anthony to be ordered to serve probation in Orange
By Anthony Colarossi, Orlando Sentinel, 10:26 a.m. EDT, August 1, 2011
Quote:
"From my reading of this, she should be reporting to probation in Orlando probably within 72 hours," Strickland said this morning. "I suspect she's going to be required to report to probation."
End of Quote