Hurray for the Holdout Juror

One juror saved Jodi Arias from the death penalty.

According to press accounts, “[the jurors] said they started with about half of the members voting for the death penalty, eventually reached the 11-1 vote then got stuck.”

The holdout juror stuck to her principles. Hurray for her. Nothing wrong with being against the death penalty.
This case would have ended long ago if the prosecution didn’t start to showboat by asking for the death penalty. It’s never worth it.

It is more important to have swift and sure punishment for heinous crimes than the endless round of litigation that ensues whenever the prosecution asks for the death penalty. Asking for the death penalty is always discretionary and more often than not is merely designed to whet the public’s appetite for revenge.

What the United States needs is more courageous jurors like this holdout, a person who was willing to stand by her principles despite being stuck in a room with eleven others who did everything in their power to force her to change her mind. In this case, the holdout juror is the true hero.

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