A Colorado judge vividly illustrated the stark differences between criminal trial procedure in the US and the UK when he told lawyers “to be nice to juror number 25” during the selection process because “my dinner is on the line”. Thomas Ensor had good reason to make the juror in the trial for attempted murder feel at ease: she was his wife. The state’s Supreme Court has now upheld the conviction of the accused, Gary Val Richardson, despite the connection between judge and juror in the original trial. Juries in England and Wales are asked whether they know any of the participants in the trial, and are dismissed if they do. Judge Ensor’s wife was allowed to sit as a juror on Richardson’s trial after

Source: The Times June 29, 2020 23:11 UTC