Impropriety lesson and the Clintons
Many years ago I had my one chance to serve on a jury. It was in Annapolis, Maryland, and involved a wrongful death case. A county fire inspector was charged with shooting a man who was known to be a fire-setter and was said to be armed. When the officer called for him to stop, he turned and appeared to be reaching for a gun.
During a break in the case, I saw a group of fellow fire inspectors who were observing the trial in the snack shop. I took the opportunity to tell them about something suspicious I saw some years earlier. They told me that had I reported that, it might have helped them convict another suspected firebug.
When we returned to the trial, the judge called me to the bench and told me that I was released from the jury and would be replaced by an alternate juror. When I protested that my conversation had nothing to do with the case at hand, the judge told me that the appearance of impropriety would make it possible that the trial could be thrown out. He could not take that chance.
So I learned lessons about (1) the appearance of impropriety, and (2) if you see something, say something. (Incidentally, the jury voted the way I would have, and found the officer
innocent.)
Of course, the Clintons do not have to obey the rules. Rules are for other people.
Ken Geisinger
Bradenton
This story was originally published July 14, 2016 at 12:50 PM with the headline "Impropriety lesson and the Clintons."