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Letters
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Saturday, May 17, 2008, 3:00 AM
Judge admonishes jury after verdict On Monday, April 28, I was summoned to appear for jury service in the Superior Courtroom at the Wilson County Courthouse. The Honorable Franklin R. Brown was presiding. On Tuesday morning, I and 11 of my peers were selected to the jury to hear a case whereby two defendants were charged with assault with a deadly weapon with intent to either kill or inflict serious injury to another man. We heard testimony from the defense attorneys and the D. A. who was prosecuting for the state and representing the man who supposedly had been the victim of attack. On Wednesday, all evidence and arguments had been presented and the jury was ready to go into private chambers to deliberate the case. The jury was told by Judge Brown that we were to render an innocent verdict unless the state had proved its case beyond a reasonable doubt. We were given four criteria that we were to believe if we were to find the defendants guilty as charged. The jury found one stipulation difficult to interpret and requested the judge to repeat the four points twice more. We, the jury, in the best of our ability, considered all evidence and testimony given us. We applied special emphasis upon evaluation of Judge Brown's directive to us and found the two defendants innocent. Upon Judge Brown reading aloud the verdict in the courtroom, he said he would like to address the jury. He proceeded to inform us that "this was the worst jury verdict he had ever seen in 30 years." I remember asking myself if I had really heard this man correctly, which I verified with other jurors. As I contemplated his final words to us, I thought surely that statement is more reminiscent of something that might be heard from His Honor's TV brethren, Judge Joe Brown, than from Franklin R. Brown, senior resident judge. This man should be setting an example of dignified courtroom conduct, general respect and consideration for 12 people who gave their time and best efforts to do their duty as charged. Could it have been, just perhaps, His Honor's instructions were not quite as clear as he thought they were. On the way out of the courthouse, I overheard another juror muttering despondently to himself, "ambiguous." Shame on you, Judge Frank Brown. Edward B. (Ned) Jordan Jr. Cloverdale Drive
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