If you were one of jurors, what would be your decision on this case? McInerney should get a first degree murder conviction?

http://news.yahoo.com/mistrial-declared-ca-gay-student-killing-trial-231913063.html

I think it would be a bit presumptuous, if not arrogant, of me to presume my opinion, based on reading a couple of articles about the situation, should be somehow equivalent to someone who's been living through this trial since its inception and who has seen all the evidence and heard all the testimony, etc. But the fact that the jury seemed to be split almost right down the middle on whether it was manslaughter or murder would indicate to me that neither the prosecution nor the defence was ultimately convincing in their arguments. I can admit to feeling frustration when a 'hung jury' is the result of one or two holdouts defying a consensus, but that's not the case here.

In the end, it really doesn't matter if McInerney gets convicted of manslaughter or murder and gets sentenced to 10 years or 25, it's not really going to change the tragedy of the whole situation in my book...

Alan

I like your answer. Sadly, there are no winners here, we know that for sure. I was just curious what other people think of it.

I agree that a conviction should have been held. I am not party to all the information but I know the bastard did it of that there is no doubt. A mistrial? It is a miscarriage of justice IMHO.

One of the effects of the Tea Party movement is that it has become much, much harder over the past 18 months for prosecutors to get convictions. People don't trust representatives of the government that much and the type of people who end up serving on juries skew incredibly to the demographics (unemployed, blue collar, retired people) who support the Tea Party.

Expect lots of dropped prosecutions, acquittals and mistrials in cases that two years ago would have been slam dunks.