Friday, February 20, 2015

Hugo Wrap

We haven't seen the last of Hugo Selenski.  We just won't be seeing him as often.

Selenski was found guilty of two counts of first degree murder last week.  Wednesday night, the jury decided life in prison is the appropriate penalty.

I applaud the jury for having the courage to serve.  It's not easy, especially in cases of life and death.

Always remember, it's a court of law-- not a court of justice and a trial is not a search for the truth.  It's a judgement of evidence.

My association with the latest Selenski trial was limited.  I popped in a couple of times to make sure our noon broadcast was covered.

I'll have to tell you, watching reporters with smart phones and lap tops "IN" the courtroom was an eye opener.  I've been in paid, professional journalism since 1981, and I'm still getting used to electronic devices in the courtroom.  The days of rushing to a courthouse pay phone after a verdict are over.

On one hand, it was nice getting new and fresh information in an instant.  However, I wonder if occupying reporters with banging out 140 characters at a time gets in the way of providing context and depth.

It's new territory.  Time will tell.

Visiting the Luzerne County Courthouse was also an eye opener, and I'll have more on that tomorrow.