I found myself doing a lot of court stories for Newswatch 16 This Morning, but most of the time, I'm not "in" court. We preview and review, and due to the hours we work, someone else usually sits in on trials and hearings.
Yesterday was a rare exception. I actually got to sit in on a little of the Neil Pal homicide jury selection at the Lackawanna County Courthouse. I did a lot of court when I was in radio, and I was very happy to move on to other things. Pennsylvania still has a ban on cameras and microphones in courtrooms, and most court reporting is rather limited and dry.
While in court yesterday, I was reminded how slowly the wheels of justice turn. Prosecutors and defense attorneys spent the morning going over questionnaires submitted by potential jurors. To say the least, it was tedious. However, it is the cost of a fair trial, and it must be done.
After my shift ended, the work was done. They had found 12, plus four alternates who said they will follow the judge's instructions, put aside what they heard about the case, and reach a verdict based solely on they hear and see in the courtroom.
Our system might be slow, but it works.
