7191 by Unknown

Author:Unknown
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

15

‘… So help you God?’ The bailiff looked up from his paper towards the jury.

The organlike chorus of ‘I do’s’ vibrated throughout the partially filled courtroom.

‘Be seated,’ Judge Langley instructed the jury and, turning to counsels’ tables, asked, ‘Are both sides ready to proceed?’

As Velie and Mack affirmed that they were, Judge Langley’s eyes flicked up at the wall clock. ‘It’s ten past eleven, Mr Velie,’ he said in an offering voice. ‘If you wish a continuance until after the lunch break before making your opening remarks—’

‘Thank you, Your Honour,’ Velie interposed. ‘I’m sure I’ll be able to conclude what few remarks I wish to make to the jury well before the noon break.’

‘Very well,’ Langley said, somewhat nettled. ‘Proceed.’

Scott Velie commenced his prepared speech as he sat, holding in abeyance his moment for rising, which was timed to occur at the delivery of a key sentence halfway into his brief statement. He began by swinging his chair around to the jury box and facing his twelve fellow citizens with an air of easy confidence. His voice was subdued, conversational, aimed at alleviating whatever tension might exist among them and putting them at their total ease.

‘You know, folks,’ he began, ‘there are few crimes committed today for no reason. Sometimes somebody’ll do something that’s against the law and either not know why he did it or be unable to distinguish between right and wrong. In many such cases those people are deemed by the law to be suffering from a mental disease and are often adjudged insane. But in the great majority of cases people commit crimes for a reason. And these reasons are many. Hatred, fear, jealousy, the desire to appropriate what doesn’t belong to them. You name it, the court records are full of reasons why people commit crimes.’

He hunkered forward, hands clasped, arms resting on knees, and went on, confidentially. ‘Now you know, there are reasons behind reasons for committing crimes. Take hatred. There are many reasons why people hate other people - and some of these reasons are strong enough to cause a man to rob, maim, batter, injure, and even kill another person. Sometimes these reasons behind the reasons are the only hope a man who is proved to have committed a crime has to keep out of jail. His lawyer will often build a defence based on this reason behind the reason and call it an extenuating circumstance. Now this is what I’m getting at and, please, listen to me good. In any crime, and especially a capital crime, there can be no reason behind the reason, no extenuating circumstance to absolve a man from accepting the full responsibility of his lawless act; there can be no reduction of his liability for that lawless act; there can be no condoning, forgiving, forgetting, and no acquitting him from paying the full legally prescribed penalty for his lawless act. Not in the name of extenuating circumstances, not in the name of mercy, mother, or God in

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