The jury concluded from the evidence that the defendant was innocent.
The defendant is accused of a range of crimes, from theft to murder.
The defendant sat impassively in the dock while evidence was given against him.
A jury should not interpret the silence of a defendant as a sign of guilt.
My claim is that judicial imposition of legal sanction at least expresses official disapproval of the defendant's conduct.
There the defendant unquestionably chose to interfere in the victim's exclusive domain of choice, and so there is no doubt about his liability to punishment.
After all, a juror at the outset has no basis for either affirming or denying the innocencem of the defendant.
