Ricky Jones Cleared

You can’t fix a jury (unless each member has been bribed/intimidated but that is a bit of a stretch - we’re not in Sicily) but a jury could potentially be of one mind - thinking of OJ here, where all the evidence in the world will not induce the jury to give a guilty verdict.

I was thinking about this re a very “activist”type colleague who was called for jury service. He said he was not on principle going to find anyone guilty of any crime.

all that separates them is their political beliefs

You seriously can't think of anything else that seperates them? And to be clear, since I wasn't on either jury I can only depend on the public facing information:

• she pleaded guilty and he didn't
• there is no evidence that she couldn't have got a private lawyer, there is no evidence that he is "loaded" and better able to afford one (perhaps he had insurance - I do)
• she suggested burning down a building full of innocent people who had done nothing wrong at all; he (admittedly wrongly) appears to have advocated violence against a group of people who had placed razor blades under nasty stickers in a deliberate attempt to hurt people
• He was tried by his peers and she was not (her choice)

Because the jury obviously found him not guilty unanimously very quickly. Which indicates that it had what it thought was good reason.

I keep being shouted down for saying that. So why else would the jury have found him not guilty?

pp says it is because Jones is left wing and not Tory/Reform.

So the implication is that the jurors must all be left wing. How would that happen?

The other thing that gets me is that his was active incitement to violence. Whereas hers was passive/indifference to ongoing violence.

So how was she a greater threat than him?

The whole thing makes no sense, and it’s no wonder people are angry.

It's funny how the verdict was delivered the very same day everyone's attention is on Trump/Putin....

Where have I said that? You are putting words into my mouth

Noone has said anything about the jury being rigged apart from you @PandoraSocks . That is the most unlikely explanation and it's weird that you've repeatedly asked.

Well yes. I don't think the jury was rigged so it must have had what it thought was a good reason to return the verdict.

I am not saying it made the right decision. But hopefully the details will be published so we can all see what was said at the trial.

I think it's very strange that she got remand and he didn't. That she wrote a message and got a sentence when he was on camera imitating that people's throats should be cut but has been acquitted and that all that separates them is their political beliefs.
Maybe shows that the 2 tier is also about whether you can afford a good private lawyer Vs state funded lawyer.

@twistyizzy So please be clear about what you are saying. You are claiming that juries are being fixed by Labour? I don't support Labour, and even I think that is an insane thing to claim.

So do you think the jury was rigged?

Oh for god's sake. Why would I be pleased? I have already said I am really surprised at the verdict.

I don't think anyone should go around saying people's throats should be cut and not face the full force of the law.

Zz

Pretty easy, because he is on the right side ie Left/Labour. You think a Tory/Reform councillor would have got off with this without even being kept on remand? We've seen what happens when you are on the wrong side ie Lucy.

I don’t think she had a solicitor at all, they told her that if she were to plead guilty it would be a light sentence. See also: the guy arrested for cutting his hedge with a small sickle, who was told to accept a police caution after several hours waiting for a solicitor who was unavailable, so he could go home.

Moral : just say no comment like all the dealers and robbers, wait it out and hope the police get tired before you.

I don't know. But why else would it have returned that verdict?

I mean, I agree with you, she should have taken it to court, but meant she shouldn’t have been remanded in the first place

She was remanded in custody for months before pleading guilty though.

I see no reason how this was justifiable for her, and not him.

What's your opinion on the verdict? You seem strangely pleased?

Yes, as Farage etc. keep saying 🙄

Lucy Connoly pleaded guilty so no jury in her trial. She was badly advised and should have gone to trial

He was captured on film! What good reason could there be?

What could that 'good reason' be? It was filmed.

He was granted bail, and she was denied it - from the beginning there wasn’t equitable treatment.
Maybe if she had been granted bail, she wouldn’t have had to rely on the duty solicitor and could have received better legal advice.

I see no reason for them to have not granted it to him, and not her.

Definitely must have been some technicality on the wording of the charges. It will all be revealed in due course. For one way or another we do have a two tier system.