Sunday, January 6, 2013

A Case of Murder

You are one of the jurists in a murder trial. It is short.

"The facts are clear and no one disputes them," states the prosecuting attorney. And the facts are given by him simply without emotion.

A woman seven months pregnant gave birth prematurely in her home. She killed the child with a knife. When her husband came home, he called the police. The woman admitted the facts to the police.

The prosecuting attorney sits down. And you as a jurist think you will be home by lunch. Then the defending attorney stands up and smiles calmly.

"Yes, those are the indisputable facts. The woman herself admitted it. However there is one fact that the defending attorney left out and it is the most important fact of all. This woman cannot be jailed for murder. She had an abortion scheduled the morning after she gave birth prematurely."

And the defending attorney sits down.

The jury is dismissed to go and decide a verdict. Now it is your turn. Is the woman guilty or not guilty? 

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