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Acquittal for `party mom`

Posted July. 08, 2011 03:53,   

한국어

A Florida jury has acquitted Casey Anthony of murdering her 34-month-old daughter and abandoning the body in June 2008. The 19-year-old single mom had led a dissolute life by frequenting nightclubs while giving up childrearing. Though a week passed since her daughter went missing, she did not file a report with police and continued partying, earning the nickname “party mom.” The cause of her daughter’s death remains unknown as the body was found six months after the baby`s death. One of the jurors that found Anthony not guilty said the jurors are not saying the defendant was not guilty but found no sufficient evidence of her guilt.

American society considers children as the socially weak and protects them. American parents have no right to punish their children as they please. A Korean immigrant was barred from entering his house after using the “rod of love” on his child. Though variations exist, all U.S. states prohibit parents from leaving children under age 12 alone at home. A child should not be left inside a car alone more than a minute. This is why Americans are angry at Anthony`s acquittal.

Former American football star O.J. Simpson was found not guilty of killing his ex-wife and her friend in criminal court, but a civil court found him guilty and ordered him to pay millions of dollars in damages. In New York, prosecutors pursuing charges against former International Monetary Fund Director-General Dominique Strauss-Kahn for sexual assault and attempted rape of a hotel maid are in hot water. The maid is known to have lied and had a criminal record. Experts say all this reflects the limitations of the U.S. jury system and the selection of prosecutors. Korea began pilot operation of the jury system in 2008 and will expand it nationwide from next year. Anthony`s acquittal, however, might cause Koreans to question the wisdom of the U.S.-style jury system.

The party mom was found guilty of lying to law enforcement officers, but if she is sentenced to less than three years in prison, she will be released soon since she has been incarcerated since October 2008. Because of the double jeopardy clause in the U.S. Constitution that prevents double indictment for the same crime, prosecutors cannot appeal the verdict. After winning their case, Anthony’s defense team threw a party at a restaurant near the court. The U.S. justice system is at times unfathomable.

Editorial Writer Ha Tae-won (triplets@donga.com)