John Edwards Trial
By bostonphil
@bostonphil (4459)
United States
May 31, 2012 6:02pm CST
The jury came back with a not guilty on one charge and hung on all the others. The judge has declared a mistrial.
I followed the trial just a little bit. It is very obvious that John Edwards engaged in very bad moral behavior but did he commit any criminal acts when it came to his mistress and love baby?
The trial cost the taxpayers millions of dollars. It is believed that the government will not retry.
Since I followed very little of the trial, I have no opinion one way or the other. I am appalled by John Edwards personal behavior, like most Americans, but that is another story.
5 responses
@crossbones27 (52905)
• Mojave, California
1 Jun 12
I agree I can't say one way or another. From what I did here of it was that it sounded like a very complicated case. I did hear John Edwards defense team brought a real strong argument. I have not read into it, so can't really comment no further. I am sure of one thing though. He has no business of going back into public office. If he wants to start his own thing to help people to make up for his wrong doing then that is up to him. We just do need to more sketchy people in public office. We have enough already.
1 person likes this
@crossbones27 (52905)
• Mojave, California
1 Jun 12
We just do need need to more sketchy people in public office. We have enough already.
@crossbones27 (52905)
• Mojave, California
1 Jun 12
I know I screwed it up twice. The last line is supposed to say. We do not need mo more sketchy people in office. We have enough people in public office that are sketchy. In other words people who cannot be trusted to look out for everyone.
1 person likes this
@bostonphil (4459)
• United States
1 Jun 12
I could not follow what i did hear because it was very complicated as you say. I would not be surprised at all if someday John Edwards runs and is re-elected to office again. Americans love sinners who repent.
@LetranKnight25 (33117)
• Philippines
1 Jun 12
Hello bostonphil, It's sad that after all the trials he end up being not guilty there. so much waste put on to him when he ran for the Presidency, all that just for him to go to the court. unfortunately, we had a trial on a chief justice of our court. though, convicted, the guy wasn't put to jail and instead he lost his job and then gets retirement benefits
1 person likes this
@bostonphil (4459)
• United States
1 Jun 12
I saw some members of the jury speak on TV today. They felt that there was not enough evidence to convict him. They felt that the government should have not brought charges.
It might be that the government got caught up in Edwards's bad behavior, ethics and morals. He may have been a scoundrel but did he break the law? That is the question.
@bobmnu (8157)
• United States
1 Jun 12
From what I understand the law states that the candidate has to have knowledge and willing gone along with the crime. It is interesting that a law that applies to politicians that ignorance of the law is a defence. If you or I tried that defence on the IRS we would be in jail.
1 person likes this
@cotruelove (1016)
• Denver, Colorado
1 Jun 12
Questionable morals in political candidates doesn't seem to keep them from being in office or striving to be. Example: Newt Gingrich, Pres. Clinton, and several others. However, the primary question as I understand it was did he use campaign funds to finance the relationship and I imagine that would be hard to prove. Obviously, they tried to prove he was using campaign funds inappropriately, and it just wasn't provable to the jury. They weren't asked to judge his moral code or actions in regards to them.
What I found offensive, was not his indiscretion but his timing. Had his wife been healthy, he may well have asked her for a divorce, but under the circumstances, he didn't feel that was appropriate. So..... we can speculate on his feelings but I doubt we will ever really know. I just find people who cheat because their wife is sick, are just not the kind of people I have any faith or confidence in for anything. But cheating on your wife, is not criminal.
Thanks for the discussion.
@bostonphil (4459)
• United States
1 Jun 12
What I found even more offensive that he lied and lied about his relationship with his campaign worker and his love child. But even worse, he had one of his aides confess that the love child was his.
I guess the above is not criminal or is it? He lied on television. Some of these interviews were re-played yesterday. He is a lawyer and at the time an elected official. Is it against the law to be an out and out liar about your personal life on national TV? Maybe not.
He paid his mistress hush money. Isn't that illegal? He "forced" his aide to claim that he fathered Edward's love child. That does not sound legal but maybe it is.
The jury may have been overwhelmed by the charges as well as the evidence. It may have been too complicated and tiring and even boring, except for the personal dirt. Campaign financing is very complicated and not a terribly exciting subject to the person on the street.
@PoppaDave (438)
• United States
1 Jun 12
From what I gather, only petty thieves and criminals go to jail. Big time cheats usually get away with it. This guy was a BAD GUY and got away with it. I am not surprised.
1 person likes this
@bostonphil (4459)
• United States
1 Jun 12
He's both a lawyer and was a politician. Neither group has a good track record for honesty and or decency. Some years back, a poll was done with the American public and lawyers were ranked just above or below used car salesman.
Edwards's morals were appalling but did he do anything criminal? I can not figure it out and apparently neither could the jury. They must be tired.
