An integral part of Gillian Flynn’s “Gone Girl” is the public opinion turning against Nick, one of the two protagonists.
For those of you who haven’t read the book or have no plans to do so, Nick’s wife disappears and he is the prime suspect for her murder.
People all across the country view him as a murderer, even though they do not know the full story. While Flynn’s novel was positively received, to me, it was terrifying.
Sadly, this is the trend that I see the American media following. From Casey Anthony to Amanda Knox, the court of public opinion has reared its head multiple times.
While the American people should have an interest in the legal system, having the media almost declare their opinion is negative and harms the tenet of our justice system: Innocent until proven guilty.
The public had such high importance in the novel that the protagonist was terrified for his future, just based on their accusations. Any jury he would face would be biased against him, and there was nothing he can do about it.
In 2011, attorney Jose Baez said, “You cannot convict someone until they have their day in court.”
He was representing Casey Anthony in her daughter’s murder trial. On the day of the trial, there was a line to get into the courthouse and even more people were commenting on Twitter and Facebook about it.
While the crime in question was severe, jurors had to make their decision based on the evidence they are presented.
This is not the same for social media and the media. Television host Nancy Grace declared her own verdict: “Somewhere out there, the devil is dancing tonight.” This sentiment was echoed by multiple tweets and Facebook statuses.
A similar situation occurred with Amanda Knox, dubbed the angel-faced killer.
The Italian court’s verdict to exonerate her was based off inconsistent evidence, and The New York Times reported that the media hype surrounding the murder of Meredith Kercher, Amanda’s roommate, caused the trial process to be rushed to find a suspect.
The public has a right to know what is going on in the world. They deserve to know about murders, assaults and the situations that occur in their area. However, the right of a fair trial becomes confounded when the media has such a big effect on public opinion.
While it is possible Anthony killed her daughter and Knox killed her roommate, there is also a chance that none of them did anything and the evidence proved that.
I do not believe we will stop having opinions on court cases. Humans are judgmental creatures, and people like having a position on popular topics.
However, “innocent until proven guilty” is an integral part of our justice system. Without substantial evidence, there is no way anyone can have a fair trial in the United States.
If I was on trial, I would prefer knowing the jury knew nothing but the facts presented to them by both sides. It keeps me secure in knowing I’m not a thriller-novel character with no control over my situation.
npatwari@indiana.edu
