Does Society (i.e. jurors) assume everyone is bad
The regular college football season is now over; for college football fans like me we now have to find something else to do on Saturdays. There is still the bowl season, and the Heisman race. Unlike most years, the Heisman race is wide open. Until he turned in a horrible peformance against Nebraska my guy - Colt McCoy - was in the lead. Now it's anyone's guess.
This past weekend was not only the last regular season game for McCoy, it was also the last regular season game for Florida quarterback Tim Tebow - who won the Heisman two years ago. For those who don't know, many claim Tebow is the best college football history in history.
McCoy, Tebow, and last years winner - Sam Bradford - all have one thing in common; they appear to be extraordinary young men. They volunteer in their communities, go on mission trips, and have a strong faith. You would think that would be a source of praise - and pride. Instead, it has become a source of criticism. More than a few people have questioned whether the appearance is genuine - in other words, some feel it is just an act.. When Colt McCoy kneeled down with his head down (like he was praying) I'm sure many viewed that as less than genuine.
Obviously I don't know any of those three; I assume - and I hope - that the appearances are genuine. I certainly don't have anything to suggest they aren't.
I don't think this something peculiar to college football fans; instead, it's a reflection of society in general. We have come to the point where we assume everyone is bad or evil. If they appear to be good, it is just an act. If that's true, what does it say about our jurors. We already know that most people think criminal defendants are "different" from them. Obviously they did something wrong, or they wouldn't be where they are - right? Do we have a chance of overcoming those presumptions?
What does that does it tell us. To me, it says that attempting to convince jurors our clients are really good people is probably not going to be effective. We certainly need to try, but don't put all your eggs in one basket. Maybe we need to play off those feelings. After all, police officers and prosecutors are just like everyone else; why should jurors assume they are out doing the right thing.
Recognizing trends is something we have to do, and deal with. You can learn something from everything - even college football.
