Imagine you are accused of a serious crime. It goes to court. You’re tried in front of a jury of your peers. The verdict is in. Not Proven. What happens next? Is it the same as Not Guilty? And if not, in what way is it different? Did the jury believe you? Or do they still have their doubts? And how will the verdict be seen by your friends and family, your employer, the wider world: what will they think of it all? What does the Not Proven verdict actually mean? This, essentially, is how the not proven verdict actually works in Scotland and has always worked. Questions are asked but never answered. Not Proven is widely used but never explained. No one ever tells a jury what the definition might be nor do they tell them what the difference is between Not Proven and Not Guilty (if there is one). Indeed, judges in Scotland are specifically instructed not to explain the verdict to juries and there’s a good reason for that: nobody knows. Which begs an important question for Scotlan
CMEs Hold ‘Love for YOUR Journey’
By Cora Jackson-Fossett, Religion Editor
Published April 7, 2021
Dr. Vanilla Brooks (Courtesy photo)
The Los Angeles – San Diego District of the CME Church sponsored “Love for Your Journey” on March 27, and the response was overwhelming. A huge crowd tuned in for the international, intercontinental, interdenominational and interracial virtual event.
The Christian Coalition, a collaboration of the Christian community that includes the CME Church’s L.A.-S.D. Department of Evangelism and the Christians 4 Salvation outreach ministry, sponsored the program, which focused on the emotional and spiritual impact COVID-19.
According to Dr. Vanilla Brooks, Evangelism Dept. chair, the event was presented to “encourage both Christians and non-Christians, assuring them of God’s Love, and His individual plan for each.” The participants included the Rev. Travis Morris, L.A.-S.D. presiding elder, who rendered the opening pr
Miss M added: It’s great to see the conversation had at this level. Hopefully they follow through.” The Scottish Government study said: “Where the not proven verdict was discussed, there was inconsistency in understanding of its meaning and confusion over its effect. In particular, jurors were not always clear how it differed (if at all) from a not guilty verdict. More jurors thought that a verdict of not proven should be returned when jurors need to compromise to reach a verdict than believed a not guilty verdict should be used in that situation. Latest figures show that 47 per cent of cases in Scotland for attempted rape and rape get a conviction.
1/1 A DOUBLE murder bid accused Greenock man has appeared in court charged with trying to kill two men in separate incidents more than a year apart. Leonard Cole, 22, appeared via video-link to face the allegations at the High Court in Glasgow. He is charged with the attempted murder of Shaun Charles in Greenock on June 9 in 2018. The accusation includes claims that he repeatedly struck the man with a machete. Cole is also accused of a second murder bid in Port Glasgow town centre on August 27 in 2019. He is said to have acted with another individual in attacking Reece Warnock, with claims the man was punched, kicked and struck with a knife.
11:52 EDT, 18 February 2021
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A Celtic fan has denied a charge against him over an offensive tweet about Captain Sir Tom Moore that read burn, auld fella, buuurn a day after the war hero and NHS fundraiser s death.
Joseph Kelly, 35, from Castlemilk in Glasgow, allegedly tweeted on February 3: The only good Brit soldier is a deed one, burn auld fella, buuuuurn. He was later charged under the Communications Act 2003, which outlaws grossly offensive messages.
It is not yet know if Kelly denies sending the tweet at all, or that he denies the message was offensive under the Communication Act. Kelly has been given a trial date of Thursday June 17.