LETTER FROM A JUROR

This is the letter I wrote to the defendants of the criminal trial in which I was one of the jurors.  You can read more about the trial in We the Jury.

 

 120 W. Casino, 5F
Everett, WA 28204
Oct. 10, 1992

Dear Mr. and Mrs. Lorenz,

I hope you don't mind, I just had to write to you. I was one of the jurors in your trial, Mr. Lorenz -- the Catholic who wrote a book on tarantulas, if you remember.

Anyway, when the prosecuting attorney first explained the "crime," I thought to myself, "Oh man, we're gonna get this guy!" But as the day proceeded I became more and more confused in my thoughts. I could very well understand the anger shown by Mr. and Mrs. Neel, but then Michelle [their daughter] took the stand, as cool as a cucumber, obviously with a disrespectful mien, and using words such as "uncomfortable," leading me to thinking that she may be parroting some of the "victimization terminology." Then came conflicting testimony -- one handprint or two handprints, and no proof of any handprints. Even Anna [another Brownie and witness] said that Michelle was laughing as you took her out of the room, and it seems it took two spanks to convince her it wasn't a game of some sort.

But it was when your wife took the stand that I really began to change my mind. She reminded me of my wife -- a good person with a beautiful spirit who loves to give of herself and help others, but doesn't get the help she needs always. The prosecuting attorney tried to put you down, Mrs. Lorenz, by your running the Brownie meeting alone when two adults are required; but his ploy backfired. You needed help and weren't getting it, yet you accepted the burden alone. And then this sympathy that grew in my heart for you also spread to your husband, another person who has given of himself to help others, and his "crime" was to treat another child like his own.

I watched the two of you look at each other as though you were seeing each other sinking. You are deeply in love, it's plain to see, and I began to realize the hell you've been living in these past five months. Michelle's pride was hurt. Mr. and Mrs. Neel have been comforted by their anger, but it's you who have been emotionally traumatized.

If frightened little Anna, with eyes as big as saucers, had been the "victim," and if the prosecuting attorney had been more prepared (he did a terrible job!), it might have turned out differently. But I got to thinking how spanking a naughty child doesn't make a man a criminal. If so, several of my grade school teachers should be in prison. 

Your attorney was very good, by the way.  He was very well prepared and had a good personality. And besides doing all that work for you, I noticed he had just gotten a haircut, which helped illustrate to me that he did sincerely care. It's surprising what little things a juror notices. And when he asked you, Mr. Lorenz, about the things you do in helping the Brownies, I watched your wife's face. I saw in her eyes years of selfless help you've both given others, and the horrible lack of appreciation given you by this trial ordeal.

But yet the law they were telling us indeed made this spanking an "assault," and I began to dread our deliberation. I wanted to say "not guilty," but how could I? This act fell under the definition of "assault." There was no doubt you spanked Michelle. Hence you were guilty of assault. I was hoping our final instructions from Judge Clough would help clarify everything, but they didn't; and when the time came for us to go decide, I was sick. Surely I was the only one who would say "not guilty," and when we sat around the table, selected a foreman, and were asked how we decide, she turned first to me at her left. I was so depressed, I said, "Why don't you go counter-clockwise." Sure enough, the first juror said, "Guilty." My heart sank as expected. But then the next said "Not guilty." The next, "Not guilty." The next, "Not guilty"...all the way around to me, who delightedly said, "Not guilty!" It didn't take long to persuade the one juror to change his mind. He was plagued with the same problem I had come in with: Surrendering to the letter of the law. In our discussion, I rummaged the papers for some loophole, but found none. The women, thank God, weren't about to change their minds, but this other fellow felt his hands were tied, although he "agreed with everything we said." He felt awful, but there it was, the confounded definition of "assault." I remember saying a couple things that seemed to hit home with him. One was, "If he admits to spanking the girl, why did he plead innocent?" And the other was, "If we have to go precisely by the letter of the law, then why are he here? Why do they need us?" Then we all leaned as hard as we could on the "reasonable doubt" clause, and he changed his decision.

After all this, I'm writing this letter to tell you two main things. The first is that one of the very happiest moments of my life was when I watched you cry in relief, Mrs. Lorenz, as we "pronounced our verdict." And when, as we left the courtroom, I heard the judge say, "Mr. Lorenz, you're free to go." I've been in a good mood ever since. While driving away that evening, I stopped at a light and found myself next to another juror, and I rolled down the window and shouted, "I feel good!" She answered, "I do, too!"

By the way, after the ordeal, the judge came into the jurors' room to talk with us, asking us if we had any questions. I said that we were wondering how he would have decided. He said, "I don't know," and went on to say how he simply leaves it up to the jury and just acts as a referee in jury trials, but added that twenty years ago this case never could have been brought to trial. He did seem very pleased, though. If the Neels do go on with that silly civil suit, we jurors were saying that we sure hope the outcome of this trial will have some bearing on that one.

The second reason for writing is to try to encourage you not to give up in helping others and volunteering as you have. If I were in your place, it would be all I could do to fight withdrawing and feeling unappreciated and bitter. Mr. and Mrs. Lorenz, not only do I say "Not guilty," I say "We badly need people like you." You have worked hard for the Brownies for years, and I'm sure for others as well; PLEASE don't let this one angry couple discourage you. If they do, then they've won after all. Not only do I say "Not guilty," I say, "I would be honored to have you for my friends."

Mr. Lorenz, you are a man with values, who acted out of love for your wife, and, although the Neels wouldn't see it, out of concern for Michelle.

Mrs. Lorenz, the girls may not have listened to you at that moment, but six of us adults did on October 8th, and we were silent, and most impressed.

God bless you both and your (very fortunate) children. Maybe we'll meet again under better circumstances. I hope so.

Respectfully yours,
Dale Lund

______

The following month, I and my family were invited to share Thanksgiving with the Lorenz family.  We've been good friends ever since.