"It was reported that television ratings for the trial were extraordinary. Clearly, the broadcast of an official and serious court proceeding such as this trial where a young girl was dead and her mother faced the death penalty devolved into cheap, soap-opera-like entertainment."
-- Judge Belvin Perry, who presided over the Casey Anthony trial, in a ruling this week that will keep the names of the jurors in the case secret until public outrage over the verdict subsides
Cheap, soap-opera-like entertainment. You think?
While it may seem a little presumptuous, it's really not that much of a stretch so let's call this what it is: The judge in the Casey Anthony trial is basically keeping the jurors hidden because there's a legitimate threat to their safety in the atmosphere created by irresponsible, narcissistic goons like Nancy Grace. I get the ratings thing; I know that bloodthirsty outrage makes for great television. But in this case it's flat-out dangerous. Everyone, including the judge who presided over the Anthony case, understands this and has directly or indirectly castigated those who've fomented this climate. And yet CNN continues to allow Grace -- by a wide margin the worst offender -- to have a forum on its air. The lack of journalistic ethics is just mind-boggling.
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