Jurors Decide to Pay a Convicted Woman’s Fine

Photo credit: JMacPherson, CC BY 2.0.

Today in “it looks like it’s time to update Twelve Angry Men again,” we go to the Washington Post:

What the jury did was extraordinary. They felt bad for the young woman, pregnant with her second child, and agreed that she had made a dumb, youthful mistake [by stealing three rings from a home she was cleaning]. Reluctantly, they convicted her of the felony. But the fine they imposed was her daily pay as a maid, $60. And then they took up a collection and gave her the money to pay the fine.

You’ll want to read the whole story for the details—including the response from the woman whose rings, worth $5,000, had been stolen.

But I love the idea that a jury can both agree that a person is guilty and agree that they’re going to help her.

Support The Billfold

The Billfold continues to exist thanks to support from our readers. Help us continue to do our work by making a monthly pledge on Patreon or a one-time-only contribution through PayPal.