Great White Throne Judgment Series

October 12, 2003

Title: Great White Throne Judgment

Text: Rev. 20:11-15

Introduction

1. True stories...

A woman who was being interviewed to be a prospective juror in a Dallas District Court was surprised by the definition of voluntary manslaughter given to the panel: which read, "an intentional killing that occurs while the defendant is under the immediate influence of sudden passion arising from an adequate cause, such as when a spouse’s mate is found in a ’compromising position.’" She told the court, "See, I have a problem with that passion business,During my first marriage, I came in and found my husband in bed with my neighbor. All I did was divorce him. I had no idea that I could have shot him." She wasn’t selected for the jury.

Actual exerpt, from an actual court case: Defense counsel: The truth of the matter is that you are not an unbiased, objective witness, isn’t it? You too were shot in the fracas? Witness: No, sir. I was shot midway between the fracas and the naval.

Counsel: What device do you have in your laboratory to test alcohol content? Witness: I have a dual column gas chromatograph, Hewlett-Packard 5710A with flame analyzation detectors. The Court: Can you get that with mag wheels? Witness: Only on the floor models.

A man on trial in the Fourth Judicial district of Tennessee had previously pleaded "not guilty." However, once the jury, eight women and four men, had been seated and the trial was under way, the defendant switched his plea. "Why did you change?" asked the judge, "Were you improperly persuaded to plead ’guilty’?" "No Sir," the man replied, "When I pleaded ’not guilty’, I didn’t know women would be on the jury. I can’t fool one woman, so I know I can’t fool eight of them."

In Pittsburgh in March of 1994, Donita Jo Artis, 24, told prosecutors and the judge, after being denied custody of her 3-year-old son and sentenced to prison for beating him until he was blind, deaf, and unable to walk, "You guys are so unfair."

Title this one, "The Lord Giveth, The Feds Taketh Away Associated Press - When William H. Irvin III received a government check for $836,939.19 in June, 1992, he considered it a gift from God since he had recently prayed for self-sufficiency. A federal court jury in Kansas City, Mo., was unmoved: it was a computer error, they said, not God, which boosted his $183.69 check to the higher amount. Convicted of knowingly spending government money, filing a false tax return and money laundering, he faces 43 years in prison and a $1.25 million fine.

Prosecutor: Did you kill the victim? Defendant: No, I did not. Prosecutor: Do you know what the penalties are for perjury? Defendant: Yes, I do. And they’re a lot better than the penalty for murder.

The following is a courtroom exchange between a defense attorney and a farmer with a bodily injury claim. It came from a Houston, Texas insurance agent. Attorney: At the scene of the accident, did you tell the constable you had never felt better in your life? Farmer: That’s right. Attorney: Well, then, how is it that you are now claiming you were seriously injured when my client’s auto hit your wagon? Farmer: When the constable arrived, he went over to my horse, who had a broken leg, and shot him. Then he went over to Rover, my dog, who was all banged up, and shot him. When he asked me how I felt, I just thought under the circumstances, it was a wise choice of words to say I’ve never felt better in my life.

Q. Now, Mrs. Johnson, how was your first marriage terminated? A. By death. Q. And by whose death was it terminated?

Q. Doctor, did you say he was shot in the woods? A. No, I said he was shot in the lumbar region-not lumber region.

Q. What is your name? A. Ernestine McDowell. Q. And what is your marital status? A. Fair.

Q. Doctor, how many autopsies have you performed on dead people? A. All my autopsies have been performed on dead people.

Q. What happened then? A. He told me, he says, "I have to kill you because you can identify me." Q. Did he kill you? A. No.

Q. And lastly, Gary, all your responses must be oral. Okay? What school do you go to? A. Oral. Q. How old are you? A. Oral.

(from http://www.funy.net/lists/courtroom-list.htm)

2. We love our courtroom dramas...

Think of Raymond Burr in all those Perry Mason movies...

Andy Griffith in Matlock...

In more recent times, we have The Practice

and Judging Amy.

There are many movies that include Courtroom scenes

"12 Angry Men" is a classic.

In fact, now there is a cable channel that is called Court TV...