Friday, January 15, 1999

About The Series

The goal of The Skeptical Juror is to reduce the frequency with which we condemn the innocent among us to prison. We hope to achieve this goal by placing the reading public in the role of jurors in actual trials, allowing them an opportunity to experience the challenges and responsibilities which await them.

Each book in The Skeptical Juror series recreates a single, actual trial as a drama in three acts: Trial, Deliberation, and Aftermath. Each act casts the reader in the role of a juror.

The first book in the series is The Skeptical Juror and the Trial of Byron Case. Byron Case faces a charge of murder in the first degree for shooting Anastasia WitbolsFeugen in the face, with a shotgun, from point-blank range. The state relies on the ever-changing testimony of Byron’s embittered ex-girlfriend and on an incriminating audio tape of a phone call between them. The defense relies on a disinterested third party witness who supports Byron’s version of events. The Prelude and Introduction are available for your review.

During Trial, you will hear the actual opening arguments, closing arguments, and jury instructions. You will hear all the evidence from all the witnesses. The witness testimony has been converted to first person narrative, for ease of reading. The integrity of the testimony, however, has been preserved. The tesitmony of the first witness in the case, Deputy David Epperson, is available for your review.

During Deliberation, we dissect the jury instructions and the witness testimony. The deliberation of Deputy Epperson's testimony is available for your review.

At the close of the deliberations, you are left to decide your own verdict. How would you have voted? Is he guilty? Did you vote to acquit? However you decide, your decision will be tested soon thereafter when you learn of the actual verdict in this case. Assuming the verdict is Guilty, you will learn of the sentencing and hear from the family who lost the one so dear to them.

The second test of your vote won't be far behind. In the Aftermath of the trial, we will dig further into the case. By reviewing actual case documents and by conducting independent investigations, we will learn that which was kept from us as jurors. As an example, portions of Byron's jailhouse journal are revealing. 

The current plan is to create a series of ten books.


The Skeptical Juror and The Trial of Cory Maye is now available on Amazon in both print and Kindle format.

The Skeptical Juror and The Trial of Cameron Todd Willingham is now available on Amazon in Kindle format. It will soon be available on Amazon in print format.