I was on that Jury, we were instructed repeatedly on avoiding bias when looking at the proceedings - keep our perceptions of their guilt out of it, only consider what is in evidence, don’t let your emotional response sway you.
I wound up taken off the jury before the verdict (me, two other jurors, and the jury officer tested positive for COVID at the start of the final week of the trial) but everyone else got that same spiel and likely more when it came time for deliberation. It’s rich to say “the jury just didn’t understand what they were supposed to do!” as a defense here. We did. That’s why the Bilodeaus were only found guilty on one count of murder and three counts of manslaughter - prosecution started off seeking second degree murder for all four counts. They both received light sentences for causing the deaths of two innocent men because the rule of law demanded it.
Trying to get out on a technicality.
I was on that Jury, we were instructed repeatedly on avoiding bias when looking at the proceedings - keep our perceptions of their guilt out of it, only consider what is in evidence, don’t let your emotional response sway you.
I wound up taken off the jury before the verdict (me, two other jurors, and the jury officer tested positive for COVID at the start of the final week of the trial) but everyone else got that same spiel and likely more when it came time for deliberation. It’s rich to say “the jury just didn’t understand what they were supposed to do!” as a defense here. We did. That’s why the Bilodeaus were only found guilty on one count of murder and three counts of manslaughter - prosecution started off seeking second degree murder for all four counts. They both received light sentences for causing the deaths of two innocent men because the rule of law demanded it.
They were drunk driving/heavily impaired (especially while hunting) but yeah, this was 1000% instigated and executed by the Bilodeau’s.