November 22, 2021
Dear Editor and Readership,
In reference to the media hullabaloo about Kyle Rittenhouse and his verdict, there is only one opinion that really counts, and that is of the jury.
What I learned as a “trier of fact” in 7 1/2 years of being a USAF commanding officer with Article 15 authority and my time sitting as a juror on about 20 Courts Martial and Convened Discharge Board actions is that no one can second-guess a jury because all the facts would not be present to be evaluated. Those facts must be heard and compared word-for-word to what the written law states. So, unless someone actually sits through a complete courtroom session to include the jury deliberations, their opinion is just that; a conclusion not based on data. Therefore, their verbiage is just another person with a gut guess. Any honest judge will agree with the above.
Regards,
James M. Hoover, CACM
Captain, USAF (Retired)