A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Our justice system is designed to protect the innocent and the highest standard of proof is required in order for twelve citizens of our community to unanimously agree on a verdict of guilty or not guilty. Jurors swear that they will truly try the issues within the confines of the instructions of the court. In the Ceriale trial, just as in any other trial, jurors are to vote their conscience and should not sacrifice their beliefs. The fact that eleven of the twelve jurors found that they believed the defendant was guilty, does not infer that one juror alone should be cast as a villain.
Reasonable doubt is an elusive concept that can be defined differently by reasonable people.
Sam Shipp did just that. Shipp faced overwhelming forces during the ten days of deliberations. He stated at one point that he considered giving in and changing his vote, however, he knew that he would have to live with himself after the verdict. In the face of great adversity from the eleven other jurors, he courageously stood by his beliefs. Shipp obviously believed that the evidence at trial did not satisfy the burden of proof beyond a reasonable doubt.