http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,11069-2156376,00.html
I have many issues with our court system. I have ranted before about the status as a competitive system as opposed to a justice system. The laws are twisted, confusing, unreasonable, unclear...the law protectors are among the worst offenders...sometimes it is downright pedantic.
And now comes this: The definition of a word is vital to deciding the fate of someone's life, so the judge, wanting to be sure everything is handled properly, does not want the jury to look it up in a dictionary? Tell me this is just shoddy reporting because if it is accurate, there should be another trial; either for the judge or for whoever made some law that he is simply ruling on that it is better to have unimformed jurors then people doing everything possible to make sure they get it right.