If anyone has ever had the inclination to witness a live criminal trial, there has never been a better time. In the interest of personal growth, I would recommend everyone sit through just one trial if they have the opportunity. Journalists try their best to bring it to you, but nothing can state the experience like actually being there.

Sitting among the long wooden church-like pews captivated by the slow and unfolding search for truth .. to trace the wandering eyes of a defendant as he’s defended and attacked.

Easily the most intense moment of any trial comes at the end. A verdict always comes forth to the most silent of rooms, as if someone had just blurted out a personal secret in a crowd at a time of an awkward silence.

The next most intense moment is when the defendant takes the stand. The way it goes is that the defense attorney asks his questions first. Once finished, the long anticipated conflict between the state and the defendant is granted in public display as the prosecutor gets to finally speak to the accused, often for the first and only time.

The tentative relationship of public media, the judiciary and the community is certainly one that’s often strained. The infamy of the accused will again grace the front pages of every local paper as a number of men charged with murder prepare for trial.

There are several scheduled to begin later in the year, some of them are among the most potent of crimes. Three different men currently sitting in our county jail have murder charges hanging over their heads.