Re-trial by television?

[taranaki]

8 years ago a farmer killed his wife. He was subsequently tried and found guilty by the legal system.

8 years later, the victim's family receive notification that a television production company is making a reality-style documentary in which a jury of their choosing will re-examine the evidence and offer a ['verdict'.
The victims' family have no say in whether or not their lives are put to air or not, there is no obligation for the producers to present any or all of the facts,and the 'verdict' has no meaning in law. All that matters to them is how many people watch the adverts that get placed in the final product.


Can 'reality TV' sink any lower?






Harmer TV trial angers police
By JO MCKENZIE-MCLEAN - The Press | Wednesday, 21 March 2007

Police are furious the case of convicted wife murderer Kevin Harmer will be retried by a television mock jury tomorrow night, upsetting his dead wife's family.


TV3's Inside New Zealand: What's Your Verdict? will consider evidence in the case of the former Selwyn District Council manager, who was convicted of killing his wife, Jillian Thomas, on their Dunsandel farm in October 1999.

The programme uses a "hand-picked jury" to re-examine evidence in high-profile cases.

Thomas's body was found in the couple's burnt-out Land Rover.

During Harmer's trial, the Crown claimed the murder was motivated by greed and his infatuation for an escort he met in Wellington while on business months before his wife's death.

Harmer was sentenced in 2002 to a minimum non-parole 14-year sentence for Thomas's murder.

The police officer in charge of the inquiry, Detective Sergeant Ken Legat, said the documentary was nothing more than "infotainment".

"Police do not believe that a programme of this type, which takes 40 minutes commercial air time, could possibly set out the case or debate the issues clearly," he said.

Police stood by the decision of the jury and the subsequent upholding of its decision in the Court of Appeal, Legat said.

"The Harmer inquiry took nearly two years of inquiries and six weeks of trial. The jury heard and debated all the evidence in reaching their unanimous guilty verdict," he said.

Thomas's family was notified by a letter from the production house that the programme would be aired, that it "may be disturbing" and that sensitive material would be shown, Legat said.

"(The police) believe it to be insensitive to the victim's family that this matter is being rehashed for a form of entertainment," he said.

Police had no involvement in the production of the programme and had not been formally notified.

"Police were aware that an application had been made for the court transcripts and all documentation and did not oppose this through the Crown, but requested that photographic evidence be withheld," Legat said.

Thomas's parents said they received a letter from the broadcaster last week informing them the programme was to be aired. "We have got nothing to say. We would not have anything to do with it."

Thomas's sister said the family was not happy about the programme being aired.

"We don't really like it, but what can we do about it? We don't want to bring it up again. It's just never-ending," she said.

Harmer's current wife, the former escort, who cannot be named because of a court order, said yesterday that the family hoped the documentary would raise the profile of Harmer's case and "open people's eyes to what the real story is".

"We were really quite intrigued because we had seen a pilot on Mark Lundy and they really seemed to have an unbiased approach," she said.

No family members were interviewed for the documentary and they had not seen a preview of the documentary on her husband, she said.

She started doing business as a high-price escort with Harmer three months before his wife died.

"(The documentary) will be really good because I'm sick of it all being about me and my involvement," Harmer's wife said.

"Police made it out that it was this big affair and I was the scarlet woman. There was no affair. It was strictly business."

The Harmers planned to appeal against the conviction and seek a pardon, she said.

"I will not settle for less than a pardon. (Kevin) has got me and I am not going to leave - ever. It's been a hard battle and it's not over yet," she said.

A lot of the battle came from public scrutiny, she said.

Harmer, 52, was working in the kitchen at Christchurch Men's Prison, she said.

His daughter, Bronwyn Harmer, speaking to The Press from Australia, said the last time she spoke to her father was at Christmas. He had mentioned the programme to her then.

"I suppose if it helps Dad's case, good on them. What more can you do?" she said.

Producer Alex Clark said the programme encouraged "necessary debate about the criminal justice system and, in particular, the role of the jury".

"We are not seeking to make any statement about the merits of any of the cases," he said.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/3127301a4621.html

[fredjacksonsan]

Bunch of crap, and yes they've sunk low. Something like that should be left alone.

[drunken monkey]

how long until to televised executions?

[Gohan Ryu]

Anyone remember the movie The Running Man? 20 years ago when I saw it I thought TV would never degrade to the level it had in that movie...but nowadays it looks like that's exactly what's happening.