A Word about today's Komisarjevsky Verdict

It's taken over four long years to finally reach this point. 

I'm pleased with the result of today's verdict; even somewhat surprised that things came out the way they did - handing murderer Joshua Komisarjevsky the death penalty on all six counts seems miraculous - particularly given the extremely stoic, and unemotional nature of this Jury - in comparison to the Steven Hayes Jury.  There were few breakdowns of emotion when they viewed the horrific crime scene photos, and no angry glances over at the Defendant by members of this group of twelve.  Reporters found this Jury hard to read, but not necessarily less engaged than the last. 

The antics of Komisarjevsky's Attorney Jeremiah Donovan didn't help matters.  His endless campaign against Petit Foundation pins diminished his stature in the eyes of the Jurors and the Public.  His multi-baseless attempts at calling for mistrials, and his distasteful and crude comments about the Hawke-Petit Family, and references to their supporters as the Petit Posey has permanently damaged his reputation beyond repair.  He started off on the wrong foot by breaking a court gag order and then trying to bully Judge John Blue which didn't endear him to the Court, or anyone else for that matter.  He ended his tenure by bad-mouthing the Uncle of Komisarjevsky during the post trial press conference - an act of pure stupidity.  Donovan is a broken man, bitter, and alone.  If there was ever a living person who more resembled A Christmas Carol's old Ebenezer Scrooge - it's Jeremiah Donovan.

Critics of the Death Penalty have always made the claim that this trial was really about putting the State on trial. We, who support the Death Penalty couldn't agree more. Every mother and father, sister and brother, aunt and uncle, grandmother and grandfather in Connecticut watched this trial with trepidation and fear. As much as we could, we put ourselves in the shoes of the Petit-Hawke family. We all asked the same question - if this had happened to us, would the system we hold so dear, deliver justice on our behalf?  Would our fellow citizens have the courage to make the right choice for us? For all of us?

The answer is Yes.

And don't think every con and would-be villain didn't take note of the results of these two trials.  Maybe we don't know where the State would draw the line in the sand, but we do know that at least Connecticut isn't a free-pass zone for murderers.  We can thank State Prosecutors Michael Dearington and his assistant Gary Nicholson for that. 

For those of us who've been steadfast supporters of the Petit-Chapman family since 2007, it's been a journey that started with sadness and ends with sadness. To this end critics of the process are correct - handing Hayes and Komisarjevsky the sentence they deserve will not bring Jennifer, Hayley, or Michaela back to life, or patch the pain.  But the decision to execute two evil monsters does bring a sense of closure that we've sought for a long time.  This has always been about justice for the Petits, not blood-thirsty revenge as the simplistic anti-death penalty crowd would have you believe. 

I want to leave you with one final thought.  Sure, the trial is over, and the media circus has headed home for the holidays.  While all of us will gather with friends and family this Christmas - singing carols and opening presents, Dr. William Petit and his family are stuck with the vision of what could have been.  Beyond today's verdict we are still left with an empty pit in our stomachs. This whole four year journey will not be simply shelved and forgotten; we will keep the Petit women in our hearts and minds for decades to come.

I AM

THE KING

This original blog entry can be read at http://www.thekingsview.blogspot.com

This entry will be revised at a future date.