Anybody else watch "The Staircase" on Netflix? [View all]

[Goodheart]

I guess it's really unlikely to give "spoilers" here because the Michael Peterson trial was so public, but if you don't know his verdict or fate and you're interested in seeing the documentary then it's probably best not to read the rest of this.

Anyway, a few observations:

- Peterson is AS GUILTY AS SIN. I don't have to see the many details of the case left out of the documentary to state that as a juror I would have voted to convict.

- It's very difficult to not be disgusted by paid "expert witnesses", Dr. Henry Lee in particular. You remember Dr. Lee, don't you? The so-called "splatter expert" made famous by the O.J. trial? Well, he's part of this circus, too, and his schtick is very obvious: get rich by playing contrarian to logic, to soak up big bucks from desperate but rich clients. He has no shame.

- It's very easy to be disgusted by public officials who create or lie about evidence, and I feel that if they're caught they should face the same penalties the defendant would have gotten if convicted. There's one guy in this case, for example, who robbed an innocent man of 17 years of his life, cheating that man of watching his daughter grow, graduate, get married, and having his grandson. Absolutely disgusting. And as painfully obvious as it is to me that Peterson is guilty, he certainly was entitled to a new trial.

- Some criminal defense attorneys are not even human, in my book. I could not in a million years lend my expertise to defending somebody I KNOW beyond a reasonable doubt murdered at least one, if not two, women in his life. Yes, they have a job to do, but I couldn't do it. And despite his attorney's insistence that Peterson had nothing to do with those deaths I just can't buy it. As the evidence piled up he's just oblivious... guess that's the mindset you have to take.

- It's outrageous in this country what advantages a rich person has within our justice system. This Peterson guy was able to hire a team... strike that, it was like an entire COMMITTEE.. of defense lawyers, who in turn then hired multiple practice jurors, video presentation experts, took plane trips to Germany, hired so-called "experts" to appear at trial, etc., etc. If Peterson spent less than $5 million on his defense I'd be shocked. A poor man who couldn't do those things would have gotten a day in court and then thrown immediately into the slammer.