Bible in the jury room
The week's news at a glance.
Denver
The Colorado Supreme Court threw out a murderer’s death sentence this week because jurors consulted the Bible during their deliberations. Robert Harlan was convicted in 1995 of raping and murdering a cocktail waitress near Denver. Several jurors said they studied Bible passages—including the Old Testament’s “eye for eye, tooth for tooth”—before sentencing Harlan to death. The court’s majority said the Bible was a “distraction” that kept jurors from making up their own minds. “They went to the Bible to find out God’s position on capital punishment,” defense attorney Kathleen Lord said. The conservative Christian group Focus on the Family said the ruling confirmed that the nation’s courts were “nearly bereft of any moral foundation.”
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Why more and more adults are reaching for soft toys
Under The Radar Does the popularity of the Squishmallow show Gen Z are 'scared to grow up'?
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
Magazine solutions - December 27, 2024 / January 3, 2025
Puzzles and Quizzes Issue - December 27, 2024 / January 3, 2025
By The Week US Published
-
Magazine printables - December 27, 2024 / January 3, 2025
Puzzles and Quizzes Issue - December 27, 2024 / January 3, 2025
By The Week US Published