It's a hard reality, to which I know this woman clearly was disgusted by the final outcome. To me, I knew what the decision was going to be, and it was overwhelming. I think the end came as a shock to her, and angered her deeply. Did I agree with her assessment of the truth? Nope. But I could see how she could see it her way, and I completely sympathized with her viewpoint. But the jury was surprisingly one sided. This trial would've done much better had it been mediated outside the people.
What this co-juror did get correct was that the decision was made on emotion. I know for me, I was tapped dry and tired and beaten to a pulp. I was sick of hearing anything about this trial and wanted to just cry. Cry, meaning, shell-shocked. It was abuse, despite what the state of California wants you to believe. This was not justice. The decision was just a formality.
But what I wanted to say was...is it just because I understand people better than this woman? Possibly. Or the nature of what the world has become. Or we're just easily fooled. To me, the case was about an older man giving a younger man an opportunity. The younger man took some initiative AFTER things were set up in the world. They became somewhat partners. The older man treated the younger man like a son. Now, in Korean culture, perhaps being treated like a son may appear like abuse. But given the money being thrown around, I don't think we could've gotten past the dollars that were being thrown to him. What we saw were essentially a spoiled rotten son, angry at his mentor and setting out to prove he was always better than him. The underhanded move, is pretty ruthless between people who, at one time, cared about each other.
The co-juror saw the older man being a narcissist and a win-at-all-cost megalomaniac who cared about nothing but making money. Which is true. However, he did start the company, found the only client they had. And the young cat stole it from underneath him.
To me, I understand the resentment that is involved in wanting to do such a thing. I believe there is a Westernized core in the younger Korean guy that has entitlement. He was verbally promised something, so he should get it. Without work? Without effort? Without a plan? The last thing the older guy, I think wanted, was to not have this younger guy take over for him. If he was shaped to be a man in his image. A lot of pride was injured. A lot of disrespect was given. Had any of us in the jury been given the opportunity for success as this young man had been given, I think we'd have been very grateful. Perhaps that's what it was at the beginning. A great big dream coming to a crashing fiery end. A lot of zeroes and paper have a way of doing that to people.
Anyway, I'm free now. My assumption of the human condition seems to have been reinforced by (at the very least...the majority of my co-jurors). It's very interesting that the wife of the younger guy had given us all a card that thanked us for the service on the jury. Specifically, calling us all out by name. I think they, at the very least, understood they really put us through the ringer.
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