Disclosure of Evidence Before Trial

[Jeff Gaines]

BBC News has just covered a press conference from New York relating to
charges against the mayor. A District Attorney and a couple of other
officials spoke and said the mayor had done this, the mayor had done that,
quoting details of the various things they apparently believe he did. No
"we believe", "we allege, "we think" or anything like that, just a
complete disclosure of what he had done all presented as fact.

In the UK we seem to be very circumspect before any trial, even if we tear
the accused to pieces if he/she is convicted.

Doesn't this sort of disclosure before the trial impact on the likelihood
of finding an even minded jury?

Could it happen in the UK?

[John Levine]

Post by Jeff Gaines
BBC News has just covered a press conference from New York relating to
charges against the mayor. A District Attorney and a couple of other
officials spoke and said the mayor had done this, the mayor had done that,
quoting details of the various things they apparently believe he did.

That's all from the indictment which is a public document you can read here:

https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.nysd.628916/gov.uscourts.nysd.628916.2.0_1.pdf

The defendant or more often his lawyers usually put their spin on it, too, in high profile cases like this.

You see the "alleged" stuff in news reports where they are reporting what
the various parties said.