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Vance jurors: Voted death, but life OK

Respect decision, pair urges

By John Lynch

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Two jurors who favored execution for the man convicted of raping and murdering Little Rock TV news anchor Anne Pressly say they’re satisfied with the verdict that spared his life and that critics should respect the outcome.

Deciding a man’s fate is a heavy burden, both agreed.

“I voted for the death penalty, but I was slightly relieved it didn’t [pass],” said Juror Nine, a North Little Rock man. “I kind of got the best of both worlds.”

The two spoke only on the condition of anonymity out of concern over the rancor of critics who wanted to see Curtis Lavelle Vance put to death for the attack.

As long as jurors followed their oath to honestly ...

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This article was published November 23, 2009 at 4:42 a.m.

Arkansas, Pages 7 on 11/23/2009

Read 6 comments on this story.

Comments on Vance jurors: Voted death, but life OK

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HidyAphrodite says...

I respect the fact that Anne's parents have been so gracious with the final sentencing even though it would have best served society to have put this man to death and be done with him. As it is now, he will continue to be nothing more than a societal parasite as he continues to suck his sustenance from services paid for by the tax payers. As to Vance's sad upbringing -- he isn't the only person to come up the hard way but most of them don't slaughter innocents. Poverty, hard scrabble childhoods and parental deprivation have traditionally been the stuff that made great people as they pulled themselves up by their bootstraps and persevered in life. Nowadays it is an over used excuse to be a sorry degenerate.

November 23, 2009 at 7:14 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

SpecialEd says...

Amendment 6 - Right to Speedy Trial, Confrontation of Witnesses. Ratified
12/15/1791.
In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial,
by an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crime shall have been
committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be
informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have
the Assistance of Counsel for his defence.

The rule of law stands...

November 23, 2009 at 7:40 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

manta says...

How exactly is Vance Curtis going to pay a $35,000.00 fine imposed by the court? Will his mommy pay the fine?
We keep hearing of the makeup of the jury as six men and six women, what about their races? Is that crossing the political correctness line? Where the three opposed to the death penalty black?
I disagree with Juror nines statement "people have no right to say anything, because you weren't there, you don't know the facts, you don't know the circumstances". People in the court heard the same "facts" that Juror nine heard.
We the people also have the right to "speak" as we pay the taxes for this juries existence and decision, either way.
Before the trail Curtis Vance couldn't seem to talk enough about his innocence, the unfairness of the police and system, yet didn't take the stand in his own defense. Instead, allowing his mommy to speak for him.
Justice wasn't served.

November 23, 2009 at 11:24 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

Ran2133 says...

I respect the jury's decision and everyone else should, too. Serving on a capital case jury is a huge responsibility. From the article, it appears these jurors took this responsibility most seriously.

November 23, 2009 at 11:37 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

pradey says...

In the Vance trial, the jury was made up of six white men, four black women, and two white women. Three of the jurors were opposed to the death penalty citing they may have had relatives in similar circumstances (hard childhood) and had issues with subscribing to the death penalty. I do agree that a bad/horrible/abused childhood doesn't give carte blanc to kill, rape, theft, or other crimes.
I have many friends and relatives who've had really bad childhoods but decided as they got older to not allow those circumstances dictate their lives. Others have allowed it to fester and have caved in to the point of continual jail time and miserable lives.
What makes one person move on and another continue to wreak havoc??

November 23, 2009 at 2:29 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

chuck62 says...

I understand that things aren't always as simple as they seem on the surface - but they all firmly agreed that Vance committed what is one of the most horrific crimes of this century. While possible doubt might cause some jorors to show leniency, none expressed any doubt here. The leniency was instead based on: 1) the misguided hope that his children might somehow learn a valuable lesson from him; 2) the cognitive weakness of the jurors who were unable to grasp the moral difference between Pressley's undeserved murder and Vance's deserved justice. They mistakenly believe that they would be responsible for this man's fate, rather than simply imposing the fate that he chose when he first decided to commit a capital crime. Instead of proper justice for Vance and a valuable lesson for his children, they've only succeeded in prolonging the pain of Pressley's innocent family and teaching Vance's children that they won't be held fully accountable for even the worst actions.

November 24, 2009 at 9:30 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

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