Yesterday – 12 jurors in Florida found Casey Anthony not guilty of murdering her daughter. With it’s twists and turns – the trial gained nationwide notoriety – and dominated mainstream news reports for the better part of 3 years. Many were shocked by the verdict – as Anthony’s guilt was a foregone conclusion in most of the media.

So not only does this case remind us of just how our legal system works – that it’s up to 12 jurors and not a team of TV pundits to determine guilt or innocence – but this case also highlighted the perversion of our most basic legal tenant – that we are innocent until proven guilty.

It’s a strong legal system that keeps our nation from descending into chaos like Somalia. Let’s not erode it with Murdoch-style sensationalized infotainment. Instead, we should consider the old Canadian system of only reporting on crimes after convictions have been made, and never naming an accused in the media.