By John L. Hill (May 30, 2023, 12:53 PM EDT) -- Abandoning a right to a jury trial can be crucial in a criminal case if the accused’s character or background is objectionable or if the allegations against the accused are repugnant to traditional societal values. The inferences jurors act upon and their reasoning path to a verdict are secret. The more the accused’s supposed actions deviate from acceptable social norms, the more likely a jury will vote to “take the trash out.”...