SLF in AZ
Actually my opinion is shaped as it is because I see the trial as an extension of the indictment.
And you are still doing it.
You may see the trial as an extension of the indictment
"Indictment" is a feature unique to Common Law regimes. It has no sense, meaning, validity under other forms of law.
So your point is totally without foundation.
This trial is not to be conducted under US regimes of law, custom or practice, because although it may strike you as inconvenient, the accident occurred on French soil, and according to a non-judicial investigation by a duly competent investigation body, there is a question of responsibility to be answered by a corporate body which happens to be American.
It will no doubt bore other readers, but I will just attempt one more time to assist you in your understanding of French legal process.
You may not have followed the story, but a former Prime Minister of France was tried recently for having been allegedly complicit in a smear campaign against the President of France amongst others, in connection with what became known as the "Clearstream" affair.
The Court cleared him absolutely of the charges. The President was a "Partie Civile" (see earlier posts about the meaning of this, but briefly means that he was a private party to the prosecution).
The judges used and showed their complete independence from administrative interference in reaching their decision.
So in the end we are left with a couple of poor sods that were coerced into bad decisions decades ago and a convenient scapegoat (Continental) while ignoring the underlying operational transgressions and shortcomings that may very well be the root cause of the tragedy.
No.
We are left with a judicial process scheduled to last 4 months or so, when all aspects will be examined.
Under your version of things, they could all show up and say "It was Continental's fault"
The evil French would all agree.
The hearing would last 20 minutes.
But it is not like that.