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The gruesomely detailed trial of Philadelphia doctor Kermit Gosnell has been sent to the jury for deliberations. This is the second-to-last point at which the media is likely to pay much attention to the case, but that hasn't prompted the flurry of updates media critics demanded a month ago. Mostly because nothing much of interest is happening in the trial.
When Gosnell was arrested at the beginning of 2011, investigators were stunned at what they found in the clinic where he performed abortions. We ran through the horrors in March, like fetus body parts stored in jars and bags around the office. Gosnell's alleged treatment of his patients was also horrible: improper administration of anesthetic — resulting in at least one death — and verbal and physical abuse. His staff was poorly trained; one was a high school student. The trial, however, focused on murder — allegations that Gosnell delivered live babies and then ended their lives. He originally faced eight charges of murder, including for the adult who died under anesthesia. A week ago, the judge reduced that to five.
But, beyond those revelations, though, there wasn't very much to cover. The machinations of a trial can be arduous and nuanced, rarely lending themselves to the sorts of articles that sell papers (or drive clicks). Most of the horrifying detail was released in the grand jury report that came out months ago, leaving little but rhetoric in the court room. The first quote from the prosecution's closing arguments in the USA Today report is: "He's the captain of that hell … It is time for us to extinguish that hell."