Alex Salmond arrested.

Perhaps, but not if it’s our hero, and certaintly not these allegations .

All heroes have feet of clay. Always have, always will.

He is paddyann’s hero , hard to accept a hero may have ‘feet of clay’

It must be a shock to anyone who knows him and finds him charming and not at all sleazy, and who shares his passionate views on independence.

However, I'm sure this has all been investigated thoroughly and now it has to be ensured the trial is fair for all concerned - not just Salmond.

Well, precisely. I just find it uncharacteristic of her to say something so silly and even if she isn't contributing, she may still be reading this thread.

Some murderers can be charming too.

M0nica I think that paddyann said she wouldn't be back on this thread.
This is all a conspiracy, apparently, to Get him out of the way in case of a second Independence referendum.

As that won't be for another generation he'll be quite old by then.

Many sexual offenders are described as charming and friendly, that is how they make their opportunities to offend.

Paddyann you are usually so sensible in your posts (even when I do not agree with you), but this time I am sorry, but I think you have taken leave of your senses.

perhaps they were intelligent enough not to be swayed by good looks?
In the alleged case of MOJ you are interested in, I mean.

Saying that three out of four people who sit on a jury lack intelligence is quite outrageous though and I just wondered how that opinion was formed - and perhaps they were intelligent enough not to be swayed by good looks?

If only, Anja.

Jalima, the MOJ that I'd posted about wasn't/isn't a high-profile character and furthermore hadn't received a fair trial either. Plus the fact that I'd studied the MOJ for years before I reached my conclusion.

Those who are high-profile can hide their " other lives " for years because being in the public eye with their recognised positions detracts from anything else that they are capable of, i.e. abuse and or sexual harassment.

I am just so sorry for his wife Moira. she is a bit older than he is and keeps a very low profile , what must she be thinking ?

That is the big downside of social media. The " gossip" in an office or pub that might have occurred in the past is now more widely spread and interpreted , spun and misheard. Opinions become truths so quickly nowadays and add to that the current dismissal of experience and expertise by Joe Public and truth is watered down so much it is unrecognizable.

One person's helpful support can be another's sexual harassment.
I once had to type up a very sad report about a Baptist Minister I knew well who had given a teenage girl a hug when she came to him deeply distressed, having failed a vital exam.
His wife was in the adjacent room, the doors were open.
Nothing was seen or thought to be amiss until she went home and said how kind Rev Smith had been - and the parents brought an official complaint against him for hugging her - despite her protests and subsequently those of many people who spoke up for him.

He lost his job and his home too with all the attendant distress to his whole family.
I don't know anything Alex Salmond but the Guardian say, all the press have been cautioned to print only known, public facts. They list the charges.

"It's a thousand pities that 3/4 who act as juror members didn't sit an intelligence test" That is an outrageous statement! How can you discount 3/4 of the population? We need to exclude from juries people who judge others by their facial features that's for sure.

I agree that any comments on social media could prejudice the outcome of a trial and I'd hope that GNHQ will keep an eye out and delete anything which could be thought to do that.
Salmond deserves a fair trial and his accusers need to be heard.

Actually, EllanVannin, I am quite surprised to read your comments as you've posted previously about a case of so-called miscarriage of justice.

Innocent until proven.

Sad no win situation whatever the outcome of the trial.
At one time it was suggested that AS had an alcohol problem. I wonder if he has had mental ill health? Neither alcoholism or mental illness excuses sexual assault but it may go some way to explain the opposing views of some who have met /know him that he is a decent chap and those who obviously feel they have suffered appallingly at his hands.

Did you ever consider a career in profiling EV ?

One of my teachers used to say "Beware of charmers!" It was in relation to Steerforth in David Copperfield and, I always suspected, to something in her youth.

I always thought Jimmy Saville was sleazy, but I didn't always get it right. In the 1970 if my children had wanted to get on "Jim i'll fix it" I would have said "NO", but if they had wanted to meet Rolf Harris I might have thought "He's perfectly wholesome and decent so that's OK". Wrong!!!

What's wrong in me saying I didn't like him anyway ?
It's when those that I dislike commit offences of some sort that I'm not a bit surprised by it.

Harvey Weinstein for instance------he looks what he is ! This is the way I see some people, which is the way I am and has nothing to do with how others perceive these people so why all the backbiting ?

The age limit for people taking part in jury service in Scotland has been removed, meaning anyone aged 65 or over can now sit as a juror in court cases.

The Scottish government said the age limit was "outdated and ageist" and failed to recognise the extra life experience older people could offer.

The ban on over-65s serving as jurors had been in place since 1980.

But changes were made under the Criminal Justice and Licensing (Scotland) Act, which passed last year.

The Scottish government said the move would boost the pool of potential jurors available to Scotland's courts and ease the burden on younger members of the public who may have to juggle family and work commitments.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-12149577

No intelligence test for GN either

I don't particularly like Salmond but I would hope that if I was on a jury (extremely unlikely) I would be impartial and decide on the evidence presented.

I do hope that, in Scotland, he can be judged fairly as anyone should be.