So, now that the trial is over and the publicity has begun to die away, the supposed “Grinch that Stole Christmas” isn’t guilty of anything.

Last year, a Knoxville woman was accused of stealing Christmas toys from a charity that she volunteered for. Monday, a jury found her innocent of any such crime. However, because of the circumstances of the theft, she had previously been chastised by the press as guilty. Things had gotten so bad that her trial even had to be moved to Madison County because of intense pretrial publicity.

While the verdict has left her feeling vindicated, the woman also feels that her life was destroyed because she was portrayed in a such a bad light. Negative sentiments, before all the facts were disclosed, indeed look like they got out of hand in this case.

What seems to have been forgotten is that suspects are innocent until proven guilty. It may not be enough to apologize for a mistake after the courtroom empties. For that matter, apologies shouldn’t be needed; suspects should be viewed fairly from the beginning.