If there weren’t a man’s life and broader principles of innocent-til-proven-guilty at stake here, the opinions of Washingtonians concerning their sniper would be even funnier.

When defence lawyers surveyed potential jurors around Washington earlier this year, all but one said Mr Muhammad was guilty and should be executed. The sole exception was someone who did not know whether or not the defendant was guilty but said he should be executed anyway.

Admittedly, this news has had a significant deterrent effect on me: I have no intention of being accused of any crimes in Washington DC or Virgina. Or ever going there. Or pissing on them if they were on fire. Trial by jury relies on juries not being filled with barbaric hatemongers – and it looks like there’s a surfeit in the area…