RE-I don't expect a complete bloodbath and a Question

Mon Jan 6 21:50:00 UTC 2003

No: HPFGUIDX 49308

Cathy:I have a question now. Why when Sirius Black was caught by the
MOM after they thought he killed Wormtail(Peter Pettigrew) and a
street full of muggles and betrayed James and Lily was he not given
Veritaserum(Truth serum). Surely he denied the charges against him? 
So it would have been the most logical course of action to take."

I think your last sentence is the key.  Barty Crouch Sr., then Chief
of Magical Law Enforcement,  wasn't interested in logic.  He just
wanted to close the case, get somebody in Azkaban, and he wasn't too
fussy about who it was.  Sirius didn't even get a trial, Veritaserum
or no.  Do you remember how Crouch jumped to conclusions that three
teenagers (H/R/H)had cast the Dark Mark at the Quidditch World Cup? 
He's not a careful man.

If Veritaserum is infallible, then why isn't it used in every case? 
They could have given it to Barty Jr.13 years before the Goblet of
Fire to find out if he was a DE or not, or to Hagrid to see if he was
letting the monster out of the Chamber of Secrets. Is there wizard law
affecting the ability to use Veritaserum examinations as evidence? 
Otherwise there's not one, but a whole series of plot holes.