Why Veritaserum was ot used at Sirius' trial?.

[justcarol67]

No: HPFGUIDX 128924

Rebecca wrote:
> I agree with Eggplant, its not surprising at all that Veritaserum 
wasn't used when he was arrested. In addition to above, you also need
to consider Sirius' frame-of-mind when he was arrested. Even if they
did use it, its likely that he would have said he *was* responsible 
since his guilt made him feel like that was true (he claims to be 
responsible in the Shrieking Shack). Also, he was near-insane (as far
as the laughter indicates) when he was arrested, and I'd guess, from
the fact that his best friend was just murdered, that after he calmed
down he became depressed and apathetic. It might be that he wasn't 
trying that hard to claim his innocence. <snip> 
>
> If it was universally believed, no secret would be safe, whether it 
> was illegal activity or not. This could have caused quite a bit of 
> problems during OotP, imagine if the Ministry had the power to give 
> every worker Veritaserum and ask them all if they are working with 
> Dumbledore? Thank God their corruption can't reach *that* far.


Carol responds:
What about performing Priori Incantatem on Sirius Black's wand (which
must have been taken directly from his own hand when he was arrested)?
Wouldn't that be less subject to abuse (certainly not dependent on the
suspect's emotional state) than veritaserum or legilimency? If Black's
wand was "not guilty" of performing a recent spell capable of blowing
up a street, then he also would be "not guilty"--unless he somehow
traded wands with Pettigrew, whose wand did contain the record of such
a spell--and was presumably left lying in the street. (He did not have
a wand with him when he was forced to assume human shape in the
Shrieking Shack.) 

A DE like Lucius Malfoy might have more than one wand--one for
performing illegal spells and one for daily use that could be
inspected by the MoM with impunity--but in the case of someone caught
in the act, as Black apparently was, it seems like a serious oversight
to ignore the wand's "testimony." If Amos Diggory used it to
incriminate poor Winky, surely one of the aurors investigating the
murders would have used it to incriminate Sirius? (Or maybe the aurors
refrained from doing it on the spot expecting that Mr. Crouch would
want the evidence presented in court?) Now *there's* a plot hole if
you want one.

Carol, who does think JKR is just covering her tracks regarding
veritaserum but has no way of supporting that opinion and consequently
won't pursue the subject