The fact that the community and trial were strongly polarized along religious lines was a factor in the outcome and in the decisions of the judges and lawyers throughout the case. Orlo Miller in his book goes on to implicate the Biddulph Peace Society and members of other societies like the Whiteboys and their influence on the decisions of those in the courtroom. This combined with the lack of hard evidence left the prosecution with no chance of securing a guilty verdict, and possibly not wanting one because of the backlash that could have taken place. Even the crown attorney Charles Hutchinson had written to Aemilius Irving stating that trying to secure a guilty verdict was a "waste of time and money," because of the negative feelings toward the Donnellys in the Middlesex county.