Today courts have been portrayed as the one place where justice
is equally distributed among all of those who have the misfortune
of crossing its sacred threshold. It displaces the anarchy of
vigilante behavior where common man once had the power to judge
as he was seen fit. Replaced by a forum of justice where color is of
no consequence; where the financial stature of an individual has
no credence upon how you will be treated; and regardless of sex
or religious preference you will be judged by action and evidence
alone. This is what makes the judicial system so abundantly
progressive and successful.
From the days of a converted saloon where Judge Roy Bean presided
by his law to the Romanesque pillars of the United States Supreme
Court, where supreme court justices ultimately hold the power of
your destiny or fate; courts of all manner has a heralded mark in
history. It is the romance of how far we have come as man and the
pursuit of democracy.
As many things usually are, what appears to be pristine white on
the outside really is ultimately defined by the core of
hypocrisy, greed, and demotion that lies within Its beautiful
façade.
The deception, itself is the farce you see or hear about when
courts are portrayed as being something they are not. When you
hear of equal justice, the window-dressing is that color, creed,
gender or finance is of no matter, when in real terms is quite the opposite.
I would be fool to categorize everyone in a setting where
Justice is prevalent as being liars or deceivers, because I
really believe there are judges, prosecutors, lawyers, juries and
others who genuinely believe in their job and do it diligently
because they believe in what they do. However, this is as rare as
someone winning the lottery.
Television has portrayed the judicial system in so many ways that
the positive outcome outweighs the tragedies of what really goes
on each day across the country. It is a shame because many people
base their opinions on the perception of what a producer or
director momentarily lends them, they do not tell you about the
life or ugliness most courtrooms present today.
What you see is a hard-nosed judge determined to preside over
cases by law drawn up from that tattered parcel of stained paper
we call our constitution. The prosecutor is usually given the
role of someone who goes by the book in pouring over even the
merest fabric of evidence to build a concrete case against the
defendant. Then you have the lawyers who also believe in the
pursuit of justice for their client, and go beyond their means to
secure a moral victory and a valuable less on that even the courts
can be wrong. Finally, you have your role as a valuable asset to
assure justice prevails by being the pivotal mark in whether
guilt or innocence will be the summary. The jury.
Yes, it all sounds so wonderfully simple and unique. What it
Really is, is an opportunity for power; and each day that power
struggle continues in the name of justice. Courts have become
nothing more than a chess match, and the integrity of justice
becomes trampled beneath all of those who play the game.
It really is about how each player maneuvers their pieces. The
kill and strike is when a prosecutor or lawyer forgets to make a
pivotal move. Usually, this is when a defendant or victim
prevails; when all honesty they play no role in their fate.
It is sad when you must rely on someone else who knows more about
the rules of the game than you do to hold the lives of victims in
such a critical balance. It is as if you have been beaten without
the benefit of at least throwing a punch. Also, it is so
sad that someone who has lost someone or something ends up with
nothing to show for that loss.
The vast majority of judges are nothing more than opportunist who
wield their power with preconceived judgment. Not law. History is
chronicled with judges who were racist, greedy and power-driven
to the point where they would just as soon wipe their butt with
the constitution than be impartial by law. They still exist
throughout courtrooms across the country. Whether they preside
over criminal or civil cases, there is always a means for a
crooked judge to find a way to benefit himself. Criminal cases
usually insure publicity for him, and if he or she is not seated
for life, then the opportunity becomes political in nature. What
they do in high-profit cases (which many volunteer to preside)
will decide whether he receives votes needed to remain in
his respected position or to a higher position. It depends on how
ambitious they are. It's all about how the general public feels
about these cases, that they will be judged. If the public sways
towards innocence, he sways. If it is guilt they desire and a
verdict of guilty is not returned, he will ensure a maximum sentence
is given. Anything else would be political suicide.
Civil cases are simpler because money and contributions are
passed.
Lawyers are accused of not possessing a conscience, when in fact
lawyers do not need a conscience. You can be an admitted serial
killer who has promised to kill again; and they will do everything they feel they are able to do to ensure you go back to
where you came from. And this happens to good Lawyers ! They are
driven by notoriety and greed as well, because no matter what the
case, success pays and failure is not considered underachieved, but simply as a hopeless case that couldn't be won. Their drive
is for success, yes, because success brings extra business. Their
client is usually the billboard by which they advertise.
References to other successful cases and loopholes are their
tools; as well as a Harvard degree to back up the claim that they
know the law enough to bend it.
If judges are opportunists and lawyers are devoid of conscience,
prosecutors epitomize the meaning of each. Most prosecutors
proclaim they love their jobs and the work they do. The fact is,
prosecutors are civil servants, not because the pay and benefits
are that great; but more because they were at the bottom of their class and couldn’t secure a position to practice in a law firm or other private practice. For someone who supposedly loves his job,
why is it that the majority of prosecutors either obtain
judgeship, seats in the government, or are
the courtroom defending the very people who they once had an
overwhelming desire to prosecute?
Prosecutor are supposedly the civil servant who will sit with the
victims and claim to feel their pain and promise they will do
everything to ensure justice prevails. The truth is they
actually do everything they can to win a case. If that means they
should suppress evidence, or go around the direction of law, they
will to win at all cost. The sad thing is, that they do not win for
the victim, but more from themselves. It is not remotely
conceivable to understand how anyone who handles so many cases,
for so many victims can possibly feel as much pain as they claim
they do. The fact is, over time an immunity Is built by
observing and experiencing so much raw evidence ranging from rape
to murder, that pain and sorrow is nowhere near the avenue of
tolerance that has been built over time. Which goes to say, that
if you are tampering with evidence, as well as putting up a
facade of pain and understanding before victims, your job has
nothing to do with the public, as much as your hidden agenda has
everything to do with your chance in the private practice field
or selfish political ambition.
Juries are another question in the judicial system. When a jury
is sequestered they are hand picked by judges, lawyers and
prosecutors. Each become a pawn in the conspiracy that may
develop. They are chosen by their beliefs, how well they are
acquainted with the case at hand, and if they can be impartial.
How much you appeal to the attorney or prosecutor is how you will
either be chosen or released. It’s almost as if you are sized up
in the meat locker before you are good enough to meet the
butcher's knife.
However, this is only the beginning. Once you are seated, you are
directed by the judge to be unbiased and base the fare of someone
you do not know upon the evidence presented. They ask you to
understand the law by what is quoted during the trial. Finally,
if you do all of this, you will ultimately find innocence or
guilt. This is absurd!
Am I to believe that 12 normal I people from all walks of life,
varying in degrees of education, as well as being yanked from
their families, is able to sit down and have the patience to
clearly understand legal jargon and rules of law that lawyers
take years to know? Or, am I supposed to believe these people,
who have probably never seen or experienced any real violence,
can literally be impartial when they view macabre and inhumane
autopsies, bloody weapons, and other assorted evidence?
For someone who is not supposed to have a conscience or remorse,
even I can see the level of difficulty of just having one
individual be able to carry such a burden - muchless 12
individuals.
To be a juror you are responsible for so much. You are asked to
make a decision that will impact on lives. It is not the judge,
prosecutor or lawyer who handles such tremendous weight because
they know you will do your "Civic Duty" to ensure justice is
granted. However, are you really doing that when you may have
been cheated of a few things that you may have needed to fully carry
out your duty?
You have to remember that your career is not impacted upon by being a
juror. However, the main players in the courtroom have careers
that can be ruined by a loss. What would you do to save your career ? Both sides, minus the victim and defendant, have a
priority to win; and sadly, that win comes at the expense of what
never makes it to the courtroom. Do you believe the whole truth
is ever told?
Would a lawyer present something or share damning information
with a prosecutor; when he knows It will be used as leverage against him
or his client? Would a prosecutor prepare a case for months and sometimes years, only to find new evidence contrary to what he
prepared for, and not have the urge to conveniently lose such
evidence?
We have not mentioned the deals that are made each day between
lawyers, prosecutors, and judges without thought of actual guilt
or innocence. This justice monopolizes lives as if they were of
no concern. It is a bartering system of time and assorted punishment.
These people do not leave the courtroom with any emotion that
justice was remotely served. It is a job they do each day and no
victim, criminal or unique to them. All semblances of emotion is lost in the chess match of cases that have clouded
their conscience and ethics. It is only natural when you deal
with repetition.
Justice is secondary to careers – it is just a cliché when you hear
any slogan that the courts readily adopt in the name of justice.
William Knotts Z-543
Holman 3700, 4-U-6
Atmore AL 36503
Written May, 2002
Something to think about
Words from death row......
For a full list of articles written by Juveniles on Alabama's Death Row, go to the complete list of titles at
Stories.
