Quote:
Originally Posted by shinerbock
I'm firmly in the "some people just deserve an ass kicking" camp as well. However, from what I've read most of these kids (white and black) were probably not morally qualified to administer such baseball bat justice.
Let me put it to you this way. Stuff that is happening in Jena today is what keeps people like me from caring. For an analogy...I'm not a huge Bush fan. I'm a Republican, but he pisses me off a lot. However, I'll often battle those who hate him, and refuse to get fired up about their concerns, just because I think they're ridiculous in their attacks. Its similar here. If this wasn't blown up into a sensationalized event with unsavory people suddenly being portrayed as taking the moral high ground...the legal side of me would probably care that something questionable had occurred. But instead I feel that lending my support at this point (although I'm obviously willing to question the justice doled out here), would only strengthen certain elements that I think are absurd.
|
I can agree with basically all of that.
I don't think I've commented in this thread very much about the LA justice system except to say that I don't know enough to be able to say such harsh things about unequal treatment, etc.
The media reports I've read have been incredibly slanted to one side of the facts. It's hard in light of the fact that I know the information I'm receiving is slanted to be able to judge whether the prosecutors in this case are doing the right thing. I can easily fit the facts of the case to attempted murder in the 2nd degree. Whether or not that's justified? I dunno.
As to the public defender not calling a single witness, it's a fairly common defense tactic, especially when the prosecution has just called a litany of eye witnesses to simply rely on a vigorous cross examination (if that's even possible) and a plea for mercy in closing. Given the facts, I don't think there is any way to put on a really, really strong defense.. so since I wasn't there, I don't really think it's right to say the defense attorney did a bad job.