Everyone who works in the criminal justice system, in any capacity, should have the experience of being arrested and jailed at least once. The weight of the whole system landing on top of you will change you forever. The sense of being a bug in the shadow of a shoe is unmistakable. I'm here to testify.
I was lucky. I didn't do it, the charges were dropped, and I was only held for 24 hours. Maybe, if you go through it a few times, you get used to it, but I doubt it. I'm betting you just get ground down and down. Judges, trial lawyers, prosecutors and police don't give a damn about "truth." They only care about winning, or at least covering their own asses. Cops arrest the wrong people all the time. Many "innocent" victims of the criminal justice system have spent decades in prison, and many were executed, because the system doesn't care about truth.
Casey Anthony, accused killer of her child and accused low-life slut, was acquitted of murder charges yesterday in Florida. Media pundits flaunted their astonishment and villagers outside the courthouse waved torches and pitchforks. As usual, most people succumbed to simplistic thinking and false choices. Of course, "not guilty" doesn't mean "innocent." It doesn't even imply it. In this case the state didn't even prove there was a murder. Nancy Grace, self-crowned Maggot Queen of the 7x24 news cycle, seemed very sure about everything despite a shortage of facts. Thankfully, the jury in this case was made of better stuff.
"But what about poor little Caylee?," you may cry.
Caylee is dead. Nothing any of us do or say can effect her in the least. Any notion of "justice for Caylee" is just code for revenge, and we do love our revenge. We lust after it and roll in it, and this truth isn't lost on media decision-makers. That's why they lavished so much money and attention on the Anthony trial. If you needed another reason to turn off CNN, NBC, Fox, and the rest... But you didn't. Not really. You already had plenty of reasons.
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