Courting Disaster
When the U.S. Supreme Court denied Charles Dean Hood's appeal last week, it was done in a one-sentence, unsigned order. Long after the conclusion of the trial, it became clear that his trial judge and prosecutor had been secretly involved in a years-long extramarital affair.
I wonder if it was the wise Latina who helped set this precedent for the judicial system. In any case, it is good to know that the members of the ruling class are able to commit any crime they choose without fear of punishment.
Appeals rejected Hood's challenge in two curt sentences last September, finding that his lawyers had waited too long to raise the issue on appeal. How Hood was to have raised the conflict of interest when the existence of the affair was not conclusively established until 2008, when the judge and prosecutor were forced to admit it under oath, is not explained.
Equally encouraging is knowing there is a statue of limitations on criminal activities perpetrated by law enforcement officials. It would greatly upet the judicial system if erroneously convicted innocent people were allowed to appeal their conviction when evidence of judicial wrongdoing is discovered at a later date.
No comments:
Post a Comment