Just the beginning

In response to the letter in last week’s Times from Cindy Shimkus, “Charged does not mean guilty:”

People talking about the one who is charged is just the beginning, Cindy. 

Police and prosecutors do not like to be proven wrong. You will need enough money to buy justice. 

Get a good lawyer, and lots of luck finding that. If you cannot afford a lawyer, one will be appointed to you. 

Now this appointed lawyer is a P.D., a public defender. You will learn he is a Pretender Defender. He will tell you how his caseload is overwhelming, and he is very busy. He will not have time to find eye witnesses, nor speak to them, let alone call them to court to testify in your behalf. He will tell you how he is talking to the prosecutor and going to get a good deal. Of course, this means he wants you to plead guilty and take this really good deal he made with the prosecutor in your behalf. 

You tell him you are not guilty and don’t want to plead guilty. You have now upset him after he worked so hard, and you want him to spend the whole day in court for a jury trial.

You will believe in the American way and that the truth will come out and set you free. You will still be believing this after the jury has heard all the evidence against you and found you guilty. You can appeal this decision but again they give you a lawyer whom you never meet. He types up a document with still no evidence in your behalf, and it is denied. 

You have now been introduced to what lies in store for a poor innocent person who will be one of the many falsely accused and wrongfully convicted. 

Pretender Defenders want to stay in the good graces of those with whom they work with daily, and that isn’t you. You’re just a paycheck, not a concern. 

Falsely accused and wrongfully convicted, 

Ralph Buck, Ava