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Embittered Justice (Excerpt)

by Michaela Riley

What if everything in your life was changed because you opened a mysterious package?

The Sixth Amendment, in its entirety, reads: In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the Assistance of Counsel for his defense.

Lady Justice is often seen wearing a blindfold to indicate justice should be objective and unbiased regardless of the individuals’ strength or weakness. There are times when Justice is blind, when wrongly accused individuals lose their right to due process and their voice to speak against it. Once a plea is accepted - even if coerced by the defense attorney or the prosecution - there is little that can be done to reverse the decision.

Remembering the reflection of my face in the mirror this morning, aghast at the weathered appearance of my face, I was caught somewhere in the darkness between the past and the future. Any arbitrary turn in another direction a year and half ago, and all of this would be different. Somehow, I have to find the strength to move forward. I have lost so much time since moving here, spent in a hell that many would never imagine exists, engaged in a spiritual warfare that has managed to siphon from me all that I hold dear.

Each step we take in this life from birth is purposeful, yet the footprints of my life have many uncertainties now. For what price do we fight for the freedom granted us by the Constitution of the United States? Misconduct from the prosecuting attorney, police cover-ups, lies and misplaced evidence, and injustice in our courts are allowed to fester because someone knows the right people. Likewise, false information taken to a grand jury to get a direct indictment typically propels into motion an irreversible chain of events.

Why would you give up your rights to plea to something that you know is untrue? Is this the growing trend in the judicial system? Winning at any price even if there is suppression of evidence that would prove the defendant’s innocence? In the lives of the innocent invaded by the untruths, there are no moments of peace. Looking over my shoulder and searching my street before driving home are routine occurrences for me now.