You have the right to a speedy trial. Yes you do if you are the suspect. As a victim your rights are few and far in between anymore. They tried in Oregon to pass a victim’s rights bill and all of a sudden on TV it was a bill that was going to give the police more power over you. People you need to get educated and quit being so afraid that everything gives police power to do things to you. It gave the police no more power then they have right now except to protect your rights as a VICTIM. Every time I think about the right to a speedy trial I get mad and I think of a little girl that lived on a remote island in Alaska.
This little 9 year old girl came to the bigger island with her parents about once a month to get groceries, see the doctor, banking or whatever business they needed to take care of. They got a room in a local hotel that was above a restaurant.
One night around 10pm the little girl was asleep so the parents went down stairs sitting right at the bottom of the stairs to have a snack and cup of coffee before going to bed. They heard some noises and went up the stairs to check on their daughter and found a man raping her. He had crawled up to the second story window and went inside. The father took after him, the mom and daughter were screaming and yelling and the waitress called 911.
The police arrived and the suspect was locked in the bathroom with no place to go and the dad was trying his best to knock the door down. The police officer was trying to pull the dad back and the dad was trying to get the police officers gun. They finally got the father under control and kicked in the door and arrested the man.
Now this sounds like a pretty shut and dry case right? Well you can only hold someone for arraignments then they have to be granted bail until the trail. The judge could set a really high bail and hope he can’t get the money together but unless special circumstances like murder and proof they may flee can they be kept in jail. It rarely ever happens, in fact most of the time they are released with a court order when they are suppose to show up for trial.
If they can’t afford an attorney the court (the people) will pay for one. If the victim (9 year old girl) wants an attorney she must pay for it. The only attorney or investigator she gets paid for his the District Attorney and yes those mean old cops. The attorney for the bad guys hires a couple of investigators to try and find anything and everything he can about the victim. The Defense attorney hires doctors to try and show his client has problems, he hires who he wants and you the public pay for it. The little girl, well she has those mean ole cops and the District Attorney who is already 6 months behind on cases to work for her.
Back to the island the little girl goes waiting for trial. She is terrified of staying in town. The Defense Attorney cause for a postponement due to the fact he has not had enough time to contact certain witnesses for the defense and is granted it. The little girls right to a speedy trial??? Nope, she has to go back to the island. She can not put this behind her because her and her family have to remember details where they can testify in court.
Life goes on. The man gets an order to stay away from kids. Well he knew rape was not right and that did not stop him but the court saying this time stay away is going to keep everyone safe… That paper would make me feel safe. He goes back to his job, back to visiting with friends, going fishing, going out to dinner, going to the movies; yes life goes on.
The little girl??? She stays on her island living in fear he will find her. He will do something to them where they can’t testify. She can’t go to the movies on the big island, she is afraid of him. They can’t even come to the island to do business because of the fear but they have to get groceries.
Those mean old cops, they meet the family as they arrive in town. They take the little girl home with them and let the parents do their business. They took the family home that night to stay in their private homes. They escort that little girl to the movie she has been dying to see. They make arrangements for the next trip to town where they can see who is off that day.
This continued for almost 2 years before it came to trial. Many people wanted the police officer to charge the dad for trying to take his gun. Come on! Any father that walks in on a man mounting his 9 year old daughter would do the same thing. The officer refused and said he would testify in court for the father.
This whole group of officers helped that family anyway they could as they spent the two years with their right to a speedy trial.
Finally the day arrives, no postponement, the trial is on. The man is convicted, the family rejoices, the cops smile, proud of the fact they are a cop. The results; The man is given probation, time served and an order to stay away from kids and listed as a registered sex offender and walks out the door.
Now this is justice! What did the girl get? Living in fear because this man is still loose and walking the streets. The solution? The girl and the family move away from their home. Who had the most punishment? They said never again, next time they will walk away and catch the man in a dark alley someday.
Think about it before you vote. Don’t think of the police has bad guys, think of them as the attorney and investigators for the victim. Are there bad cops? Yes there is. There are bad people in all professions, teachers, doctors, firemen, coaches, pastors, you name it but we don’t hate the whole profession because of it. If an officer is a bad officer or he screws up, punish him, put him in jail, fire him but don’t let it affect the real victim in this, the victim; in this case a 9 year old girl.
Police officers do care, I could spend days writing on incidents where police have helped people. Went home and changed their clothes and went back to help somebody that broke down and could not afford a mechanic etc.
Please from now on, put your feelings towards the police away in your pocket somewhere and think instead of the victim and what they are going through. When you set on the jury, think of the victim instead of the poor bad guys upbringing. The victim deserves rights too. The victim deserves your caring too. They deserve some protection from the law.
Thank you for taking your time to read this and I pray that it will make you think about the other side of the story.
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