By now, we’ve all had a chance to digest the unfortunate mess that was the Casey Anthony trial over the murder of Caylee.
If you’ve put any amount of effort into understanding the facts at hand, there’s no way you could come away from the table and not think that something was amiss. From the various lies told to law enforcement by Casey Anthony, to the forensic evidence, the evidence was there that something sinister had gone down, but what exactly? That’s the answer that the prosecution had ultimately failed to deliver, and that failure ultimately led to Casey Anthony’s “not guilty” verdict.
Was justice served? Well, if you’re talking about justice being the removal of a murderer from society or the avenging of a little girl’s death, then no, justice was not served. If, however, you’re talking about the legal process delivering a correct verdict based on the information and evidence gathered and presented, then yes, justice was served.
Our legal system wasn’t designed to punish criminals. It was designed to protect the innocent from wrongful incarceration. Over the decades, the system and its laws have become perverted, but the initial intent of the system – that wanting the protection of the innocent – is still there. Trust me – it’s a better thing to let thousands of criminals run free than it is to imprison even one innocent person.
If there is not enough damning evidence against a person, the only right thing is to render a “not guilty” verdict. Is it awful medicine to swallow? Sometimes. However, it’s one of the things that makes our country great. Innocent until proven guilty is a right that many people around the world aren’t afforded, and it’s something that allows us to live without the fear of wrongful prosecution.
We already have laws to deter and punish folks who would commit heinous crimes. This is why I implore you not to support “Caylee’s Law.” This knee-jerk reaction is just another “think of the children” law that does nothing to actually protect children, and does a lot to create a mess of the legal system and create crimes out of thin air. A felony? For not reporting a child missing within 24 hours when the parent has a reasonable suspicion that the child is in danger? – Who defines reasonable? The judge? The prosecution?
You can’t protect every child. If you want better investigations, the solution isn’t some stupid law. The solution is better investigators. This proposal does nothing but put a black mark on little Caylee’s memory and show that we really don’t follow logic.
