McMartin Case

The moment I heard that Dist. Atty. Ira Reiner had dismissed all charges against five of the McMartin defendants, I knew we were in for a storm of public outrage. Judging by the letters in The Times (Feb. 1), I was right.

But shouldn’t we, as thoughtful citizens, pause for a moment of rational consideration? Whatever his shortcomings may be, Reiner is no nitwit. Surely he anticipated the fury his action would provoke. Further, as the father of young children himself, Reiner must be just as sickened by crimes against children as any of the rest of us.

Why, then, would an elected public official jeopardize his career by taking an action that he knew in advance would mobilize public opinion against him? Is it possible that Reiner knows more about the facts and circumstances of the case than the rest of us? Is it possible that legal constraints prevent him from airing everything he knows in public?

Whether we agree or disagree with Reiner’s stance on various public issues, he has shown himself, over and over, to be a man of conviction and courage. Like it or not, his decision to dismiss the charges was astonishingly gutsy. Shouldn’t we at least give him the benefit of the doubt before condemning him?

PATRICIA J. SMITH

Santa Monica