Limiting Lengthy Criminal Trials

It is amazing to me that an attorney is so willing to give up a person’s right to a “fair trial” in exchange for a fast and cost-effective, albeit fair trial. As examples of the abuses of the system, he cites the McMartin and Night Stalker trials. These cases are the exception not the rule.

Justice is not perfect. Judges do a remarkable job of protecting our “rights” while balancing their calendars. They make mistakes, society may not always agree with their rulings, but after all they are human.

I am currently incarcerated. I have experienced the system firsthand. I have stood before a judge and been sentenced to spend several years of my life away from my loved ones. I may not agree with some of the judge’s points of view or rulings, nevertheless, I still believe in the system. It is not perfect, it may be a bit slow; however, I sleep better at night (in my jail cell) knowing that my rights were not compromised by the judge in exchange for judicial expediency or budgetary constraints.

MARCEL JORDAN

Terminal Island