WORKINGS OF THE LAW

I don’t know whether Rolando Cruz and Alejandro Hernandez have been improperly convicted of killing Jeanine Nicarico. But I do know, having been a prosecutor for more than 31 years, that Illinois Atty. Gen. Roland W. Burris’ perception of his limited role in the criminal justice system, as nothing more than a mechanical shill who is compelled to preserve a conviction simply because it occurred, is far too narrow for my blood.

If Burris recognizes that a miscarriage of justice may have taken place, then as a high-ranking member of the executive branch of government he has the right, and the duty, to communicate that view to the judicial branch.

Burris’ statement that his job “is to sustain what the jury ordered and the judge entered” flies in the face of professional integrity and institutional independence. If those elements are not an integral part of the character of his office, a computer could replace him without missing a beat.

RICHARD W. HECHT

DEPUTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY

County of Los Angeles