Tuesday, September 30, 2014

The risk of immunity deals

I didn't like the immunity deal offered to Shane Lamb when it was given. Lamb got a free ride on involvement in the murder of Brian Carrick, when he said that he likely threw a punch that resulted in Carrick's death but Mario Casciaro "made me do it" (or words to that effect).

The McHenry County State's Attorney office went for the jugular on Casciaro and let Lamb go. Not that Lamb was an upstanding citizen or anything, but ...

Casciaro's trial attorney, Brian Telander, summed up Lamb at Casciaro's trial by saying that Lamb was "lying about lying about lying."

Now Lamb says it ain't so. He didn't have anything to do with it, nor did Casciaro.

See yesterday's article in the Northwest Herald, if you haven't already read it.

Have prosecuting attorneys been inclined or willing to do "anything" to get a gold star by their name in the Conviction column in the Great Ledger of Law? I watched their antics in certain cases that still stick in my mind. By this, I mean I was in the courtroom, watching.

However, I was not in the courtroom during Casciaro's last trial, when the State's Attorney's office made its sale. Remember, if you are ever in court and charged with a crime, don't expect to see justice or a fight for Right. It's about winning, and it's about losing.

The State will be trying to win; i.e., to convict you. The defense attorney's job is to keep them from winning. And the jury? It's going to "get sold", by one side of the other. If you have watched McHenry County juries, they aren't rocket scientists. A jury of your peers may be just the reason to ask for a trial by judge, but then you have to hope you don't get a "hangin' judge".

1 comment:

Big Daddy said...

I agree. I read an article which advocated for professional jurors. May not be a bad idea. Look at the O.J Simpson trial for validation of the concept.