It Doesn't Take a Genius to Recognize Corruption
After attending the writer's conference I had the opportunity to spend a week with my dad in Las Vegas (we went to federal court trials).
I don't usually speak much of his work as I'm not sure all what to say about it. He keeps the public updated with what's happening in court, with all the many men locked up that he's trying to help out. I think he said there are like 19 guys right now that he is specifically trying to help release.
{If any of you have heard of the Bundy Ranch Stand Off, you'll know a little of what he is doing}
I won't go into too much detail with his work. I will say if you want to know more of how to help out and learn what's going on just do some googling - my dad's name is John Lamb. You should be able to find plenty on him ;p
Anyways, I was quite shocked the first day.
Security didn't surprise me at all. Very much like an airport ;p Except, most of the security was actually nicer ;) I was very pleased with security as far as security goes. And even a couple of the marshals seemed nice. But past this I was not pleased...
No phones are allowed in the court room. Or cameras. On any devices that record or can take pictures.
The jury trial we attended the week I was in Vegas was for four guys. It was currently in the third week of the trial. Court lasted 9-5, Monday to Thursday. There were mid-morning ten minute breaks, an hour for lunch, and a ten minute afternoon break.
It was pretty boring a lot of the time.
The first thing I notices was the strong sense of bias. The judge was overly biased against the defendants ;/ I couldn't believe she'd let it be so obvious.
Things like further questioning the witnesses (as if hoping to find incriminating evidence herself), overruling most of the council's objections while sustaining the majority of the prosecution's, calling a lot of side bars, rewording or not even reading certain jury questions, and her whole attitude toward the defendants. It was terrible.
One day she sent one of the defendants to solitary confinement for a couple hours for looking behind him at another defendant. Except he denied having done what she said. "I can't let you get away with disobedience," Judge Navarro said.
Wow. I was really shocked.
On the second day in Las Vegas, the first half of the day my dad and I went to see the sentencing of a 93 year old doctor (I will have another post on this later).
While we waited for the sentencing to take place several smaller things happened.
First two prisoners were brought in, both Mexicans.
A Mexican woman, nicely dressed, walked into the courtroom and sat in the front row, not knowing that the marshal's don't allow anyone to sit there as "they might jump over the banister and interfere with the prisoners."
A marshal rudely told the already distressed woman to move. She apologized and quickly obeyed. One of the men was her husband. He was not allowed to look at her.
She watched him sit there as his lawyer talked to the judge, a man named Kent Dawson. They set another court date for the Mexican then took him out of the room, shackling him and bringing him back to jail to await his trial.
Next two young Caucasians were brought in, both wearing bright yellow jump suits. The one man was allowed to speak, and his words surprised me. He spoke very intellectually - I won't even be able to do his words half the deserved justice by trying to repeat them. He requested a speedy trial as it was his constitutional right and he'd been sitting in jail waiting for over six months. "I think there comes a time when long enough is long enough. I have payed my dues."
Judge Dawson said, "In the eyes of the court six to eight months is not a long time." And he set the boy's trial a couple months in the future.
The boy made several other good arguments, but the judge would not listen.
And last of all two lawyers came, representing clients that were not present. The one lady said her client had failed her drug test, and proceeded to explain why, "She has been fighting three tumors in her brain, and is currently undergoing chemo." She then gave a long detailed narrative of how the woman had to choose between a couple extremes with her tumors. and even then there wasn't sure hope that she would survive.
Judge Dawson listened, then said. "I understand this. But if she doesn't make better effort with her duties here she will be reprimanded. Does she understand this?"
The lawyer was frustrated, I could tell.
I saw absolute greed.
I tried to see good.
"Maybe they are like Javert in Les Miserables," I thought. "Maybe they think justice over mercy - and they are so buried in the law and a sense of justice that they do not understand mercy."
Except I know they don't deserve to be compared to Javert. Javert I actually liked. And he was void of monetary greed or even the assertive authority and pride the two judges I saw seemed to possess.
It was sickening - no human should own this much power over another's life.
No human being should be allowed to rule another man's life, and make his own words law above either the Bible or the constitution.
"This isn't real," you say.
I wish this was another of my satire pieces.
That I was even lying - I know many won't believe my words. And even fewer will do anything to change our system.
But it is real and we NEED PEOPLE TO STOP THIS. We need people to choose life over greed, love over career.
80% of the men in prison don't deserve to be there - if you don't believe me email me and I'll try to find info from my dad and other informed men to send to you.
Men who never murdered, raped, or even did drugs are being sent to prison for LIFE.
Men who committed small petty crimes are sitting in jail for MONTHS waiting for a "speedy" trial.
Is this right?
"But our country is better than others."
It doesn't' really matter if we decide to believe these additional lies we are fed - what matters is even if we were better compared, compared is not an excuse to allow injustices to happen in our very own homes.
"But what can we do?"
Good question. In all honesty I don't have an equally good answer...except this: Start caring, start knowing (educate yourself against the brainwashing of our media), and if ever you see a chance to love do it.
Love through letters, love through peaceful protests, love through actions.
Love in proof.