As the egregious prosecutorial fiasco that put Reginald Clemons behind bars once again comes to the light of judicial and public scrutiny, the revelations there from should be putting a cold chill down the backs of all concerned citizens. It is Clemons who is now fighting for his life, but it could be anyone unfortunate enough to be entangled in a “high profile” murder case, the type that can make or break legal, political and police careers. The heinous murder of the Kerry sisters is just such a case.
America is supposed to have a criminal justice system, a process in which three distinct entities (police, prosecutors & courts) work in harmony to achieve justice. Justice is realized when all facts and circumstances of a case are brought before a jury and a consensus (called a verdict) is forthcoming; guilty or not guilty. In any case, finding an innocent defendant guilty is not justice, it is systemic madness.
But working in harmony doesn’t mean colluding of the parts. For the system to function justly, it is necessary for police handling an incident to do a thorough investigation, gather all evidence and prepare a comprehensive report containing all known facts and circumstances. That report is presented to the prosecutor in the event of an arrest and it then becomes the cornerstone of follow-up investigation and prosecution. Subsequently, the prosecutor takes the case to court for adjudication by a fair, impartial judge and jury.
Judging by the evidence to date, Reginald Clemons was no more than a character in a murder mystery novel, the plot of which was being concocted and written by prosecutor Nels Moss and detectives of the St. Louis Police Department. The Kerry case may have been good for their respective careers, but it was blow to the chin of the blindfolded lady holding that scale.
Michael K. Broughton
Green Park