Justice ekes out a victory

(11/17/04)

In the green upper-middle class splendor of Redwood City, Calif. something extremely odd happened this week: the legal system came through and eked out a victory for justice. Scott Peterson was found guilty on two counts of murder, first and third degree, if memory serves. What this conviction did was partly reaffirm my faith in justice. I had on a broad smile that day, good citizens, and purveyors of justice, it warmed my icy heart to see a man as obviously guilty as Scott Peterson convicted. I'm unsure if anyone in this country actually believed this man was innocent, and if so, let us praise Allah that they weren't on that jury.
With the constant news coverage and hotshot lawyers, I feared Scott Peterson would go the way of the Juice. Last second tinkering with jurors and a delayed verdict only served to ready me for what I perceived to be a 'not guilty.' When I caught the verdict I rejoiced and chatted with my father about possibility of the legal system actually working, even if for a brief moment. The mood was good, the error of the OJ trial was behind us and we could go on to wishing this man a long and torturous death, or at least on paper.
California does actually have the death penalty on the books but I cannot recall it being used in recent memory. Californians aren't exactly the vengeful type; they aren't Texans and that, to a degree spells doom for us evil champions of the death penalty. I think Peterson, a brash and seemingly unlikable killer, should be stoned to death by his late wife's family on national television, or perhaps televise him being ripped to shreds by rabid dogs, or pigs, if you plan on it being a primetime event.
A friend told me once 'the best kind of justice is mob justice.' While I agree to a fair and speedy trial, I reserve the use of mob justice to the most twisted and obviously guilty killers. For this category we should let the public loose, let justice serve itself and rejoice in the pain of the sick bastard(s).
The residents of Redwood City are an uppity lot; I've actually been there and know people who reside in this lush suburban landscape approximately 30 minutes south of San Francisco. I'm sure the specter of a double-murder being painted on their 'welcome' sign isn't going over too well at the city council meetings. So relax my silicon pushing friends, the trial is over and you can resume your lives. The rest of us still have to deal with the media and the never-ending appeals process, if that slippery lawyer, Geragos intends on making a last stand.
As citizens of this strange new country, I am pleased that we all stood up against this rotten fisherman. This trial had none of the ridiculousness of the Simpson trial. No racist baggage, crooked cops or, thank God, Jesse Jackson. We upheld the innate sense of right and wrong and all crossed our fingers that justice would prevail and the prosecutors wouldn't drop the ball. I believe all of us, black, white, medium or otherwise, let out a collective sigh of relief when miscellaneous legal correspondent broke the news. Hopefully we'll see him die, but if not, perhaps they'll send him up the road to room with Charlie Manson. I suspect even Manson would shame Peterson; at least Manson's excuse of being a reincarnated Jesus was open to interpretation. Not even Charlie and the kids would go fishing on Christmas Eve.
Oddly enough this tragedy has done one thing that has become increasingly difficult: unite the country. Democrat, Republican, Black, White and all those in-between seemed to have come together to wish the worst upon this man and wish the best for the family of that poor woman and her child. Aside from showing a glimmer of hope for the justice system in a world of 'caution, hot' signs on coffee cups and ridiculous lawsuits, this trial showed us that we can come together and have a national sense of unity. I guess it takes corpses to get us together, but at least it can be done and at the end of that day, that's a nice thing to know.