I am bewildered at how lawyers can defend the guilty accused

Sep 29, 2016 Letters

Dear Editor,
Historically highly qualified individuals in societies are considered to be of great value and asset, exemplary and thus respectable. Those who have had the opportunity of attending university, graduating with distinction are even more highly regarded and looked up to. And many in turn crave and “work” for such adulation.
Lawyers and doctors within our society still command the greater part of respect; yes, we remain steeped in our tradition, how often do we not hear with contended pride and brimming with satisfaction: “my son is a Doctor”, “my daughter is a Lawyer”.
Thus these professionals are often times the yardstick by which society is judged, are placed on a pedestal as the standard bearers for things good and proper, moral values, good/bad habits and practices etc.; in a word paragons of virtue. Editor, it is for all the above reasons that these “paragons of virtue” are sought after to make speeches, deliver charges, inspirational boosters and pep talks at so many occasions/functions, and though respect is due some folks take it over the brink as if these personalities are infallible, glossing over the fact that they are first and foremost human beings like all of us with imperfections, weaknesses and failings – some of noble birth some of lowly birth but matters not earthlings just the same.
Yet for all we continue to hold them up as the light to society as though they were made in Heaven. However, there is among these highly priced vocations there is one in which an exception must be made, whereby virtue of this profession, what is required by practice is not too clear-cut, doesn’t always seem right, often times contradictory leaving society betwixt and between in measuring up the very standard of moral/values to which the others are held and society is led to expect.
Editor, I’m speaking about that of the legal profession – Attorneys-at-Law. Allow me to present a scenario in an effort to make my point: One commits murder, cold blooded, well calculated and executed but is not prepared to suffer the consequences, so he solicits the services of a fine top-notch attorney, pays the astronomical fee demands and gets off. Now, what doesn’t add up in the light of this discussion is that the accused murderer admits to his guilt to his attorney who hears from him in minute detail the whole truth as to how the murder was done so that he (attorney) can chart his line of defence well and springs his client off the hook. And being successful he defends and protect a confessed, cold blooded murderer, releases him back into society a dangerous element.
The more victories this attorney gets in such like cases the more prominent he becomes and is placed upon a pinnacle and idolized. Editor, we all know, even sometimes experience the pernicious effects that these elements more often than not continue to have on society spreading their venom.
Thus the above example begs the questions: what is truth, what is justice, what is virtue? An important point to note here dear reader – since we are discussing moral values/virtues – is that many of our attorneys are of some kind of religious background, be it a practising Christian, Hindu, Muslim, follower of some holy faith; then, too the Bible and Quran play a very integral part in the process of justice where one has to swear while holding whichever one high up in the air while promising to tell the truth, the same as was done by those very attorneys when on taking their oath while being admitted to the Bar
Editor, the case sighted above is just one among many, pick any number, there are umpteen other scenarios that correspond to the above and bares the point, that in so many instances the people we put on a pedestal as the compass of society possessing the moral rectitude are the very ones (in this particular case) who trample it with brazen impunity at the behest of all sorts of amorphous arrangements via cryptic laws. Tell me how on earth could the two go hand in glove. Then to crown it all, the confessed killer often times being freed invites the esteemed attorney to church with him so as to give praise/thanks to the almighty for escaping any punishment for his deeds. This behaviour/practice for me is the very antithesis of good moral standards, very ironic and a grand contradiction of the banner we hold high as a paragon of virtue. It is crazy, eccentric, no wonder society keeps spinning in circles to catch its tail. Tell me again about morality value and virtues.
Frank Fyffe

2 thoughts on “I am bewildered at how lawyers can defend the guilty accused”

bl_666 September 29, 2016 at 3:28 pm

Lip service to whichever god makes them look good, true devotion to mammon, it was always thus and ever will be.
19CAGriffith48 September 29, 2016 at 10:02 pm

“how often do we not hear with contended pride and brimming with satisfaction: “my son is a Doctor”, “my daughter is a Lawyer”.

Yeah, that’s because Doctors and lawyers are always giving FEE advise.