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Opinion

Judiciary should be called to the stand

Jude Maydwell
Opinion Columnist

I recently read an article that discussed the trial of a 16-year-old girl who was convicted of murder. Sara Kolb of Illinois apparently burned and stabbed her best friend, then sawed her in half and hid the body in two different counties. The only thing more gruesome than this horrific crime is that it had to go to two trials before she was convicted; the first one ending deadlocked 11-1 in favor of conviction. 

Upon seeing this I wondered, "Who is that one person who would say this is not an offense that requires this woman to be drawn and quartered herself?" This, along with the slow moving Andrea Yates -- a woman who I think should never be allowed to see the light of day ever again -- trial, makes one question the efficiency of the judicial system of today. 

Yates' first conviction of life was overturned because an expert said an episode of Law and Order involving a woman drowning her children aired shortly before the murder. Apparently this woman saw this on TV and decided to give it a try? Why didn't she watch the Food Network and try to make Creme Brule or watch HGTV and learn how to turn an old urinal into a lovely flowerbed? It seems as though any old excuse will hold up in court. 

Kolb said she was angry that her friend was flirting with an ex-boyfriend, so she disemboweled her. If that were the case in real life and people actually acted that way, we would have a whole lot of guts and intestines lying around after a frat party.

I also realize that everybody is innocent until proven guilty and has a right to a fair trial and all that jazz, but it seems that the courts are going out of their way to find despicable, vile people innocent. With your insanity pleas and your expert witnesses and medical excuses, these juries are so confounded with words and facts and figures they don't know which way is up. 

One juror said Kolb didn't deserve life in prison. Either that person is truly disturbed, or had no idea what he was talking about thanks to smooth talking lawyers and an unending parade of shrinks, social workers, doctors, bearded women, WWII vets, monkeys riding unicycles and Gary Busey. 

We need to reevaluate the importance of an "efficient" judicial system. There are hundreds of petty larcenist and small time crooks crowding our prisons without a second thought, while mothers who murder their children after being "inspired" by a TV show and a teenage Jackie the Ripper are allowed a second chance.

Maydwell, an opinion columnist for The Daily Cougar, 
can be reached at jmaydwell@gmail.com.