"Justice in Logan County" This is an excerpt from a feature article written for The Journal Advocate highlighting my experience as a juror.
Opening Statements
They begin; the calm distinguished District Attorney paints the state’s picture of events. He seems determined and convincing. His job is to seek justice. He is sure of what happened and by whom.
Public Defender Mike Boyce’s demeanor is sure, his smile disarming. His deep intrepid voice is only slightly contradicted by his visibly shaking hands, “there is something wrong when you don’t get nervous, a lot of it is caring about your client,” he continues “if you’re not nervous, if you’re completely at ease, there is something wrong.”
He commences with his client’s version of events – he is persuasive. He is sure of what happened and by whom. I am intrigued. Why would anyone want to be a criminal defense attorney, on average only winning one of every four “not guilty” verdicts according to a 2000 report by the U.S. Department of Justice. Is he an idealist, believing that in all people there is good? Does he believe that we all deserve a second chance? It would seem so. “I haven’t had a client yet that I thought was nonredeemable,” replied Mr. Boyce, “that was a dreg on society, that we should just lock up and throw away the key.” He goes on to say it is about giving “people the defense they are entitled to” and preserving everyone’s constitutional right.The Sixth Amendment to the United States Constitution gives the accused the right to have the assistance of counsel. Amazingly enough, it was well into the 20th century before many of the states actually provided programs like the Public Defenders Office to help provide counsel for people who couldn’t afford it. The imagination runs amok as to the number of people who were wrongly accused and served long extensive sentences without the aid of competent representation. The Innocence Project alone, an organization working to right the justice system and help innocent people get their freedom, has helped 207 people wrongly convicted get DNA exoneration. Mr. Boyce’s compassion reminds me of a quote by the famous German author, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, “Treat people as if they were what they should be, and you help them become what they are capable of becoming.
They begin; the calm distinguished District Attorney paints the state’s picture of events. He seems determined and convincing. His job is to seek justice. He is sure of what happened and by whom.
Public Defender Mike Boyce’s demeanor is sure, his smile disarming. His deep intrepid voice is only slightly contradicted by his visibly shaking hands, “there is something wrong when you don’t get nervous, a lot of it is caring about your client,” he continues “if you’re not nervous, if you’re completely at ease, there is something wrong.”
He commences with his client’s version of events – he is persuasive. He is sure of what happened and by whom. I am intrigued. Why would anyone want to be a criminal defense attorney, on average only winning one of every four “not guilty” verdicts according to a 2000 report by the U.S. Department of Justice. Is he an idealist, believing that in all people there is good? Does he believe that we all deserve a second chance? It would seem so. “I haven’t had a client yet that I thought was nonredeemable,” replied Mr. Boyce, “that was a dreg on society, that we should just lock up and throw away the key.” He goes on to say it is about giving “people the defense they are entitled to” and preserving everyone’s constitutional right.The Sixth Amendment to the United States Constitution gives the accused the right to have the assistance of counsel. Amazingly enough, it was well into the 20th century before many of the states actually provided programs like the Public Defenders Office to help provide counsel for people who couldn’t afford it. The imagination runs amok as to the number of people who were wrongly accused and served long extensive sentences without the aid of competent representation. The Innocence Project alone, an organization working to right the justice system and help innocent people get their freedom, has helped 207 people wrongly convicted get DNA exoneration. Mr. Boyce’s compassion reminds me of a quote by the famous German author, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, “Treat people as if they were what they should be, and you help them become what they are capable of becoming.
"Ethiopian sisters share hard lessons"
special to The Sentinel, December 17, 2015
Rainbow colored scarves in satins, silks, and cottons are wrapped around their heads and twisted in the back into artistic knots. Their skirts are long and flowing with patterns that should clash with their scarves, but on them, it looks just right. They are half sisters, but their unconditional love and common annoyance with one another, makes them whole. Although they are young of age, only 18, they have lived more of a lifetime than most 100 year olds.
I recently met these two women through my work as a tutor. I was as enamored with them, as they were enamored with the idea of having someone to mentor and connect with them. These two girls, who came from Ethiopia six years ago, became my adventure. They are both petite and beautiful, but that is where the similarities end. Tumara is quiet and introverted; a puzzle on the outside. Inside she is strong, rebellious, opinionated and very determined. Her sister, Haliea, is outgoing, carefree and happy on the outside, but what she tucks away, for only a few to see, is her fear of the past and the future, and occasional glimpses of a deep sadness. Both girls have opened up to me and allowed me to question them at length about their culture and their pasts. Their Muslim father had two wives at the time they were both born. Haliea’s Christian mother eventually divorced their father. Haliea was forced to live with her father’s mother instead of her own. She retells the events in a matter of fact manner, but the pain is perceptible in her eyes. Although Tumara had the first twelve years with her mother, she has not seen her mother now for eight. Both girls yearn for that nurturing relationship, and I am happy to play substitute. The father and the children were forced to leave Ethiopia for political reasons. There are different tribes in Ethiopia; Haliea and Tumara are part of the Oromo tribe, while the government is run by the Tigre. The Tigre regime has made life very unpleasant for those who don’t bow down to their demands. It comes down to a very familiar story, but in a different country: power, rigged elections, money and resources. Tumara’s and Haliea’s father was imprisoned for speaking out against the regime. His farm land, his two stores, his livelihood were stripped from him. When he was finally released two years later, he took his family to Kenya. The trip to Kenya was a dangerous one. The border is patrolled by police who are trying to minimize the number of refugees coming into their country. Refugee camps have sprung up all over Kenya’s border. The girls trek to Kenya was a two week campaign on foot. They had to avoid Tigre police, elude dangerous animals, withstand the two week walk and finally sneak past and bribe border patrols to make it into Kenya. Once there, they had no other option than to live in a rickety shanty. Because of the influx of refugees from Ethiopia and other North African countries, the provisions were meek, education was minimal and work was scarce. After two years in Kenya, Haliea and Tumara, some brothers and their father received sponsorship to come to the United States. At the age of 12, they started a whole new life. Unfortunately, that whole new life didn’t include leaving behind the emotional and physical scars. One scar that won’t fade is that of female genital mutilation. One tutoring session, they were looking for the correct vocabulary to describe that atrocity. They didn’t go into any more detail, and I don’t know if it was my fear in hearing the truth or my respect for their privacy that kept me from asking the questions that begged to be asked and needed an answer. After a small amount of research, I think it is safe to assume that they were indeed victims of this common cultural practice in Ethiopia. According to Unicef, in a 2005 survey, over 75% of the women (Ethiopians between 15-40) surveyed had been circumcised (2006). It seems a bit surreal that we live in a world where these barbaric practices are still part of everyday life around the globe. I have talked in some detail with the girls about their culture in Ethiopia and what it is like to try and maintain their culture in a new and foreign place. I think about how difficult it is for young people to have the expectations to maintain tradition from their elders, yet they want to fit in, as all young people do, and that often goes against their own cultural customs and values. They are Muslims. They believe that they should pray five times a day. On Fridays, they are supposed to go and pray in a separate part of a Mosque. That’s impossible in Sterling, Colorado. They do not eat pork. The women are supposed to always cover their hair and never wear pants. Dancing and alcohol aren’t permitted, so they are trying to avoid the local college scene. They believe in order to get to heaven they must be good Muslims and follow the rules. Haliea and Tumara don’t know anything about killing the “infidels” as the media would have us all believe. Unless I am a very bad judge of character, Haliea and Tumara are not terrorists. They are two girls who love their God and who are called to love the world and its inhabitants. I How can anyone begrudge that? Their father is working on adapting. He will not be marrying his girls off to 40 year old men as he would have if they still lived in Ethiopia. Some of their friends’ fathers have not changed much. Tumara’s best friend will graduate high school in May and marry a 42 year old man in June. Tumara’s rebellious and strong nature was used to convince her father that she will not marry until she is good and ready. In Ethiopia, she would not have had the courage nor the power to go against her father’s will. In the short time I have known them, Tumara and Haliea have progressively changed. Frequently, I see the girls’ hair; their scarves discarded for the day. Sometimes I see them in the latest skinny jeans, and Tumara has even gone so far as to pierce her nose. Over spring break, her father saw it, and he was exasperated. He demanded that she take it out. Tumara obeyed, but just yesterday when she came to dinner, she was once again sporting her diamond stud. It is bittersweet. I love that they are adapting to their new lives, but I am saddened for the loss of certain parts of their culture that splashed the world with uniqueness. This week, my adventure also included a traditional Ethiopian dinner. The girls walked straight into my kitchen and went to work. They made themselves completely at home and worked steadily for two hours. I think we were all nervous. They were nervous about whether I would like the food, and while I was nervous about liking the food (I had just had a run in with chicken feet at a dim sum place – it didn’t go so well), I was more nervous about my children being gracious. It all went off perfectly. The girls spread out a large spongy crepe called injera across the plate. It resembled sea coral with its numerous holes and grayish color. On top of the bread, they spooned on Kik Alicha, which were yellow lentils that looked like the sun and smelled of turmeric. There was a beef and jalapeño dish with a rich red broth colored and flavored by a powder made with chilies. In a dish called Mesir Wat, red lentils were cooked to just the right bite mixed in a sauce that included onions, garlic, and ginger. The final dish consisted of rice with beef. Haliea and Tumara showed us how to eat the meal. We used our fingers to tear off edges of the bread and scoop up perfect bites; new territory was charted in my mouth. My 6 year old son is always being told to eat with his fork, so he was more than willing and very pleased to be able to eat with his hands. My 8 year old tried everything on her plate and even had some seconds. We made plans for another evening of cultural exchange and friendship in the near future. My adventure began with two girls who captured my heart, and I think that they were put in my life for a purpose. There are a lot of stories that could evolve from my adventures with Haliea and Tumara. But, whether or not a story develops, my life has been enriched. |
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