{"article":{"id":142448,"heading":"A Prayer for Justice","author":"S. Claus","created":"2005-12-24 22:54:52","modified":"2005-12-24 22:54:52","last_modified":"Sun, 25 Dec 2005 06:54:52","article":"
A PRAYER FOR JUSTICE
O Lord our God, Thou hast said, ``Whoso diggeth a pit shall
fall therein: and he that rolleth a stone, it will return
upon him,'' and again, ``For with what judgment ye judge, ye
shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be
measured to you again.'' For Thou desirest not the damnation
of a sinner, but that he should turn from his wicked way and
be saved.
Wherefore, if any legislator, prosecutor, magistrate, judge,
or juror shall argue that the mere presence of contraband
among a person's belongings is sufficient evidence to convict
that person of a crime, may that legislator, prosecutor,
magistrate, judge, or juror be convicted on such evidence.
And if any legislator, prosecutor, or judge shall prevent the
jury in a criminal trial from learning that a particular
class of evidence offered by the prosecution is unreliable,
may that legislator, prosecutor, or judge be convicted on
evidence of that class.
And if any politician shall pander to the view that persons
accused or suspected of particular crimes should be deprived
of procedural or evidential fairness, may that politician be
accused or suspected of such a crime and deprived of
procedural or evidential fairness.
And if any juror, in a case in which the accused is
technically guilty of breaching a bad law, shall fail to hold
out for an acquittal, may that juror find himself in breach
of a bad law, and may he be judged as he judged.
And if any politician shall invent or exploit a new legal
category in order to deprive certain persons of customary
procedural rights, or shall permit a person to be detained or
restricted without commencement of formal proceedings in
order to avoid the activation of procedural rights, may that
politician's civil rights be violated to the same degree.
And if any attorney-general, through anything done or left
undone, shall obstruct the discovery or processing of
evidence that would free an innocent prisoner, may that
attorney-general be falsely imprisoned, and may the discovery
or processing of evidence that would free him be obstructed
according to the precedent set by him.
And if any politician shall fail to support legislation
whereby persons acquitted or otherwise cleared of criminal
charges shall be compensated for costs, expenses, and
inconveniences suffered in consequence of being charged, may
that politician be cleared of criminal charges and left
without compensation.
And if any politician shall fail to support compensation for
persons known to have been falsely convicted unless the State
be demonstrably at fault, may that politician be falsely
convicted, and may the State not be demonstrably at fault.
And if any person, having read this prayer, shall fail to
forward it, may he join the ranks of those who would have
benefited from its wider circulation.
And if any politician or prosecutor shall persecute anyone
for composing or propagating this prayer, may all the plagues
mentioned herein be upon that politician or prosecutor.
For Thou O Lord art not mocked: whatsoever a man soweth, that
shall he also reap.
And unto Thee be the glory for ever and ever.
Amen.
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