I read that charges were filed today for the murder of a woman in the University of Washington area in 2008. They don't know the assailants name, but they have his (or her DNA) and thus the charges are being filed against that unique profile. Should this dirtbag ever turn up in any law enforcement system, it will be game on for a prosecution.
I like that we've advanced the DNA technology to the point where we trust it to charge unknown people and to free folks who have been in prison unjustly. I wish it was possible to file charges against all the people who rape regardless of if we catch them or not. Law enforcement is expensive and lab testing is not always possible, but it should be.
The logistics of re-testing all the old cases where folks are sitting in prison is likely not one that our budgets and social system will tolerate anytime soon. Somehow there has to be a way to re-test where DNA is available but for whatever reason wasn't used or the tests were so new that the results are questionable.
I'd like to think that our justice system is fair and infallible, but we have plenty of evidence to the contrary. I don't have the answer of how to fairly compensate someone who sat in prison for 30 years for a crime they didn't commit. I think we owe it to these folks to help them get back on their feet - education, job placement assistance, some financial compensation, but unless there's proof that the police and judiciary teams acted with malice I don't think we owe them a huge financial windfall. I feel the same way about people who sue corporations for genuine wrong doing. Compensate fairly and then use the big fines to do good in our world (foundations, social change, hugging trees... whatever.)
Regarding the murder of this gal, I hope that this hammer wielding person pops up soon. Her family and friends deserve closure.
2 comments:
I absolutely agree with your point about how DNA is an amazing tool, but the victim in that particular attack actually survived. John Doe is being charged with first-degree assault and first-degree robbery.
You sir are correct. I got ahead of myself while reading the article. The Seattle Times clearly states what "he" was charged with and that the student "almost" died from her injuries.
How horrible to have some idiot like me state that she's dead, when she's not.
I hope the forward movement (even with an unknown subject) gives this gal and her people some comfort.
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