Scum or not, this lawyer is doing what he should do for his client. I read the article on the Blaze and it is clear that the only way the scumbag can avoid the death penalty is to prove that this was going on. And before you flame me, wouldn’t you want your lawyer to do his very best for you if you were charged with a crime? For the record, if it is not true it is a cruel trick by the lawyer. But if there is evidence that points to this he has an obligation as an officer of the court to pursue it.
Would I want my lawyer to lie? No. The jury will see the surveillance video and that would damage the lawyers credibility.
I agree with you but I do have a question. What difference does it make why the officer was there? He was killed execution style while pumping gas.
I agree with you 100%. The sole responsibility of the defense attorney is to provide his client with the best defense possible. Making sure the crime the client is charged with is relevant to the circumstances. If the officer was not officially on duty and was engaged in a non-duty activity the defendant should not be charged with the capital crime of killing a police officer in the line of duty. An off duty officer, going about non work related activities, is an average citizen.
I am a firm believer in the principle of equal justice under law. Therefore I oppose any law that seeks to discriminate in the application of the law based on classifications or groups to which the victim or the criminal belongs. Law enforcement officers are citizens, just as butchers, bakers, and candlestick makers are citizens. It is counter to our founding principles to devalue the lives of common citizens by passing laws providing for a higher penalty when a police officer is killed than any random citizen.
Hate crime legislation is no different than legislation providing for higher penalties for crimes against law enforcement officials. Murder is murder, not matter who is murdered or the perpetrators rationalization.
If we as a nation are to return to the rule of law we must end the practice of discrimination in punishment based on arbitrary groupings of people. Pick a punishment, execution or life in prison, and apply it to every first degree murder, not just deaths of law officers, presidents, senators, and other members of the government.