“Do you have children of your own? Sick. If (Curtis Jones) is found not guilty, then let him tell his story. Stop supporting him!” one reader wrote.
“If Curtis Jones weren’t a former police officer, would this column allowing him to explain ‘his side’ even exist? Sorry, but he doesn’t deserve a platform. Let him explain his version in court to a jury,” another reader wrote.
“It’s a real shame you think shaken baby syndrome isn’t a real thing,” added another reader.
This sampling of reader feedback regarded
“The shaken baby syndrome community has a very large Facebook group that reaches worldwide; many of us are very supportive of each other,” wrote Tim Kuiper, who lives in Michigan. “Those of us who have been affected by SBS are a fierce family and will fight for each other.”
My column on Jones, who had remained quiet publicly since he was charged in 2017, was perceived by some readers as defending his alleged criminal actions. This, of course, is ridiculous. But this, of course, is a perfect example how emotions and perception play a role in how we judge criminal cases. Especially child abuse cases.
Objectivity can be extremely difficult. Subjectivity can seem impossible to avoid.
“Everyone wants justice, but they only want
The scope of reader feedback eventually transcended Jones’ child abuse case and addressed the broader issues from this case: Should a charged suspect be allowed to publicly plead his or her case regardless of crime? And should news outlets provide a platform to offer an alternate viewpoint of the crime?
Over the past 20-plus years, I’ve interviewed dozens of people who were either charged or convicted of a criminal act, everything from child abuse to physical assault to first-degree murder. I’ve met with some of these criminals in prison, others in their own home.
Do they not deserve such a publicized platform, even if they have yet to be judged or convicted by a jury? Should a person forfeit his or her First Amendment rights to plead their case in the court of public opinion?
“There are few things more despicable than a child abuser. However, a person shouldn’t be convicted by the media,” wrote Anthony Ashford, of Valparaiso.
We, as a people, almost instinctively rush to judgment based on too few facts and too many feelings. We also tend to demonize suspects before they are convicted and sentenced. This is more human nature than criminal justice, I say.
“It’s becoming dangerous (for) people convicted in court on what used to be considered circumstantial evidence,” wrote Jim Rukas, of Crown Point. “Public perception via talk shows, social media, etc., has convicted them and it carries into the courtroom.”
Listening with an open mind to both sides of any criminal case can be challenging, as I’m repeatedly reminded through reader feedback. Part of my job as a columnist is to listen to both sides, or to all sides, of an issue and then interject my own opinion or stance. Or no stance at all.
Part of my objective is to make our seemingly black and white world a little more gray.
I touch on this topic
Sometimes my columns get caught in the crossfire of opposing viewpoints, as what happened with Jones’ criminal case.
“Jerry, you’re a (expletive) for giving him any publicity at all,” Carol M., of Gary, told me.
I heard similar complaints after writing about those other criminal suspects I mentioned earlier, such as a Portage man who committed murder, a Gary man convicted of kidnapping, and a Valparaiso man charged with manslaughter.
Yet I always hear from empathizers, too.
“I just cried reading the story of Curtis Jones. It is tragic and my heart goes out to him and his family,” wrote Mary Todd, of California. “My brother is going through the same thing, same accusation, and has been fighting for his innocence since 1998. After thousands of dollars have been spent on attorneys, time lost, he’s still fighting his case.
“When I say my heart breaks for Curtis, his son, and his ex-wife, I truly mean it. I feel the pain, the loss, the sadness, and the desire for vindication reading your article. It’s a pain I wouldn’t wish on anyone,” Todd said.
Catherine Swisher, of Hammond, took a more cautious approach to Jones’ case.
“I don’t want to help him if he’s only trying to gauge public opinion so he can know how to proceed,” she wrote. “Regardless, if I was a member of the jury in his trial, I would try my best to be fair. Anything else is wrong.”
She’s right, though the abstract idealism of fairness is difficult to reach when it comes to criminal cases and courtroom justice.
Even more so before there’s an actual trial and legal verdict.
“There is always two sides to every story,” Cheryl Battisti, of Valparaiso, wrote. “Thank you for showing both, and for letting us make up our own minds what happened.”
In the Jones’ case, as with too many criminal cases, we’ll never know what truly happened.
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