Opinion: Authorities have earned jurors' skepticism

That legislators and prosecutors should feel entitled to jury pools that arrive for duty in awe of prosecutors and prosecution cases reveals a contempt toward the citizens for whom laws and courts exist. This arrogant attitude lies at the root of the multitude of evils that today make our so-called justice system a thing that every informed person should consider a crime. It is an axiom that the one prejudice a jury is allowed to bring into a courtroom is the required presumption that an accused person is innocent until proven guilty.

The lack of respect prosecutors and police feel directed at them from jury pools is one that has been earned by numerous acts of corruption and illegal behavior at all levels of the law-enforcement system. Given that these abuses have been demonstrated often in courts and are widely known, one must expect some potential jurors to be skeptical of the performance of legal institutions. Prosecutors and police are not entitled to an assumption of good faith that is contrary to the experience and knowledge of informed people.

If prosecutors and police feel that the burden of demonstrating their integrity and competence is unfair, then they should earn the right to an assumption of good faith by being beyond reproach in their conduct. It is doubtful that we citizens will require this of them, however.

As stated in the article, the change to the current method of jury selection has not resulted in any significant change in conviction rates. Thus it seems that the power of the state and the gigantic, taxpayer-funded machine of police and lawyers whose driving motive is ever to incarcerate is still able to trump the legal resources available to the accused.

And once the legal system has functioned and the accused is deposited into a house of detention, and the rapes begin, and the beatings by other prisoners and prison guards begin, and the reams of false testimony that protect official lawbreakers begin to accumulate, the true nature of the arrogance that corrupts our legal system is shown.

At the core of this arrogance is the assumption that those under the power of the legal system have no value, are disposable, are not entitled to the protection of the law whose compulsion they are subject to. Decades of public awareness and toleration of this situation reveal that this arrogance is widely held by the public.

When will we realize that admonitions from pulpits to defend life, from the pontiff to "resist the culture of death," from all who warn us to avoid evil and hypocrisy, are valid and apply personally to each of us? As a people who rule ourselves, among our many responsibilities is the requirement to establish real justice, not prophylactic violence, not reciprocal cruelty.
-- James M. Evers, St. Petersburg

Beware of abuse of power

Two items in the May 7 paper caught my attention. Although technically they were unrelated, in actuality they are related. One article dealt with the complaints of prosecutors who find their juries are becoming less than desirable now that they are culled from licensed drivers rather than registered voters. The other article was a perspective on the life of Randy Weaver after the siege at Ruby Ridge, Idaho.

Why are these articles related? Because they are about the people who constitute our government and they are also about the citizens of this country.

In the first article we find that prosecutors, who represent the state (that would be us), are unhappy that suddenly jury pools have attitudes! It seems that instead of a jury of our peers, prosecutors want to go back to the days when juries were composed solely of those who registered to vote. Why? Because it made their jobs easier. People on the voter rolls tend to be older and to be property holders. What's wrong with that? Nothing except that this group has a tendency to take at face value everything that the government spoon-feeds them . . . even if it's not true.

The perspective on Randy Weaver also points out that your best interests are not always what our government has in mind. Weaver and his family moved to Idaho as a kind of getaway. They weren't criminals, and they just wanted to live life their own way. Many of us would say that's the American way. Weaver is an admitted racist and has anti-government opinions, neither of which is illegal, no matter how ugly or un-American they seem. Weaver became a target because he was different and if there is anything American G-men historically fear it is someone who is different. The government set a trap, and Randy fell into it. Score a victory for a government that targets, spies on and fears its own citizens. In the ensuing battle, Randy's son and wife were killed, as was a government agent.

I cite these two examples of government power and abuse to illustrate a concept. When government agents and representatives of the state are allowed to take the absolute power of their jobs and trample the rights of some of the citizens they are sworn to protect, then we all eventually will lose some of the rights that our Constitution guarantees us. By the same token if juries are to be composed of only those people who likely agree with everything a prosecutor contends, we will lose the balance that protects ordinary citizens from official misconduct.
-- Mark S. Roberts, Clearwater

Chipping away at freedom

Re: Prohibitions go overboard, letter, May 15.

I agree with the letter writer when she says, "Isn't it time we stop trying to make laws against everything and instead take some personal responsibility?" This was in regard to the idea of laws against using a cell phone while driving.

What people don't realize is that we have people in Washington whose job it is to do nothing except to pass laws. And every time they pass a law, we lose one more freedom. It has got to stop somewhere.
-- Donald F. Kelly, St. Petersburg

Desalination plant is needed

Re: Proposed desalination project in Hillsborough County.

As a member of the Water Coalition of Tampa Bay and a supporter of Tampa Bay Water's Master Plan, I am writing on behalf of our association in regard to the proposed water desalination plant in Hillsborough County. As you may know, the Greater Clearwater Association of Realtors consists of more than 2,600 members who live and work throughout the region served by Tampa Bay Water.

Consistent with the coalition's position paper, our association supports the development of local desalination plants. Clearly, the proposed desalination plant in Hillsborough County is currently the centerpiece of TBW's Master Plan and has generated interest among decisionmakers from numerous other states and nations. It is also an integral component of ameliorating current drought conditions and reducing the reliance on groundwater pumping while increasing potable water supply for the more than 2-million residents throughout the region the utility serves.

GCAR is interested not only in Pinellas County's water supply but also that of the entire region. Therefore, we believe it imperative for elected officials throughout the area -- particularly those who serve on TBW's member governments and board of directors -- to look beyond the borders of their own government's narrower concerns and implement water-policy decisions based upon a regional approach designed to benefit all of TBW's member governments and their residents.

Our association is concerned and disappointed with legal action taken recently by the Hillsborough County Commission which challenges the issuance of a permit that is necessary in order to move forward with the development of the desalination plant in Hillsborough County. This action circumvents the cooperative spirit of TBW, of which Hillsborough County is a member. It is our most sincere hope that the commission will revisit this important issue, reconsider its challenge of the permit and take the action necessary to ensure that the desalination project is approved and its development commenced as soon as possible.

Please be assured that we will continue to closely monitor this issue and are prepared to take further remedial action at the appropriate time in conjunction with the various other members of the coalition, to ensure that the desalination plant becomes a reality.
-- Laurie Neiman, 2001 president, the Greater Clearwater Association of Realtors, Clearwater

Remember the good Fasano has done

Re: Fasano plays old games on a new stage, by C.T. Bowen, May 13.

I take exception to the negative article about Rep. Mike Fasano. Bowen stated that "Fasano's legislative agenda is not much to be excited about." Perhaps he has forgotten all the positive legislation that Rep. Fasano has accomplished throughout his terms in Tallahassee.

Let me remind you that Rep. Fasano has been a champion of victims' rights by working tirelessly to help with the passage of legislation to help victims of sexual assault. He introduced the Crime Victim's Protection Act in 1995, assuring the privacy of victims of sexual assault. Without the protection afforded by this legislation, those victims would run the risk of being further victimized by having their identities made known to the public. Rep. Fasano also sponsored an amendment to the STOP bill that states there is no parole for those convicted of sexual battery on a child younger than 12. Think about this: Every time a convicted rapist of a small child is sentenced to life, you can thank Mike Fasano.

In 1996-1997, one of Fasano's constituents (who is a rape victim) asked him to introduce on her behalf legislation for the elimination of the statute of limitations for prosecution of certain sexual battery offenses. Through his efforts, this legislation was passed and is now law.

Besides all his efforts to help victims of sexual assault, Rep. Fasano has helped to get a state nursing home for veterans in Lake O'Lakes, among all the assistance he has given veterans over the years.

Perhaps it would be better if Bowen, who sounds like he has a personal vendetta against Rep. Fasano, took a look at the positive accomplishments of this fine man. I know that Rep. Fasano cares deeply about his constituents and tries to right the wrongs as he sees them. After all, that is why we, the people, sent him to Tallahassee to represent us.
-- Judi Barrett, Port Richey

Consider cost of cholesterol drugs

Re: Crackdown on cholesterol, May 16.

Your article on cholesterol was very informative. I am on cholesterol-lowering medication, and it works very well, as my last test indicated an overall reading of 167.

However, nowhere is the cost mentioned, which at about $1,200 per year leaves a good many of the 40-million people who need the medications unable to pay for these outrageously priced products. This is happening while we watch the manufacturers spend untold millions on advertising.
-- Edward Costello, Largo

Looking for some evidence

What with 13-million people using cholesterol-lowering drugs in the United States, surely the incidence of heart attacks and strokes should have dropped dramatically in recent years.

But has it? In all the articles I've read on the subject I've never ever seen that particular statistic.

I, for one, would want it in order to make a decision whether to take costly drugs that have been known to cause liver damage and other serious side effects.
-- R.C. Zahn, Tarpon Springs

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