Public Defense

Fate, it seems, is not without a sense of irony

By Gideon

So by now you must have heard of NY Gov. Elliot Spitzer and his escort escapade(s). This from the same man who zealously pursued prostitution rings as a prosecutor and is generally known to give no quarter to others. He now finds himself in the opposite spot at the table, which used to be occupied by people (just like him, apparently) to whom he showed no mercy.

The irony is evident.

Yet, I want to take this opportunity to bang the drum one more time: It could happen to you, it could happen to me. We are people and people are fallible. All criminals aren’t bad people, just as all bad people aren’t criminals. There, but for the grace of God…

This, for me, is the singular reason for doing what I do (that Constitution thing comes in next). Elliot Spitzer may not have been a “bad person”; he made a few mistakes. It’s easy to rub his face in it (HAH!), given the stances he has taken in the past, but that should be no more than a moment of jest. For tomorrow it could be you.

So stop asking “how do you represent those people” or someone will laugh in your face when you get arrested.

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Full post as published by A Public Defender on March 11, 2008 (boomark / email).