Andrea Yates

I found the Andrea Yates case extremely difficult to understand and to feel empathy towards. While it was very disturbing to watch I feel for Andrea and the state she must have been at. Although the court argued that she was aware what she was doing I think she did but their were other factors playing tint it that she could not control. It is a very complicated and complex matter when dealing with a mental illness. In some cases I blame Andrea but then I also blame her husband as well as the doctors for not keeping her on a tighter watch. She was clearly unstable and did not need to be put into an unstable environment with 5 little children. I felt like the birth of their last child was the biggest mistake and that is where I begin to blame the husband. With her condition and state how could he possibly think it was a good idea to put the stress on her again to have another child even if she wanted one. He knew that it would be a safety issue to Andrea and that doctors highly opposed it. Many mothers go though a similar type of depression but not to this extent, I think Andrea was unlucky with cards she was drawn that let her depression get this severe. While it was trying to be contained I believe there were a lot of areas prior to the killings that could have helped her avoid this.

OJ

I believe the Los Angeles Police Department weren't fair on their legal proceedings. I believe the fact that the evidence was being tampered with took over the actually meaning of the case. The case  became about the police being untrustworthy. I do personally believe OJ did it, I just dont think they got at the right things during the trial, the part that threw me off was when they said they had taken 8ML of the blood from OJ and the next day there was only about 6ML in the test tube, and then they tired to say that they meant to say 6ML from the beginning. I felt that the evidence was being tampered with because OJ was famous and so regardless he wouldnt be able to have a 100% fair trial due to poor legal proceedings and the jury all knowing who OJ is.

The Legal System and Healthcare, How Do They Go Together?

As we delve deeper into the legal system, we see countless examples of people being released back into society. Instances of this, include the Orenthal James Simpson case, as well as the Ethan Couch case. The common denominator in both of these cases? Wealth and power. Both have shown a sheer disregard for human life, and in response, have been able to side-step the legal system, due to their placement on the socio-economic ladder. What conclusions can be drawn from this? Money buys better legal teams, and these better legal teams can thus offer defenses that will sway the public, due to their known credibility. What must be done? Perhaps we should approach this situation in a similar way to how some see the healthcare crisis. Many proponents of universal healthcare, wish to adopt a form of single-payer healthcare, to allow healthcare of all individuals, and cut out the middleman (insurance companies), so no wealthy individuals can buy better healthcare than their poor neighbor. This seems as if it would be an excellent way to stop wealthy Americans from bypassing the legal system; standardization of legal teams and nationalization of legal firms. Essentially, legal teams would be provided for everyone, of the same grade and value, so everyone has the same representation in court. Perhaps this is the solution, or perhaps it is merely a suggestion, but if legal teams were as good in America as healthcare is in Cuba, we'd probably all be better off. Cuba has some of the most innovative medicine in the world, providing the Meningitis vaccine, as well as a system of healthcare for all Cuban citizens and non-citizens, wouldn't we want similar innovations in our criminal and civil institutions, in the form of provided legal teams for all citizens, on a standardized scale?

OJ Simpson- "Who will police the police?"

"Who will police the police? You will police the police!" - Johnny Cochran
I thought this quote from Johnny Cochran during the OJ case was somewhat brilliant and also a little unfair at the same time. It was a brilliant way to lure in the jury when it sparked a lot of feelings about the police. This wasn't necessarily referring specifically to the OJ case but more bringing up the past how the LAPD has continually gotten away with injustice. Cochran took this chance to persuade the jury to get even with the police and not let them get away with this incident and all of the past incidents they had caused. I felt like this phrase specifically referred to Rodney King since the police were all freed and they were acquitted. This was the people's chance to not serve justice to the legal system by not letting them have their way, even when majority of the evidence suggested that OJ was the killer. I felt it was unfair in a way to not persuade the jury just on the evidence supporting the case. They took advantage of the feelings people had once had in the past about the police and brought those same angry feelings back into this case to help feed to their side.

The O.J. Simpson case

I am extremely surprised, with the outcomes of the O.J. Simpson case. due to the details surrounding it. One facet of the case, was the feelings towards the police, due to the time period. This is the same time period, as the Watts Riots and the outburst of police brutality towards the minority communities. Many, felt as if the Los Angeles Police Department, were not up to snuff on their legal proceedings and decisions, and thus were much more likely to frame a black man, than run a fair trial and allow him to be set free. This completely overshadowed the case. The case then, became not about O.J. , but about the police being fraudulent and untrustworthy. Therefore, a man of great public stature, and a man that dedicated most of his life to entertainment, had simply become a figment of the public's appreciation, and then had been pushed aside, with the idea that the police were corrupt. As Johnny Cochran quoted; "Who is policing the police? YOU are policing the police".

Is Affluenza occurring in our neighborhood? In class we watched a video where this rich boy decided to throw a party, drink alcohol, and then get behind the wheel of a car. He ended up getting in a multi-car crash killing six people. This boy ended up surviving the crash but due to affluenza he thought he could get away with it with no penalty. He ended up receiving probation and had to go to a rehabilitation center of his choice. He ended up picking the nicest one available but got kicked out because they decided it wasn't enough of a punishment. If any other people did something like this they would be sentences to a way harsher punishment but since his family is so rich they were able to cut him a break. In our neighborhood there are also a lot of rich people in which may be able to pay their trouble away.

Money and Fame makes a Difference.

The OJ case is an interesting case due to how the legal system works. Besides the fact that the evidence presented in court was not accurate to believe, the fact that OJ Simpson is a famous NFL former player, his fame got in the way on how the trial ran. His money and fame were factors to why he wasn't found guilty. OJ had the money to hire good lawyers and investigators, while most people cant do to fully defend themselves in court. OJ was seen like an Angel and superstar who could not do any harm, it created range between the common people, white people, and the fans who believed the prosecutors were using the race card. If OJ was an ordinary man from a low income or minorities, he would have had a different experience due to lack of money to have the resources to prove innocence.