Reports are flooding in that a possible suspect in the Marathon bombings has been identified, apparently from security video shot from Lord & Taylor, and that an arrest is imminent or may in fact have already been made. First things first: this strikes me as astonishing police work. If the reports are accurate, congratulations to all involved. [UPDATE: holy crap, the reporting is all over the place on this. NBC is saying that their sources say no arrest has been made, and some sources are even saying that they haven’t ID’d the person in the video. Stay tuned.] [FURTHER UPDATE: Looks like John King’s source was wrong about an arrest being imminent or having already happened – CNN is now saying no arrest. So take everything King’s sources told with major grains of salt, including what’s in the following paragraph.]
Second: CNN’s John King has said that a law enforcement source told him that the video shows a “dark-skinned male.” Please, folks, let’s not jump to conclusions. King’s unnamed source might be wrong; the video enhancement might be misleading; etc. etc. Let’s wait until more information is available.
Third: a couple of politicians have been making noises that it might be a good idea to try the alleged perpetrator(s) in some sort of military tribunal, rather than in federal court. No thanks. I want this trial in federal court. I want it on TV. I want it on a freaking Jumbotron. I want the city, the country, and the world to watch as prosecutors lay out their case in open court, the defendant gets to present his side, and the jury makes its decision. If we’ve got the right person, there’s nothing to be afraid of. But if the trial happens behind closed doors, in some secret location, with nothing like the due process we afford the most heinous criminals, well, would you really be sure they had the right guy? Seems to me that we should have confidence, and take pride, in our system of justice, as imperfect as it is. And we should do so even – indeed, especially – in the most egregious cases.
lynne says
let’s please have due process and everything else when we catch these guys/this guy. I hate to use a trite phrase but…if we don’t, the terrorists really DO win.
Also, it affirms some of the conspiracy nuts’ incessant ranting, and for the love of little green apples…
jconway says
Though the evidence is less likely we will get a fair trial if the bomber is a brown Muslim
sabutai says
“Some sort of military tribunal”? Why not just say “a made-up process we’re gonna pull out of our asses because we had a Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome/ Dark Knight Rises movie marathon”?
If we can convict Al Capone and Bernie Madoff, we can sure convict some pressure-cooking moron who can’t afford the kinds of lawyer that let you rise above mere judicial process. Unless this guy is from Wall Street, in which case, yeah, maybe the court system isn’t the right way to do this.
jconway says
Treat the persons responsible as the common criminal they are and give them the right to a fair and speedy trial by jury, habeas corpus, and innocence until proven guilty that all common criminals are entitled to. Yes, people died this past Patriots Day, but many also died on the first Patriots Day to ensure those rights were present in this country. Let’s not forget that.
Oh and I appreciate the Dark Knight reference, I am reluctant to even call this person a ‘terrorist’ since its a term that has been politicized beyond any coherent meaning. Calling them that implies an existential threat requiring an extraordinary (and extrajudicial) response. Let’s be vigilant to protect our city as well as our rights.