Michael Winship: The Real Scandal of US Justice

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from Consortium News:




The Real Scandal of US Justice

Right-wing judges now dominate the American legal system, from the state level where corporate donations help elect them to the U.S. Supreme Court where ideologues tip the scales in favor of big business. To Michael Winship, that’s the true scandal in the administration of justice, not a few high-profile instances where juries make unpopular rulings.

By Michael Winship
July 13, 2011


Last week, an HBO film crew was in my Manhattan neighborhood shooting a movie about legendary record producer Phil Spector, now serving 19 years to life for the 2003 shooting death of actress Lana Clarkson.

The film, starring Al Pacino, already has stirred controversy because its writer-director, David Mamet, recently said he believes Spector wasn’t guilty.

“I definitely think there is reasonable doubt,” he told the Financial Times. “They should never have sent him away. Whether he did it or not, we’ll never know but if he’d just been a regular citizen, they never would have indicted him.”

His remarks generated an outraged letter from a group calling itself the Friends of Lana Clarkson that began, “This film may be a valentine for a convicted murderer and 40-year gun abuser.” .............(more)

The complete piece is at: http://consortiumnews.com/2011/07/13/the-real-scandal-of-us-justice/