South Carolina Criminal Defense Blog

Commentary on NPR by Professor and former public defender Peter Keane in California. Audio is available on NPR's site. An excerpt:

I know that most people have great difficulty understanding this. Indeed, many are horrified by it. But reflect for a moment: There is one key mechanism in our society that protects and maintains all of our freedoms. It is that we go by the rule that whenever someone does something that we condemn, no matter what it is, he still gets one person to speak up for him.

Take away this protection and all our other democratic rights, which are so carefully woven into the constitutional design of our republic, become meaningless. Without resistance from lawyers who represent people being prosecuted, all freedom is ultimately lost, because it is the natural human tendency of those who wield power to abuse those without it.

I am a law professor now. I teach my students to be proud to defend anyone, no matter what they may have done. I want them to stand up for the world’s Saddam Husseins and Osama bin Ladens, for America’s accused rapists and murderers and thieves. I want my students to fight for them—ethically, but with all the fierce determination, talent, and skill that they have.

One person on your side, no matter what you’ve done: That’s what keeps us a free people. That’s what I believe.