Roughly 336 black lives were lost in the year 2015, and nearly 800 black lives have been lost at the hands of police since 2013, according to Mint Press News.
The nation has watched the trials unfold on television. The death of Trayvon Martin ignited the #BlackLivesMatterMovement after the man who murdered the teen was acquitted of all charges- black America was outraged.
The black community took to the streets to protest the juries decision. Shortly the media has broadcast the loss of more black lives, including those of Mike Brown, Tamir Rice, Sandra Bland,and Freddie Gray to name a few. Of these cases, no indictments have been made in most of them, and only one family has reached a settlement.
Many question why these cases ended without indictment and why others have been extended for so long.
On more than one occasion the charges brought against the defendants did not fit the crime. For example, in the Trayvon Martin case the prosecutor would have had a better chance convicting George Zimmerman with a manslaughter charge rather than a charge of second degree murder.
Legal representation plays a huge role in making sure the justice system does not fail its victims. Inflated charges can lead to a murderer walking away free. I believe because the community and families are devastated and frenzied it causes the attorney to press charges that sound good, but don’t necessarily hold up in court.
The attorneys who seem to be equipped with the knowledge and skill to make a difference in these cases are defending celebrities such as Bill Cosby’s Defense Attorney Monique Pressley.
Attorneys such as Pressley aren’t affordable for middle class families, and they must rely on attorneys appointed by the court or local attorneys who don’t have experience in high profile murder cases. Though inexperienced, local attorney’s can lead to convictions, but only with well thought out prosecutions.
I fear that black families will continue to mourn unjust deaths without convictions if attorneys do not thoroughly strategize their prosecutions.
Regina Love is a senior mass communication major from Kansas City, Missouri.