Citizens Can Make a Difference
Thanks to a good citizen, one more violent thug is off the street.
A 29-year-old man suspected of a series of muggings in the French Quarter was arrested Tuesday evening in Jefferson Parish, according to New Orleans police.
Ronald Martin, of Westwego, is accused of beating a couple and stealing the woman’s purse late last month.
A phone tip to the Metropolitan Crime Commission led Jefferson Parish sheriff detectives to a house in Bridge City, commission President Rafael Goyeneche said. …
The caller who provided the tip to Martin’s location will be paid $500.
Now that citizens and the police have done their job, will the D.A. and the court system do theirs? Greg Huber, one of the victims in the series of muggings Martin is charged with, is crossing his fingers (which is about all we’re allowed to do given the lack of opportunities for citizens to provide feedback on the functioning of the criminal justice system):
Now I guess we are onto phase two in the criminal justice system. Hopefully it will work.
One aspect of the criminal justice system which has to work is the jury system. We have to do our duty to serve when we’re called upon to ensure that responsible citizens make the right choices in deciding guilt or innocence of defendants.
The criminal justice system can’t work without citizen participation.
I called DIVA 92.3 yesterday after the drive-time DJ joked that he was going to take calls from listeners who had excuses another listener could use to get out of jury duty. Not funny! I told the DJ that New Orleans needs responsible citizens sitting on juries, especially now, and that the station ought to think more responsibly about the messages it communicates to listeners.
Here’s yet one more reason why citizens deserve to have their own radio station.