On the recordDecember 1, 2021
The Federal Government is an umbrella on a rainy day. So the context of my remarks today will be about criminal justice issues and the unequal results that have come about through State laws. Let me say that the juries have spoken in two important cases. As a trained lawyer I will say it again: The jury has spoken. But it does not mean that I have to accept in one instance the ultimate decision based upon the context of that trial and all of the trappings: The judge, the prosecutors, the defense, and the law. So let me begin very briefly. What is self-defense? It is a legal justification for the otherwise illegal use of force. You have killed someone in most instances. In the instance of self- defense that results in a death, although an unlawful killing did occur, it is considered a justified killing. Do you know how many lives are lost, particularly people of color, by being defined as a justified killing? To succeed on self-defense grounds, an unprovoked attack, the killer was not the aggressor, the killer reasonably believed that they were in imminent danger, the use of force was reasonable. This duty also requires the individual claiming self-defense to retreat prior to using deadly force. In the wake of Kyle Rittenhouse's behavior, two men are dead, and they have families. Joseph Rosenbaum, 36; Anthony Huber, 26. Their families are hurting. And then one was drastically injured; Gaige Grosskreutz was drastically injured.…
