Just A Little Mercy

JUST A LITTLE MERCY

By Raymond L. Carr Jr., author & incarcerated citizen

I just watched the movie "Just Mercy", I feel encouraged and inspired, I also feel saddened because I know how it feels to fight for your life, to only be told "No" when you should be getting relief from an unjust conviction.

I don't know what its like to be on Death Row, however, being sentenced to Life without the possibility for parole is equivalent to being on Death Row. Instead of getting a date to die, they are waiting for me to die, death by incarceration.

Over the years I can't help but to think about all the cases I read about or witness firsthand, of how misconducts took place to obtain convictions and how people didn't receive a fair trial.

I think about the Central Park Five (aka Exonerated Five) and all of those who are actual innocent. In the movie it was said, "It is better to be rich and guilty, than to be poor and innocent."

I thought about a case I read about in 2019, "Man sentenced in death of girlfriend in casino hotel

Detroit - A 34 - year - old suburban Detroit man has been ordered to serve between 12 and 20 years in prison in connection with the death of his 27 year - old girlfriend whose body was found in a casino hotel room.

Daniel Michalak of St. Clair Shores was sentenced Wednesday in Wayne County Circuit Court in Detroit. He received the 12 to 20 year sentence for 'assault with intent to murder' and 5 to 10 for 'assault with intent to maim.' The sentences will be served concurrently. A charge of assault with intent to do great bodily harm was dismissed. Tia Vellucci's body was found May 29 at the MGM Grand Detroit. Vellucci, of Davison, suffered multiple stab wounds. Her nose also was bitten." (Source: Detroit Free Press)

I can only surmise that Daniel Michalak had the financial wealth from the city he is from (St. Clair Shores), but how do you explain the charge of 'assault with intent to murder' when his girlfriend is dead? I think money played a role somewhere in the process.

I think about how I sat in an holding cell with the Highland Park Serial Killer, who killed 13 women and how I received the same punishment (sentence) as he did.

I think about how prosecutors fight to resentence Juvenile Lifers who were teenagers at time of the crime to Life again and make deals with adults for similar offenses to a term of years.

I think about how convictions that relied on tainted evidence are ignored when it is presented to the courts and allowed to stand, because some feel we had our day in court.

I think about how the integrity in our justice system has been breached and life decisions are made not on the basis of law, but because it can.

I think about how often people say, "The Justice System is broken" and how little is done to repair it.

As I think about the good, the bad, and the ugly of the justice system, all I can think about is, Just a Little Mercy. ***

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