It's all about a Dugan conviction

I'm writing about my concerns over the pretrial hearings on the Brian Dugan case in DuPage County Judge George Bakalis' courtroom. I learned through a Daily Herald article and subsequent editorial, "Transparency important in court," that Judge Bakalis was conducting closed-door hearings in Dugan's case, so as not to taint a potential jury pool with publicity from news accounts. Judge Bakalis' excuse for not permitting public hearings was in the name of ensuring a fair trial. There is a lot at stake here: the Constitution's guarantee of public hearings and our First Amendment right to be informed by the press. The right to be informed is inherent in our ability to remain a democracy. We need to learn from the past how things can slowly be changed over time, revealing a monster that can no longer be contained, lest we not forget The Third Reich, and what water boarding and an erosion of our principles and values can lead to.

Cutting to the chase, this is all about ensuring that Dugan's conviction won't be overturnable in an appeal. It's already well known that Dugan has offered to take a plea if not put to death. So it boils down to not determining guilt or innocence, but politics. DuPage County State's Attorney Joe Birkett, a perennial candidate for statewide political offices, refuses to take Dugan's plea because Birkett wants to impose a death sentence. In our cash-strapped economy, taxpayers would save $8 million-plus if Dugan were allowed to plead guilty. If Birkett succeeded in his quest for governor, the first thing he'd reinstate would be the death penalty. Yes, folks, this is all about the final verdict. I am not saying Dugan is innocent, but am concerned of the potential of putting to death an innocent man in other high-profile cases.

Paula McGowen

Glen Ellyn