Is legal system next bubble to burst?

It has become evident, that we live in an age of bubbles going bust. Everybody was doing it, everything was going fine and wham, we were hit, seemingly without warning. What follows; the autopsy of what had occurred, dissecting the whys and wherefores. A common denominator was that there was no mechanism able to stop the catastrophe before it reached disastrous proportions. In effect, the systems of checks and balances that were in place didn't work. What will be the next bubble to burst?

A part of government, our criminal justice system, has its problems and is not immune. Since the Constitution was written, our rights have been eroded by the power of politics over justice. To some degree, today's judges and prosecutors don't share the originally intended meaning of justice: fairness, impartiality and seeking the truth.

One of former DuPage County Circuit Court Judge Michael Burke's last famous cases before being appointed to the Appellate Court was that of Michael Cardamone, the gymnastics coach. The public couldn't get in to see the trial because the courtroom was too small. Cardamone's conviction was overturned because Burke improperly allowed in too much evidence. Burke refused to allow the jury to go to the scene of the crime, an open gym. What definition of seeking justice, was the objecting prosecutor and Burke using?

All parties, including the Children's Advocacy Center, instrumental in the prosecution of this case, should adhere to the truest principle of seeking justice; but then, who will assure they do?

Paula McGowen

Glen Ellyn