What does justice in Grand Rapids, MI look like? Is there a firm line “drawn in the sand” between right and wrong? Have money, power, greed and corruption blurred that line? What does the spiritual soul of man look like? These are questions many have asked about the jury in the “kidnaping case of Governor Whitmer.” This is questioning this Magazine asks you to ask yourself. Search your “soul” and discover answers. Then, see if your decision allows you to “look in the mirror” without ducking? Some of you will be able to, others won’t.

JUSTICE for GOVERNOR WHITMER

When moral, conscious-minded people learned of the plot by several white men to kidnap and perhaps murder Governor Gretchen Whitmer, they were horrified! Who would want to do such a thing? Is this what real evil looks like? Why are so many Americans violent? What causes a mind to plan such an evil event? Here’s a recap:

Charges Grand Rapids Jury Examined

• Kidnaping Conspiracy
• Conspiracy to Use Explosives
• Possession of Unregistered Semi-Automatic Assault Rifle
• Ownership of Unregistered Destructive Devices

Reflection of Evidence in Justice in Grand Rapids, MI

Reviewing the charges, these questions demanded answers: Were there taped conversations presented showing the defendants planning such a kidnapping plot? Were their voices heard by the jury? Did they possess explosives and devices to carry out the plot? Were there witnesses presented who verified those conversations? What prevented the defendants from carrying out their plan? If there was a “Yes” to the questions, how did we get the results we got? No juror is asked to be a mind-reader, but the question becomes: What would it take for that jury to see intent?

My Juror Experience

Years ago, I was a juror on a case where a robber had broken into the defendant’s home and stolen several objects. The defendant tracked him down, saw his goods, and when the unarmed robber tried to run away, he shot him in the back, killing him. He was charged with unlawful possession of a weapon and second-degree murder. There was clear evidence the defendant had used an unregistered gun.

The defense claimed self-defense. We deliberated for a short time, voted secretly, and after the “yeas” and “nays” were counted, I was the only one who voted “guilty.” After several days of deliberating, a couple other jurors joined my position and we ended up with a “hung jury.” While I understood clearly how angry the defendant was, I simply could not “wrap my head around” how shooting and killing an unarmed man in the back running away, was self-defense. My sense of morality would not let me “go that way.” That same “wonderment” has crept into my thought processes as I look at the verdict of the Grand Rapids Jury. Reality forced me to think rationally.

Should Morality Enter Justice in Grand Rapids MI?

As a person who seeks to follow man’s law, but more importantly, divine law. Also, the question arises, is not man’s law based on one’s highest sense of divine law? If the answer is a “Yes,” morality should have entered into justice in Grand Rapids, MI! Morality does not play politics, does not allow anger and hate to enter decision-making, and applies equal justice to all. Was it served in this case? Most moral-minded people would answer No!

Jury duty is not easy, but a sense of right and wrong is. What is hard, is complying with the rules of right and wrong. A clear rule is “Thou shalt not kill.” Planning a killing that is somehow interrupted, is the same morally as actually doing it. There are no “brownie points” for being prevented from killing a person. Conscience truly is the voice of the soul. And . . . if one consciously wants to murder . . . he should be judged accordingly.

Finally, each of us has to examine his innermost thoughts, decide what true spirituality says is right . . . not what mortal thinking says is right. If you have done that, stand up tall, look at yourself in the mirror . . . and . . . if you believe in “thou shalt not kill” . . .you will not duck.