Revenge of decomp season!

The speakers today really enhanced my understanding of the justice system. Of course I have always understood why defense attorneys are necessary (due process and all of that), but I could never quite connect how someone could argue for the release of a person they sometimes know is guilty. Now I understand that the defense attorney is there to keep the system balanced. They are not there job reveal the truth; it is their job to challenge the prosecution to meet the burden of proof. Without the defense attorneys defending zealously, the prosecution would not have to prove people guilty beyond a reasonable doubt and there could be even more innocent people wrongly jailed. This adversarial system keeps the police investigating, the prosecution covering all their bases and the system working. However, individual cases still cause problems, like in the episode we watched for today, "Choice." The mother was an alcoholic and didn't stop drinking after she promised to. Intervention was needed to help the baby, especially after if came to light that the mother had already had a Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) baby. However, how can we take a woman's choice over her own life? This is a conundrum for feminists who want to fight oppression, yet don't want to see FAS babies as a result. It is impossible to weigh a life against the mother's interest, so I don't envy the judge who had to preside over this case. It would be like comparing apples and oranges, only with very human consequences.
The episode we watched in class made me think about the role of men in the abortion debate. While I have often heard the "it's not their body" argument, what should their role be, both as contributors to the pregnancy equation and as allies to the feminist community? Stone, Schiff, the detectives and Robinette all had opinions, but how should they be intergrated into the greater conversation about abortion? I often wonder about the limitations and boundaries of advocates and allies of oppressed communities. It seems so easy to step on toes when all you want to do is help. It would be nice if all activism groups could simply support and respect each other, but, alas, this is not human nature and means that we all must work even harder for more tolerance and equality in today's society.
Our speakers were excellent, as always. Their willingness to share anecdotes was fun and it was good to see that the system doesn't depress the human spirit. You can be an upbeat, funny person while working in law enforcement and DA's offices! Learning what a PI actually does filled in the television affected picture for me, and the relationship between client and defense attorney is much clearer. I especially appreciated the rapport the women had. It is neat that in such a male-dominated world these women could find each other as a source of support and humor when dealing with such dire situations. The idea of a body turning into jelly and being shoveled into a body bag is just a little disturbing, but the poinsettia story made my day. And she kept the poinsettia! Genius!