It is sickening to be cross-examined by someone who aims at boosting her prosecutorial batting average rather than ensuring that justice is served. That day in court I dealt with a very sarcastic prosecutor who decried the evidence given by several professionals who had no real axe to grind. Some of us - and I was one - were appearing without fee because we believed so strongly in the defendant's mental state. So we had a prosecutor who sneered at our collective and consistent view that here was a textbook example of "battered wife" syndrome. I know we all sometimes have to do difficult things as part of our jobs, but I regarded this prosecutor as a traitor to her own sex and, even worse, a monstrous affront to all mankind. I applaud what actors do on stage or on screen - in real life, however, I cannot applaud the "playing" of a part where someone's welfare and liberty lie in the balance.
I take comfort from the fact that most magistrates and judges do appreciate the need for balance and stand willing to tailor the punishment to the fully-comprehended nature of the deed. I just hate all the posturing and game-playing that precede the eventual sentencing phase.
I take comfort from the fact that most magistrates and judges do appreciate the need for balance and stand willing to tailor the punishment to the fully-comprehended nature of the deed. I just hate all the posturing and game-playing that precede the eventual sentencing phase.