This week, following the not-guilty verdict in the Kyle Rittenhouse trial, and the guilty verdicts in the Ahmaud Arbery murder trial, we asked readers if they have faith in the criminal justice system.

 

“The two very different decisions make me believe, more than ever, that when a case is properly prepared and adjudicated with care, the justice system works. The biggest problem with the system, as I see it, is in the people who are responsible for running the courts. Would Rittenhouse have been found guilty with a more thoughtful judge in the case? I don’t know, but we heard as much about the angry behavior of the judge as anything, and that’s a problem.”

Stephanie Keegan,

Somers, NY

“I was angry but not surprised by the Rittenhouse verdict. This country has a history of finding ways to remind us it was built by an inherently violent, racist system that repeatedly excuses the shameful behavior of white men. I held my breath for days assuming the case of Ahmaud Arbery would produce the same enraging result, but it did not. I applaud that jury for doing the right thing but again, the reprehensible conduct of the defense attorney was allowed to permeate that case. I’m relieved but not satiated or convinced we’ve done enough to move forward toward equitable justice. I know this country can do better than this. We just need to find the same conscience and humanity that we use when we judge other countries [regarding racism and apartheid].”

Tish Greene,

Bed Stuy, Brooklyn

“The two verdicts last week represent a tale of two criminal justice systems. A system of justice that is often broken when it comes to minorities, and yet has potential, as we see in the verdict in the killing of Ahmaud Arbery. Self-defense cannot and should not be defined whereas one is the initiator or the aggressor, and this is what both cases had in common. The fact that Rittenhouse brought a gun to a protest, shot and killed two people and walked away a free man is a travesty of justice!”

Hiram Ratliff,

West Farms

“I feel very strongly that the verdict in the Rittenhouse case was horrific. It allows individuals to feel they can carry a gun, threaten lawful protesters, and claim self-defense as a reason for killing others. To allow anyone, especially a 17-year-old, to roam the streets with a gun is criminal in my mind. If Rittenhouse was a person of color, he would have been found guilty. In fact, I believe that the police who saw him [Rittenhouse] in Kenosha with a gun, would have shot him. There has to be legislation on the federal and state levels, setting boundaries for self-defense, this, in addition to strong gun-control laws. Our judicial system, as with our society, is innately racist.”

Lewis Goldstein,

Pelham Bay

“We scream for justice, especially in murder cases. However, justice does not always prevail, as in the case with Kyle Rittenhouse, where justice was not served. Nonetheless, justice was served in the Ahmaud Arbery case. Rittenhouse got off too easy and should have been found guilty of one of the charges. He caused a lot of problems by bringing a rifle to a peaceful protest where he shot and killed two people. Therefore, he should have been held accountable for his actions. In this case, it seemed biased as well, and justice was not served.”

Dr. Marylean Wroten,

Longwood