Pubdate: Fri, 29 Jul 2005
Source: Tribune Review (Pittsburgh, PA)
Copyright: 2005 Tribune-Review Publishing Co.
Contact:  http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/tribune-review/trib/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/460
Author: Ronald J. Hill

JUSTICE ON DRUGS?

Read the local paper. Turn on the news. Rarely does a day go by without 
young black men killing each other over drugs.

This past December, I tragically lost a son to this situation. The alleged 
suspects had no jobs and had been in trouble with the law in the past. But 
how could people without jobs be represented by two of the top attorneys in 
the county? They were.

How can they hire private investigators as expert witnesses? They did. With 
the only source of income being drugs, it becomes obvious that this drug 
money is being used to hire such representation.

On the federal level, the money transactions surrounding a drug case can be 
revealed. At the trial for my son's death, when I asked representatives why 
no questions were being asked when attorneys accept large sums of money 
from persons without any source of income except from drug dealing, I was 
told that at the state level, attorneys and defendants do not have to 
account for any payment agreements or sources of monies.

As long as the drug dealers can use drug money for their defense, the 
attorneys and the state system will be corrupt for accepting it and the 
cycle will continue.

Ronald J. Hill

Penn Hills 
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