Did anyone see 20/20 on friday

[karimah]

Law and Privilege - Do the scales of justice tip toward the wealthy and well-connected? 20/20 looks at two cases in Texas: One of a wealthy man who committed murder and never served a day in jail, and another of a man from the other side of the tracks who has spent 16 years behind bars for violating his probation by smoking marijuana. Jim Avila confronts the judge who presided over both cases.

[Thewifeofapopo]

Law and Privilege - Do the scales of justice tip toward the wealthy and well-connected? 20/20 looks at two cases in Texas: One of a wealthy man who committed murder and never served a day in jail, and another of a man from the other side of the tracks who has spent 16 years behind bars for violating his probation by smoking marijuana. Jim Avila confronts the judge who presided over both cases.




We all know that wealth in addition to skin color plays a major role on the Justic Scale!! Case stated that in another thread.

[CaseClosed]

Law and Privilege - Do the scales of justice tip toward the wealthy and well-connected? 20/20 looks at two cases in Texas: One of a wealthy man who committed murder and never served a day in jail, and another of a man from the other side of the tracks who has spent 16 years behind bars for violating his probation by smoking marijuana. Jim Avila confronts the judge who presided over both cases.

Some people are privledged because of the money their families have acquired and can buy their way into anything, while others who are less affluent don't have that privledge. Nothing new there.


Beautiful people get treated better than those who are not considered beautiful. Nothing new there.

Blacks get more time in prison than whites for the same crime committed which is what Cuban and I were discussing. Nothing new there.

[karimah]

Weighting the Scales of JusticeTwo Men, Same Judge, Very Different Outcomes
From top attorneys to well-connected character witnesses, when privileged people come into the court system, the scales of justice often tip. (PhotoDisc)

Kennedys, Hiltons: Family Dynasties
Nixed by Nepotism at Work?
The Perks of Privilege


Be Seen, Be Heard: Do you live a privileged life because of your looks, money, or family connections? We Want Your Video!
Talk Back to '20/20'


Weighting the Scales of Justice
Be Seen, Be Heard: Do you live a privileged life because of your looks, money, or family connections? We Want Your Video!
Cut Off Ties With a Family Member? E-mail Us

Special Treatment for the Rich and Famous
Rev. Tells Walters Who Goes to Heaven
Backyard Animal Sanctuary Dangers

By CONNIE CLARKE

Nov. 4, 2006 — Do you believe the scales of justice tilt in favor of the rich and powerful? To explore this question, "20/20" went to Texas to examine the fate of two men who came before the same judge.


Alex Wood was accused of killing a male prostitute in Dallas in 1995. He pleaded not guilty and went to trial. According to prosecutor Rick Jordan, the evidence against Wood was incontrovertible: He had shot an unarmed man in the back.

But just as the jury was about to conclude its deliberations, Jordan struck a plea bargain: In exchange for a guilty plea, Wood would be given 10 years of probation and no jail time. Jordan's explanation for striking such a lenient deal? He believed the jury was sympathetic to Wood, and Jordan worried it might acquit Wood altogether.


Maybe it would have. Wood had no criminal history and came from a wealthy and well-connected Texas family. Wood's father, the Rev. John Alvin Wood, is a retired pastor of the First Baptist Church of Waco and a former regent of Baylor University. He's also a big game hunter and fossil collector whose private museum was recently featured in National Geographic.

Wood's sister is married to eight-term congressman Chet Edwards, whose vast district, the 17th Congressional District of Texas, extends from the Fort Worth suburbs in the north to the Bryan-College Station area in the south.

Wood himself dabbled in the genteel business of breeding and showing dogs, specifically Pharaoh Hounds — an exotic breed whose lineage can be traced back to ancient Egypt.


At trial, Wood was represented by top defense attorneys who described the victim as violent and aggressive, and argued that Wood shot the man in self-defense. Even more important, given the location of the trial — the Bible Belt South — they brought in several prominent members of the Baptist church as character witnesses.

Among them was O.S. Hawkins, the exceedingly urbane pastor of the First Baptist Church of Dallas, and a true celebrity among Baptist officials. Said Jordan of some of the women jury members, "When O.S. Hawkins came in, it was like they wanted to crawl over the rail and just kiss the ring."

Another reason Jordan agreed to the plea was that he expected Wood to violate probation and end up in jail anyway.

Wood did, indeed, violate probation. First, he tested positive for cocaine use, and shortly after that he and another man were arrested when they were found with crack cocaine in one of Chet Edwards' cars. Citing the failed drug test and the arrest, prosecutors went to Judge Keith Dean, the original trial judge, and asked him to revoke Wood's probation.

Dean, who serves at the 265th Criminal District Court of Dallas County, and who has been elected to the bench four times, is described as a good, committed judge. But he allowed Wood to remain out on bail for several months, during which time Wood failed two more drug tests.
In the end, Dean let Wood enter a private inpatient treatment center rather than go to jail. In another lucky break, prosecutors decided not to pursue the crack charges against Wood.
But Wood continued to get into trouble — and continued to escape the consequences. In a dispute over a puppy, dog trainer Margaret Worth said Wood broke into her home. After Wood's father intervened, Worth agreed not to press charges.
Two Court Cases, Same Judge, Varied Treatment
Last year one of Wood's high-powered lawyers asked Dean to shave a year off Wood's sentence and grant him early release from probation. Dean refused but instead agreed to a "postcard" probation in which Wood could simply write to the court once a year. Wood, now 46 years old, has remained free.
The same can't be said for Tyrone Brown, another man who came before Dean.
Back in 1990, when Brown was 17, he and a friend pulled a gun on a Dallas man and demanded his wallet. After taking $2, they handed the wallet back and fled but were quickly caught.
When Brown appeared before Dean, he didn't have a high-powered lawyer. Brown was one of five children who grew up in a poor home and never finished high school. The Baptist church he attended was the little Telstar Baptist Church in Dallas, which cannot claim a single prominent member.
Brown, who had a few minor juvenile offenses on his record, pleaded guilty, and he, too, was sentenced to 10 years' probation.
Like Wood, he also violated probation, although only once, and he only got caught smoking marijuana. But when Brown was called before Dean, what happened to him was markedly different from what happened to Wood. Dean sentenced Brown to life in prison, then added, "Good luck, Mr. Brown." Brown's court-appointed attorney, Matt Fry, didn't protest.
Nora Brown, Tyrone's mother, recalled that she broke down when her son called her with the news. "'Mama,' he said, 'they gave me life.' I just started crying, you know, and I started screaming. And I said 'Baby, how can they give you life. For what?' "
"20/20" correspondent Jim Avila spoke to Dean, who is running for re-election, during a campaign event in Dallas. Avila asked the judge about why he ruled so differently in the two cases. Dean insisted the law and the "ethical code of judicial conduct says I can't talk about any case at any point."
However, Seanna Willing, the executive director of the Texas Commission on Judicial Conduct, told "20/20" Dean is incorrect. She said there is nothing to prevent a judge from talking about cases that are no longer pending.
Wood has finished his probation and is a free man. Brown has been in prison more than 16 years. He's struggled with depression, tried committing suicide, and got into trouble after joining a gang and fighting with prison guards. In recent years, he has settled down, and now says he spends time reading and writing poetry. He's eligible for parole in 2009.

[jazzyken]

Law and Privilege - Do the scales of justice tip toward the wealthy and well-connected? 20/20 looks at two cases in Texas: One of a wealthy man who committed murder and never served a day in jail, and another of a man from the other side of the tracks who has spent 16 years behind bars for violating his probation by smoking marijuana. Jim Avila confronts the judge who presided over both cases.
No I did not see that... maybe the judge should be looked into by a higher authority.

[karimah]

We all know that wealth in addition to skin color plays a major role on the Justic Scale!! Case stated that in another thread.


Am aware of that, doesnt mean i can't share what was televised on tv this weekend

[karimah]

Some people are privledged because of the money their families have acquired and can buy their way into anything, while others who are less affluent don't have that privledge. Nothing new there.


Beautiful people get treated better than those who are not considered beautiful. Nothing new there.

Blacks get more time in prison than whites for the same crime committed which is what Cuban and I were discussing. Nothing new there.


Case i was very shocked at what took place, folks in that state better start speaking up

[Thewifeofapopo]

Am aware of that, doesnt mean i can't share what was televised on tv this weekend


I wasn't implying you didn't know!:) Thanks for sharing!

[CaseClosed]

Case i was very shocked at what took place, folks in that state better start speaking up

anything except the scales of justice are un balanced and you're right, people in that state, and all states need to start speaking up. Preferably whites should speak up since they're listened to more than blacks.:mad:

[karimah]

It just amazes me knowing we have enough odds against us and we're killing each other in the streets on a daily basis, and for what.

It's not like their killing each other to get their job.

I wish all these crackhead parents and deadbeat parents snap out of it and start paying some attention to your kids maybe just maybe they would feel enough love not to want to take another mans life.

[CaseClosed]

It just amazes me knowing we have enough odds against us and we're killing each other in the streets on a daily basis, and for what.

It's not like their killing each other to get their job.

I wish all these crackhead parents and deadbeat parents snap out of it and start paying some attention to your kids maybe just maybe they would feel enough love not to want to take another mans life.


I wish the crackhead parents as you put it would wake up and make their children their top priority. Sadly, it's not just the crackhead parents who are not giving their children enough love and attention. Parents today work hard and when they come home they're usually too tired to do anything. Perhaps if the work week were shortened, perhaps parents would have enough time to spend with their kids. Perhaps if the commute was lessened that would also help.

In addition, parents need to realize their kids don't want materal things as much as the want and need love and attention from their parents.

If parents really got to know their kids, perhaps we could make life better especially in the black community.

[Thewifeofapopo]

I wish the crackhead parents as you put it would wake up and make their children their top priority. Sadly, it's not just the crackhead parents who are not giving their children enough love and attention. Parents today work hard and when they come home they're usually too tired to do anything. Perhaps if the work week were shortened, perhaps parents would have enough time to spend with their kids. Perhaps if the commute was lessened that would also help.



HOW CAN YOU COMPARE A SINGLE HARD WORKING MOM WHO IS TRYING TO PROVIDE FOR HER FAMILY TO A CRACK HEAD MOM WHO IS OUT GETTING HIGH, WHO CAN GIVE A RATS A@@ WHETHER OR NOT HER CHILD EATS OR HAVE A ROOF OVER HER KIDS HEAD.???!!!! :mad:



SORRY, NO COMPARISON THERE!!!



I AGREE THE HOURS SHOULD BE SHORTEN AT WORK, BUT I CAN'T SEE THAT HAPPENING. SOME PEOPLE WHO WERE STAY AT HOME MOMS, RAISED CRIMINALS!!!



WHAT'S YOUR POINT???

[CaseClosed]

HOW CAN YOU COMPARE A SINGLE HARD WORKING MOM WHO IS TRYING TO PROVIDE FOR HER FAMILY TO A CRACK HEAD MOM WHO IS OUT GETTING HIGH, WHO CAN GIVE A RATS A@@ WHETHER OR NOT HER CHILD EATS OR HAVE A ROOF OVER HER KIDS HEAD.???!!!! :mad:



SORRY, NO COMPARISON THERE!!!



I AGREE THE HOURS SHOULD BE SHORTEN AT WORK, BUT I CAN'T SEE THAT HAPPENING. SOME PEOPLE WHO WERE STAY AT HOME MOMS, RAISED CRIMINALS!!!



WHAT'S YOUR POINT???


I don't believe a mother who probably was too young when she became a mother intentionally raises criminals. I believe she more than likely raises children the way she was raised which more than likely was dysfunctional.

And when we know better, we do better.

[Thewifeofapopo]

I don't believe a mother who probably was too young when she became a mother intentionally raises criminals. I believe she more than likely raises children the way she was raised which more than likely was dysfunctional.

And when we know better, we do better.


Exactly, nor does a single mom working intentionally raises a criminal!

[CaseClosed]

Exactly, nor does a single mom working intentionally raises a criminal!

you seem to be taking my comments personally.

[Thewifeofapopo]

you seem to be taking my comments personally.



Just trying to understand your previous post where you seem to be comparing a crackhead mom to a single working mom who you claim does not spend time with her child do to her work schedule who ultimately may be raising a criminal do to her lack of time spent with the child.

[CaseClosed]

Just trying to understand your previous post where you seem to be comparing a crackhead mom to a single working mom who you claim does not spend time with her child do to her work schedule who ultimately may be raising a criminal do to her lack of time spent with the child.

I was speaking about working parents whether single parent or two parent households.

Many parents don't spend enough time with their kids and I stand by that statement.

[Thewifeofapopo]

I was speaking about working parents whether single parent or two parent households.

Many parents don't spend enough time with their kids and I stand by that statement.



How do you know if working parents spend time with their children? More importantly, iT's not always the amount of time spent, but what you do with the time that is spent. If your child enjoys the time you spend, while sitting with him/her to watch his/her favorite cartoon, that's quality time spent. Or if during dinner time you are communicating about how their day went, that's quality time, or during bathtime if you're having a world of fun while singing to your child or playing wHILE he/she enjoys their bubble bath,,,,that's quality time. and lastly tucking your little one in and reading them their favorite bedtime story........THAT'S PRICELESS!!!!



This process is a nuturing process, and if this is done on a regular while your child is young.........your time spent with your child will never be forgotten!!



CRACKHEAD MOM VS...WORKING PARENT'S!!!! AGAIN YOU CAN'T COMPARE!!!

[CaseClosed]

How do you know if working parents spend time with their children? More importantly, iT's not always the amount of time spent, but what you do with the time that is spent. If your child enjoys the time you spend, while sitting with him/her to watch his/her favorite cartoon, that's quality time spent. Or if during dinner time you are communicating about how their day went, that's quality time, or during bathtime if you're having a world of fun while singing to your child or playing wHILE he/she enjoys their bubble bath,,,,that's quality time. and lastly tucking your little one in and reading them their favorite bedtime story........THAT'S PRICELESS!!!!



This process is a nuturing process, and if this is done on a regular while your child is young.........your time spent with your child will never be forgotten!!



CRACKHEAD MOM VS...WORKING PARENT'S!!!! AGAIN YOU CAN'T COMPARE!!!


the things you mentioned doing with a child are priceless, no doubt. Even a crakhead could be a good parent when he or she gets clean. Crackheads, I would like to believe, also love their children, but they are addicted and care more about getting high. Getting high, for them, is paramount in their daily living. I have known former crackheads who when clean and free of drugs were the parents they were meant to be, so, let's not count people out completely.

[CaseClosed]

How do you know if working parents spend time with their children? More importantly, iT's not always the amount of time spent, but what you do with the time that is spent. If your child enjoys the time you spend, while sitting with him/her to watch his/her favorite cartoon, that's quality time spent. Or if during dinner time you are communicating about how their day went, that's quality time, or during bathtime if you're having a world of fun while singing to your child or playing wHILE he/she enjoys their bubble bath,,,,that's quality time. and lastly tucking your little one in and reading them their favorite bedtime story........THAT'S PRICELESS!!!!



This process is a nuturing process, and if this is done on a regular while your child is young.........your time spent with your child will never be forgotten!!



CRACKHEAD MOM VS...WORKING PARENT'S!!!! AGAIN YOU CAN'T COMPARE!!!


every child is different and unique. But all children need love, guidance, structure, the basic necessities , love and time spend with their parents. As children get older, they need their parents more. So, the process is long. The evils in society are out there and we shouldn't shield our children from them. We should explain that there are consequences for the bad choices they make and if they make the wrong choices, they can't blame mom or dad because they were taught which wayto travel.. If they go the wrong way, they will have themselves to blame.

When children have rules and regulations to ahere to in the home, usually, they will follow the laws of society. Sometimes, with a child, he may want to fit in with his peers knowing the peers(drug dealers, thugs and gangbangers) he chooses are the people he has been taught to stay away from. In such a case, Wife, who would you say is at fault the child or the parents?