The New York Times covered the recent California Supreme Court decision regarding Ron Zonen, the Santa Barbara County prosecutor who was originally responsible for prosecuting the youngest man ever on the FBI’s Most Wanted List.
A tangle of emotions plagued me for days following the Supremes’ decision. On the one hand, I felt relief for Ron Zonen, who at one time I considered a good friend, and who must have felt a sense of vindication regarding his stellar career that had been placed under the microscope of intense public scrutiny since this thing came down. Mr. Zonen is a public servant with an impeccable track record who tried his best to do what he thought was right at the time. Again, without specifically enumerated guidelines in place as to what law enforcement officials should or should not be doing when dealing with the mass media while trying cases, prosecutors are going to continue to stretch the bounds of decency while mixing business with self-promotion. This is one thing the California Supreme Court failed to provide in their decision and a discussion we will pick up on later.
I also felt relief for Nick Markowitz’s family who would now be able to take a long anticipated step closer toward closure regarding this Greek Tragedy that has dominated their lives for nearly a decade. The family has lived within a container of self-expression out of fear that something they say might negatively affect what happens with the Hollywood case.
And I experienced tremendous grief for Jesse James Hollywood and his family. No matter what anybody says or writes about these people—they are human. Jesse was just a dumb kid who did some very stupid things before he really had a chance to grow up in life. Now, his family has been forced to experience the day-to-day emotions of wondering what will become of their loved one, knowing full-well that Jesse hangs suspended over the abyss of life-or-death. That he might soon ride the fast track of death row or, on the other hand, meet a more humane outcome.
Yes this case promises to take a major step forward so that resolution will apply to all participants. But again, the question remains as to whether true justice shall be served. Will the citizens who ultimately comprise Jesse James Hollywood’s jury add to the pain and despair of this sorrowful series of events by rendering a guilt verdict followed by a death sentence? Or will there be a new more compassionate alternative? One that will leave room for hope for all the young men out there who mess up badly and need another opportunity in that precious commodity we sometimes take for granted when we’re young, called life.
As a lawyer Michael, tell me, do they ask a prospective jury pool the question…”Do you believe in the Death Penalty?” on a murder case? Thanks in advance for your answer…and thanks for the update!
That would definitely be a fair question for any juror on a death penalty case. Prosecutors would especially want to make sure the jury is made up of 12 people who would be willing to pull the plug. Where, the defense only needs one person who refuses to go in that direction. Of course, there’s a lot of pressure on a single holdout juror when the jury is deadlocked. Those other jurors will hammer the one holdout, and it takes a very strong person to hold out for the sake of consciousness under that kind of duress. Of course, Jesse James Hollywood would still have to be found guilty first before there’s even a death penalty discussion.
Michael Mehas