Judge Joan Lefkow in Chicago lost her husband and her mother in a brutal murder last week. Instantly, white supremacist Matt Hale was indicted by the press as the master mind behind the act. Despite the fact everyone agreed it was impossible for him to have communicated with agents outside the prison, the consensus in the news stories was that he was personally guilty and if only enough effort were put into the investigation it would be discovered how he managed the feat.
To suggest that I feel the views of Mr. Hale and and his followers are somewhat extreme is a bit of an understatement. However, disliking or disagreeing with someone does not automatically make them guilty even if their history makes them very viable suspects. Guilty until proven guiltier is not how the game is played.
As unpalatable as it may be, Matt Hale is owed an apology for the way he was treated in this instance. Why do I doubt that any of the major media outlets who were so quick to judge will let so much as an "Oops, we goofed!" slip out?
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