Jon StojanThe very foundation of the US legal system is that every person should be presumed innocent until proven guilty. That approach ensures the accused’s rights are respected and minimizes the risk of convicting someone unfairly and without substantial evidence. Although that’s what the law should be based on, more and more people are not taking their obligation to thoroughly prove or disprove evidence seriously, and it’s the innocent who pay the price. With over 35 years of experience in the legal field, seasoned criminal defense counsel John R. Teakell offers insight into why this negative shift is happening while reigniting hope in law proceedings with his advice.
Although Teakell has been defending charged individuals since 2003, ensuring a fair process for every single one of them, his career started on the other side of the bar. For more than 12 years, he was a federal prosecutor in Texas and Puerto Rico, which provided him with an array of expertise and knowledge.
One of the main factors hugely affecting the legal scene these days is media coverage. The reach of media is much larger than it was 15 years ago, which makes it easier to skew the real picture. Scandals can ruin someone’s reputation very quickly. As pointed out by Teakell, every person deserves a fair trial, and the bias that the media provides will often be detrimental to the case’s outcome. “A lot of people seem to lose sight of presented evidence because they’re following along with a commonly believed perception supported by the media,” says Teakell. “Since the person of interest is charged by state or federal officials, this causes the public to simply believe that they are indeed guilty of something.”
Government-created crimes that were not traditionally found in the system are another major issue. These can include SEC charges and ATF regulations relating to not registering financial securities deemed for sale or not obtaining licenses for selling or manufacturing firearms. While these issues are undoubtedly serious offenses, the majority of individuals are unaware of their responsibility to abide by these laws. This is due to the unclear nature of legal statutes. As a result, people can unexpectedly receive criminal charges for violating regulations, which causes grave consequences for them.
As more people lose knowledge of the legal principles provided to US citizens and residents, it is important to ensure that selected jurors are adequately educated on what role they play in the courtroom. There’s also an influx of non-native jurors who, having come from a different background with different traditions and laws, can often lack knowledge about individual rights and freedoms. This information is vital to understand as the American government utilizes these principles to prove a case beyond a reasonable doubt.
Teakell recognizes how the legal industry has changed over the years, especially in the technology department. And, even though technological innovations can be used as an advantage, they’re just as often jeopardizing the system’s foundation. How can this problem be solved? He believes that sensationalized news coverage should be taken with a grain of salt because someone with charges against them shouldn’t automatically be viewed as guilty. Every person deserves to be treated as innocent unless proven guilty, and, as difficult as it is to do in the age of media bias, that’s a responsibility the government has willingly accepted and must uphold.
Another possible solution to the flawed system is educating jurors. People are supposed to trust in the government, in its fairness, impartiality, and devotion to seek out the truth. This can be achieved by reeducating the public and potential jurors about the presumption of innocence and the important role it plays in determining a case’s outcome. According to Teakell, the problem isn’t limited to those jurors coming from different countries – many Americans don’t know or forget that the burden of proof is on the government. This means that someone with charges against them should be presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Ultimately, the world will carry on evolving, but the importance of criminal defense will remain. It’s vital to sustain the essence of the US legal system and uphold the foundation it was built on. This can be achieved through extensive juror education programs that emphasize innocent until proven guilty as the only way defendants should be viewed in the public eye.
“Remember that it’s the prosecution who has the burden of proof. Once you’re charged with something, you don’t have to disprove that. The government is required to provide sufficient evidence that proves the case against a defendant. All the while, a defendant remains innocent until a jury decides that the prosecutor has proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt,” says Teakell, highlighting the importance of understanding basic legal principles if you are involved with court proceedings.