Megan Williams

And they are allowed to carry on these tactics until such time as the suspect asserts their right not to talk to them without an attorney present.

This may be what happened in the Megan Williams case.

Confession

Why would anyone confess to a crime they didn’t commit?

Research has shown that many people will confess to things they did not do for several reasons.

• They want the interrogation to be over.
• Force of personality.
• Repetition.  They have been told what happened so often they doubt their own memory.

There is one more reason people will confess to a crime they did not commit – plea bargain.  A plea bargain states that they are making a deal.  Rather than taking their chances with a jury, they agree to confess so that a lesser sentence is imposed, thereby avoiding the possibility of spending the rest of their lives in prison, or even death.

Is Justice Being Served?

One could say that Justice is being served because the courts aren’t being tied up, crimes are being solved, and people are going to prison.

But what about true Justice?

Rev. Lloyd Hill, local pastor, said as soon as the Hollywood media and activists stepped in, Megan and her family started being manipulated to further other agendas.  Money was raised for her that she has never seen.  While others cautioned about getting involved with her because of known instances of lying on her part.

The Megan Williams case, and others raise some very hard questions.

• Do we need to re-think the concept of applying hate crime status onto already existing crimes?
• Does the Miranda warning need to be expanded and enforced even more rigorously?
• Do we need more severe penalties for false accusations?
• Do we need to eliminate the plea bargain?  It is not justice when the only one of a group who refuses to plead guilty is the one who receives the harshest sentence.  That is simply not justice.
• Do we need to re-think the laws preventing delving into the past of rape victims?
• Do we need a law making activists and agitators financially responsible when their actions influence a trial, and it is found out later that the party is innocent?  Remember Tawana Brawley, Pagones sued her, won and was awarded $185,000 when she failed to appear in court, of which not a single dime has been paid.

Questions we need to answer.