The day I defended a thief in court and why I still sleep well

I was at the high court yesterday, and a young lawyer brought a client for first arraignment. The charge was stealing a generator from a church. The boy was 19, looked like he hadn't eaten in days. The church secretary was there, angry, calling him a hardened criminal.

See ehn, the law says every person is presumed innocent until proven guilty. But beyond that, I have seen too many cases where desperation drives a man to do things he never planned. I asked the magistrate to grant him bail on self-recognizance, and the church secretary nearly fainted. He said I was encouraging crime.

I told him, "The same church that preaches mercy on Sunday is the same church that wants this boy to rot in Kirikiri for a generator." The boy was eventually granted bail. He came back for his trial date. The church later withdrew the case after the boy's mother came and begged. The lesson? Justice is not just about punishing. Sometimes it is about understanding the circumstances that push a man to the edge. How many of us are one bad month away from doing something we never imagined?