As I discussed below, what if the verdict itself was all an act on part of the judge to prevent a violent conclusion. The Houks all had the looks that kill when they came in with the bikers and the "act" that Jorad Brown was guilty as sin. Connect the dots, Marie... Gloria and friends... this verdict, the moving of the boy to a undisclosed facility only points to the only way to prevent the Houks and their hangers-on from violence. We have seen the occasions that both families sniped at each other. So what if the verdict itself was an act by a judge to have his ruling on the case easily overturned in an appellate setting. Maybe he knows the courts in Pittsburgh would easily overturn the verdict. The undisclosed facility is needed to prevent those scumbags from even think of coming after them. (The Houks know he is in Erie, but confuse them where he would be held next, such an overturning would cause them rage though the object of their rage is far from their hurtful retaliation.
The Houks and the county have to learn that since 1994, almost eighteen years, they have not ever learned that to falsely accuse anyone for any crime not only hurts them, it hurt them as well. For one thing, the real doer is on the street, free to cause further trouble. Another thing, it makes a mickery of our justice system when we let such cases go to trial. Lastly, it makes us all distrust law and order even more. If they cnnot solve a murder, how can we trust them to keep us safe?
We might think this was a kangeroo court, but I saw another side of the ruling and that was when Gloria posted the article above. I realized that Judge Hodge could not have ruled in favor of Jordan in that closed courtroom with the mob mentality raised by the victim's own family. He made the verdict deliberately overturnable in full trust the next court above in Pittsburgh will overturn the verdict and set the boy free. The good thing is that the Houks will not be able to get at the boy or his family again.
The Houks have to realize they are chasing the wrong person with their lynch mentality. If they need someone to go after, it should be the real person who did this crime. They are just too chicken to lynch him and the real killer is much older than Jordan and more dangerous.
Now don't come back with, "You idiot, you exposed their plan. Now he will never be free." My belief is that the State knows it is all an act. The Browns know that is all an act. Even in time the Houks will realize it was an act, but they cannot do anything about it because it makes them like the scumbag who murder Kenzie and her fetus. In time, they will have to stop protecting this killer and start thinking of condemning him for making them believe in a lie.
Sometimes there are things that have to be done in the interest of justice. The Houks and the real killer were both perverting it. So was Johnny Bongivengo in his unlawful focus on arresting large numbers of people in the dealing of dope like oxycontin. What we learned about in Whitley County, Kentucky is what can happen when a peace officer becomes addicted to his job. Johnny might not have been injesting Oxycontin, but his willingness to look the other way when an dealer turned informant commits a heinous act is just as bad.
It comes back in the end to the idiot who made the decision to do the wrong thing to preserve his worldview about justice: Johnny Bongivengo. When he knew who did it, how could he not just arrest the real killer? The answer is he could not with all the damage the real doer could do to him in terms of legal entanglements. "Well he promised me to let me off the hook if I turn in my fellow dealers, your honor." Johnny doing what he did to Jordan prevented him from being sent to jail for being in bed with a known criminal.
It is the risk when a prosecutor or a police department dabble in confidential informants when they do not tell the informant that all deals are off when they commit a crime when out in freedom. Informants who cannot avoid it must let the cops know. Either they pull him or her out or "act" the crime they have to do in order to drag in the target. It is a Hobson's choice many locals and states cannot do without planning or money.
No one in the chain of command was there to stop them when they framed Jordan Brown. They felt there was no one to stop them. Brothers and sisters, there are always someone to stop them. They are not devine and not all governed march in lockstep with the others. What Judge Hodge did was the only thing he knew to keep the boy safe, even if it means more time before the verdict is overturned. It will be overturned, but the people who would react to an averse ruling would have no way to express their rage. In retrospect, the victory for the state is a costly one.
