The response to the Laken Riley murder undermines uniquely American values: Innocent until proven guilty and the right to a fair trial

 March 19, 2024 - by Fred Bates

The presumption of innocence until proven guilty and the constitutional due process right to a fair trial should be extended to all, even undocumented immigrants. 

Just as with all murders, I am saddened and outraged by the murder of Laken Riley. I don't see one murder as being worse than another murder. The victims lose their lives, the most precious thing we have. The victims' families and loved ones are devasted. When tragedies like Riley's murder, as well as, other murders are politicized and exploited by politicians and the media, I find it disturbing. It is further evidence of the deterioration of our American values system. I find it shocking that so many politicians and media personalities, mostly Republicans and conservatives, are so quick to state without equivocation that Jose Antonio Ibarra the suspect in Riley's murder, an alleged undocumented immigrant, is guilty of her murder. 

Did I miss something? I am not aware that Ibarra had a trial and was found guilty of Laken Riley's murder. I am not aware that Ibarra confessed to killing Riley. I am not aware that the evidence against Ibarra has been made public by the police investigating Riley's murder and that the evidence proving Ibarra's guilt is irrefutable. I will emphasize again that I'm outraged by Laken Riley's murder. But my outrage will not cause me to support what has been said and done by many politicians and media personalities to undermine Ibarra's right to a fair trial by stating that Ibarra is guilty on national television and stating that had it not been for the fact that Ibarra was in this country illegally, Laken Riley would be alive today. To take it one step further, conservatives and former President Trump blame President Biden for Riley's murder because they claim that Biden's open border policies are the reason for Ibarra being in the country. It may very well be true that Ibarra is guilty, and their claims have some truth in them, but it is far too early to reach that conclusion beyond a reasonable doubt without a fair trial.

Former President Donald Trump, of all people, should appreciate the American customs of "innocent until proven guilty" and "the right to a fair trial" being that he himself is facing criminal charges. But he could not resist exploiting Laken Riley's murder allegedly by an illegal immigrant [Ibarra] for political reasons. Also disappointing is that several other conservative high-profile politicians and media personalities have made statements on national television stating Ibarra is guilty without a trial, a confession or irrefutable evidence being presented proving beyond a reasonable doubt that he's guilty. This is undemocratic and un-American. Most of my observations of conservative/Republicans undermining our democratic values of innocent until proven guilty and the right to a fair trial were on Fox News and Newsmax, two cable news channels that continually tout their support for democracy and our American values. The individuals I'm referring to are Members of Congress, hosts of highly regarded talk shows and regular commentators on both Fox News and Newsmax. Many of the individuals I'm referring to have law degrees, and at least on Fox News, one is a former judge. It is so heartbreaking to see them abandon a bedrock principle of our democracy for purely political reasons. They should know better. Except for the police investigating a crime and the prosecutors, who have information about the evidence against a suspect, it has been customary for politicians and the media to refrain from commenting on the guilt or innocence of a suspect in order that potential jurors are not improperly influenced. 

Perhaps the most damaging of comments that undermine Ibarra's right to a fair trial came from President Biden, a Democrat, during his State of the Union address on March 7th of this year (2024). President Biden stated that Riley was killed by an illegal immigrant during his SOTU address in front of millions of viewers around the world. What I find so disturbing is that I have not heard a single politician or media personality, or anyone else for that matter, raise any concerns about the premature statements proclaiming Ibarra's guilt prior to him receiving a fair trial, or without his confession, or at the very least, the release of evidence proving his guilt. We as a society should be able to express outrage when there is a tragedy like Laken Riley's murder without compromising our American values that suspect Ibarra is presumed innocent until proven guilty, and that he is entitled to a fair trial. Certainly, if Ibarra is found guilty after a fair trial, he should receive the maximum penalty under Georgia's law. 

Just as Republicans/conservatives, the response from Democrats/liberals has not been admirable either. Democrats/liberals seem to have no objection to the guilt by accusation position of conservative Republicans that undermines Ibarra's due process rights to a fair trial. As far as I can tell, their biggest concern was President Biden's use of the term "illegal" when referring to Ibarra in his SOTU address. What misplaced priorities on their part. Political correctness, virtual signaling and wokeness is more important than the rights to due process and a fair trial. How sad and dangerous for a nation that prides itself on being a democracy when the politics of illegal/undocumented immigration and open borders on both sides of the political divide trumps the due process right to a fair trial. There was a time in this country when politicians and the media were very careful not to say a person charged with a crime was guilty prior to being found guilty in court, or without a confession out of concern that a suspect might be deprived of a fair trial. As we have seen over and over, our democratic values that made us one of the greatest nations in history have taken a back seat to politics and the desire to win elections at all costs.