Letter to the Editor

Dear Editor,

This letter is in reference to the Mississippi Court of Appeals decision to hear oral arguments in the case of Tyler Edmonds. First off, it is highly unfortunate that Tyler Edmonds was tried as an adult, convicted of murder, and sentenced to life in prison to begin with. He was only 13 years old at the time of his arrest, and he had never had any discipline problems let alone a criminal record. He was under the DIRECT influence of an adult, to whom he was very close, to confess to a crime he had no motive to commit. The judge presiding over the case refused to allow the defense to present an expert on false confessions, though he allowed the prosecution and state pathologist to give completely inaccurate information that directly led to the conviction of Edmonds. Furthermore, the judge had an intense dislike for the defense attorney. Does this sound like justice to you? This child was not tried as an adult because he was troubled, dangerous, or even guilty. He was tried as an adult because it gave the prosecution some much needed publicity. The core of this case touches into the basis of court tyranny against civilians. In my opinion, it will go down as one of the most tragic instances of court corruption in history. Several high officials decided to play God with an innocent child's life, and he's been in prison for nearly three years because of it. However, the chance has come to reverse the unimaginable damage that the courts have inflicted upon Tyler Edmonds. I only pray that the Mississippi Court of Appeals will respect truth and justice, and save this boy's life.

Andrea White
Summit, AR