At the Feb. 18 press conference, Irving Joyner, attorney for James Johnson, explains the unusual "Alford plea" in which Johnson did not admit guilt but simply acknowledged that the court might have enough evidence to convict him of being an accessory after the fact in the murder of Britney Willis of Wilson. It is not a conviction. Rev. Barber adds that the only mistake that Johnson made was that he did not take a lawyer with him when he went to authorities to reveal that Kenneth Meeks had murdered Britney Willis. He was too trusting that the system would not place him in legal jeopardy, though he broke the "no snitch" rule of the street. This clip is about one and a half minutes in length.
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Amina Turner, executive director of the NC NAACP, explains how the James Johnson case undermines respect for the law, and sends a lesson, particularly to racial minorities, that the justice system cannot be trusted. She calls for stricter vigilance and greater accountability of prosecutors. This clip is about two minutes in length.
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The text of Amina Turner's statement follows:
Mr. and Mrs. Johnson:
I am glad that things are as well as they are for you, your son James and your entire family. The traumatic experience that you have suffered over these four to five years can never be erased from time, nor regained by time; however, it is now time for a new beginning. The loss endured has made you stronger as a family, and we rejoice with you that James is out, but we are saddened by what your son’s case has exposed, and that is the continued dysfunction in our judicial system.
North Carolinians want to believe strongly that a crime that you report does not make you the sacrificial lamb. For most of us grew up hearing that honesty is the best policy. But the James Johnson case makes us question that old adage and makes us not want to get involved for fear that the system will turn against us, and not protect us, maintain our integrity or at least thank us for coming forth with the truth. God only knows the number of James or Jane Johnsons incarcerated in NC jails today. I would like to think that this case was an anathema, an aberration, a mistake that got undetected and fell between the cracks. However, the events associated with this case reveal yet another tragedy: that when mistakes are made by the system, human collateral is the result, e.g., James Johnson, not justice.
W E B DuBois, one of the founders of the NAACP 100 years ago once said,” The problem of the twentieth century is the problem of the color-line.” The viciousness of a judicial system whose modus operandi is used to sacrificing a black man---any black man will do---creates a void in race relations, in human relations and it costs in lives and works against building community. It breeds prejudice, discrimination and hate. This case enforces the belief for communities of color that law enforcement can not be trusted, and we can not afford to continue to go down this road---lacking trust and confidence in the judicial system--- in the New Millennium (when unemployment is rising, foreclosures are imminent, budget shortfalls exist in city and state governments across the country) and when we have just witnessed the first African-American ever elected as president of the United States.
This case illustrates that our state and nation warrant an aggressive oversight throughout all levels of law enforcement to assure an end to racial profiling, that demands an end to discriminatory practices in the prosecution and defense of all who enter the judicial system, and that provides adequate and regular review of cases to protect our citizens, our civil rights and our civil liberties at all costs. Criminals should be locked up for crimes they commit. But the innocent should be protected not only from perpetrators of crime, but also from an imperfect system that promises and assures due process and justice for all under the law.
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