What Price Justice?

What Price Justice? (part 2 of 6)

from East Wind Magazine Vol. 1 No. 2 Fall/Winter (1982)
By Ranko Yamada

Choi Soo's case stands for our own lives here taken to its harshest extreme. In 1973, a Korean immigrant youth, without money, known as the "Korean" in Chinatown and as Chinese to outsiders, could not have been a better more vulnerable target. He was easily caught in the political hysteria sounding from the Mayor's office through the police department to prove to the city that they could clear up the Chinatown violence.

Chol Soo was convicted of first degree murder and sentenced to life imprisonment when his greatest crime was for being poor, minority and immigrant.

Nine years later and after five weeks of a vicious, hostile trial he has won a full acquittal.

Since the trial, I have heard people say, "Chol Soo was found innocent! He got a fair trial at last!" While we all share a great relief and joy at the acquittal, these particular words disturb me greatly. What illusion can be more dangerous than to believe that the criminal justice system is now vindicated by acquitting Choi Soo Lee?

What Price Justice 3 (Scenes from a Trial)

East Wind

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What Price Justice? (part 2 of 6)

from East Wind Magazine Vol. 1 No. 2 Fall/Winter (1982) By Ranko Yamada

from East Wind Magazine Vol. 1 No. 2 Fall/Winter (1982)
By Ranko Yamada