The Baltimore area is in the grips of a saga concerning the death of a femaleBaltimore County police officer and the subsequent arrest of four inner-city African-American teenagers accused of the murder.

The question of justice will be paramount as time moves on in the case of Officer Amy Caprio. Justice must remain blind based on the rule of law and factual evidence. This will be a challenge for both the prosecution and the defense.

Unfortunately, this case has already become racially charged. This is not an unexpected development. Following the initial reports of the incident, there arose suspicions about a white-black component tied to house break-ins and the death of a police officer.That suspicion is a reflection of the times in which we live as well as demographics and fear—fear that living in the suburbs will no longer isolate families from the tragedies found in city life today.

There are arguments about the environment in which the four teenagers grew up…the way of life in an inner-city neighborhood…the role of parenting…and the involvement of legal authorities and the juvenile justice system. It is certainly a complicated, highly charged situation.

However, it is an established fact that the driver of the vehicle had engaged in car theft on several previous occasions. Justice cannot ignore this fact. There’s also the fact that Officer Caprio made a split-second decision when confronting an accelerating, oncoming motor vehicle. This is an excellent example of the kind of decisions the public expects police officers to make as they patrol and protect our streets and neighborhoods. Both in the inner city and the suburbs, officers are faced with such wide-ranging, catastrophic decisions. And society expects that these decisions will be made without racial implications.A police officer cannot always guesstimate the race of an individual about to do bodily harm to an officer.

Fear as well as justice can be a double-edged sword. The fear of an individual participating in a crime cannot be the same as that of a police officer carrying out her sworn duties. Justice must be blind.Prosecutors have the responsibility to prove to a jury that the fear factor was the dominant factor on the part of the officer. The introduction of the fear factor can be a double-edged sword. Another decision for a jury to make. Which fear factor will have more weight: that of the police officer or the driver of the Jeep?

The judicial system must be allowed to function. And justice must remain blind.

The ugly presence of politics and finger pointing is another factor complicating this incident. Although the death of the police officer was in Baltimore County, the office of State’s Attorney in Baltimore City has stepped in as those involved in and charged in this incident are Baltimore City residents. All were familiar to the juvenile justice system in Baltimore City. DawntaHarris, the first suspect arrested,has repeated violations within the Baltimore criminal justice system. Even at the age of 16, he is well known to this system. His record involves detention violations and several events associated with recent car thefts.All four of the teenagers involved have been indicted by a grand jury.

The failures in the juvenile justice system have exacerbated the implications of this case. The situation only reinforces the belief that there is an urgent need for changes in the juvenile justice system and changes must be addressed now. There has been much talk and little action. The Baltimore County case begs for action.

It has been said,that “justice will only exist when the truth is honored.” Determining the truth in the Baltimore County police slaying will be a test of the dictum that justice is blind. The political and racial implications certainly will challenge the judicial system. It may well challenge the patience and understanding of the public.Justice is, unfortunately, not certain. Truth remains stronger than bad evidence. Justice must remain blind.