The Justification of Accused persons being innocent until proven Guilty?

Most of us have seen more than one accused person being tried for a crime that we all said, “I saw on TV where this person committed a capital crime and now asks for a deal to avoid incarceration for life.” What’s next in a country that stands behind the laws of society?

Look at the latest criminal trial to start soon against Luigi Mangione. Most people have watched on TV where he raised a gun and shot this man in the back (although the media didn’t show him being shot) and now he is using the very law of our country to fight for a lesser verdict. I remember an incident where I was hired to be an expert in a court case where a man was severely burned by an electrical mishap because someone else made a serious mistake of connecting electrical connections that caused this person to nearly die from electrocution. When I asked the attorney I was working for what chance we had of a conviction he told me; It isn’t always who is right - it is who has the best attorney that can convince a jury that wins.

This is not a narrative to either condemn or free Mangione from his action. It just agrees that no matter what we have done we are innocent until proven guilty.

There is the story that Satan was to be an accuser before God to show him Job was not the outstanding man God bragged about. “One day, when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, Satan also came among them. And the Lord said to Satan, “Whence do you come?” Then Satan answered the Lord and said, “From roaming the earth and patrolling it.” And the Lord said to Satan, “Have you noticed my servant Job, and that there is no one on earth like him, blameless and upright, fearing God and avoiding evil?” But Satan answered the Lord and said, “Is it for nothing that Job is God-fearing?” This is the scenario attorneys for Mangione will also present before the court to secure people who will be jurors and feel he has a constitutional right to plead his case and have attorneys who will plead their case better than the prosecution.

God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.” God looked at everything he had made, and found it very good.” (Gn 1: 26, 31). God’s prime creation was mankind. Even though man failed and would be banned from eternity unless someone was there to plead the case for man’s evil conduct that he was to be exonerated in a court of law (divine justice).

Looking for such an attorney who would fill this need no one with the credentials or law degree could be found. Since the sin of man was not against another man; it was directly against God himself. It would have to be a divine attorney to which there was none to be found even in eternity. We know the narrative of Christ’s Incarnation and suffering and dying to destroy sin. But now, it is in the heavenly court where we must stand trial for a judgement to our deeds, good or bad. On one side there will be Satan, standing and waiting in turn to accuse us before God. On the other side will be Jesus Christ, wearing the blood soaked robe of forgiveness. Satan will have his turn as a prosecutor to accuse everyone of us as sinners who deserve punishment for our sins. Then the supreme judge will turn to Christ who is our divine attorney for the defense and ask, “What do you have to say for these sinners?”

Christ will raise his hands showing his wounds and still dripping with precious blood and answer, “I left their sins on the Cross and have lifted their mortal bodies in immorality to be with us forever. Those who believe in me and are righteous are the ones I plead innocence for.

The accused, you and me and all others who believe in Christ will find there is an opportunity through divine justice to be forgiven and the prosecutor will now join his evil companions in hell for all eternity. We were guilty but now are free. We had the best attorney who knew what to say.

Ralph B. Hathaway