About once a month all of the active murder cases in Mecklenburg County go before a judge. The regularly scheduled grouping of capital cases has earned the nickname “Homicide Day” among the lawyers and reporters that flock to the courthouse for the occasion.It’s a day full of hearings, pleas, conferences and decisions as each murder case is moved another step along in the judicial process. Thursday was “Homicide Day.” More than a dozen defendants were on the schedule.
Superior Court Judge Richard Boner had the daunting task of working through the facts, motions and testimony of the day’s docket. About half-way through, just before lunch, the judge said he was tired of seeing so many young people- 17, 18 and 19-year olds, in his courtroom for murder.
From the bench, he expressed his frustration. “I am afraid for the future of this city,” Boner said. “I can’t imagine anyone wanting to live in this city 10 years down the road,” he said. He went on to say that when he retires he plans to move out of Mecklenburg County because of the crime.
The media are not allowed to bring cameras into the courtroom, and maybe that’s not the best rule. Had there been a camera there as a Superior Court Judge went on a tear about crime in Charlotte during a case, it would have led the news.
By its very nature, television depends on pictures to tell a story. So, unless you’re there, there’s no chance for you to see the real life drama and news that happens in the courthouse every day. Everyone would have been able to see the frustration in the judge’s eyes, the crying families of victims in the gallery, the indifference in the eyes of the accused.
People would have seen a young man having to be held back by deputies as he yelled, “You killed my father! You killed my father!” That happened in the hallway outside the courtroom as the friends and family of a defendant walked by friends and family of a slain man.
News cameras show you a murder scene right after it happens. They show you interviews with all the people involved. They show you what police are doing. What you’re not likely to see is what happens inside the courthouse. Reading or hearing that lots of felons get sweet deals and little jail time is a lot different than seeing frustrated judges and crying families of victims in high definition.
It would be ridiculous to say that allowing cameras in the courtroom would solve all of Charlotte’s crime issues, but it sure would bring attention to a part of the system many people, including the new police chief, say needs some work before we can even start to think about turning the corner on crime in Charlotte. - WSOC