Justice?

Justice is supposed to be blind, I never knew it was supposed to be anonymous and ignorant too.

A 17-year-old girl who struck and killed a motorcyclist during a hit-and-run crash last year in Des Moines "made a series of poor decisions" but she should not be prosecuted as an adult, the Iowa Supreme Court ruled Friday.

The case involves Esther Chisala and her "series of poor decisions" that started, just days before her 18th birthday, when she bought the car without her (mother's) permission and then disobeyed her mother who had begged her daughter not to drive it.

Chisala ran away from home after being instructed not to drive the car and she drove without having a driver's license and without buying any insurance.

Chisala's next "series of poor decisions" occurred while she was "going too fast and hit (a van belonging to Iowa Homeless Youth Services) and was trying to get away."

Chisala's successive "series of poor decisions" proved fatal to James Miller, as Chisala ran a red light and hit the gentleman on the motorcycle.

From there Chisala's "series of poor decisions" included leaving the scene of the second accident she caused and proceeding to "...hit a light pole about a half block up the road. Hit a light pole, spun sideways and" get "out of her car and started to walk away."

It was only through the interjection of two citizens, honored this month at an annual Crime Fighter Banquet, that Chisala was detained and escorted back to the scene of one of her "series of poor decisions".

One month after all of this came another in a "series of poor decisions" courtesy of District Judge Carol Egly, who decided Chisala should not be tried as an adult.

On appeal of that ruling is how the Iowa Supreme Court became involved.

In their anonymous (unsigned) decision the Supreme Court stated...

"At the time of the accident, Chisala had no prior involvement with the court system".

"Although she had some previous problems at school, there had been no 'office referrals' for three years, and she was on schedule to graduate from high school."

Really?

Then why would the then vice principal at Scavo Campus (an alternative high school in Des Moines) say Chisala, "was enrolled at Scavo last school year (2007), but attended classes through Future Pathways, a program that helps students recover credits. She was classified as a senior last year, but didn't graduate, he said. Chisala had not yet registered for classes this school year. (2008).

The Supreme Court ruling cited testimony of a school counselor who described Chisala as a model student with no behavioral problems and good attendance.

Reads like somebody's lying to me!

My snarky side thinks Marsha Ternus had a huge hand in this and wants to remain anonymous because of the recent events involving her child.

For all intents and purpose Esther Chisela was an adult, she bought a car and enlisted in the Iowa National Guard the day before her accidents.

The Iowa Supreme Court knew this, Chisela should be tried as an adult and punished as one.

For the Iowa Supreme Court, this is another in a "series of poor decisions" and the scientific community is united in that fact.

James Miller could not be reached for comment.