‘Evidence-ly’ we were looking in the wrong direction.

I love to travel. I call it my hobby. But invariably, when traveling to a country where they drive on the ‘wrong’ side, as in most places other than the U.S., I find myself looking the wrong way when attempting to cross the street.

This phenomenon, akin to trying to turn on a light when you know the power in the house is off, is often just an indicator of habit. But when in unfamiliar surroundings, we unconsciously turn to those habits to make sense of what’s going on in the world around us.

I know that when Jace was arrested, and in his subsequent prosecution, I spent so very much time trying to understand what was happening, and why. Nothing made sense, up was down, and right was wrong. I was a fish out of water. I had never been involved in a criminal case, even as a juror. I didn’t understand why the prosecution was after my son at all, let alone the processes and procedures that were taking place around us.

And the whole time it was happening, I missed the obvious.

Unfortunately, so did the lawyer I paid good money to.

So let me explain this in no uncertain terms. Anyone in a criminal investigation for a police proactive sex sting, be it attempted rape, enticement, or CP, needs to have full forensic analysis of all data.

YOU NEED A FORENSIC ANALYST. PERIOD.

Whether they find anything, or not, this appears to be the only real way to turn the tables in these stings. Don’t get me wrong, they often DO find contradictions, inaccuracies, and questionable references that can upend a case. And that in itself is well worth the price of admission, given the little, tangible, ‘evidence’ we have to fight back with.

But even without results, pushing data analysis PUTS THE FOCUS ON LE, where it belongs.

Big shout out here to our CAGE member Jared, and his partner Ezra for their recent victory – a complete dismissal of all charges!! Congratulations you two – we are all SO SO SO happy for you.

What won the day for them? It was not the prosecutor’s conscience, I can tell you that! In their case, as in most, there was little forensic data obtained during the sting – yet Jared and Ezra kept pushing the envelope. They hired an expert investigator and threatened further investigation into LE’s gathering of the ‘evidence’…this is the one biggest factor to their case, and the reason Jared believes won the day.

While choosing to fight, or to take a plea, is everyone’s personal choice – I stand by my choice…