By Clifford Meth. The news wrinkle in the on-going coverage of Leiby Kletzky’s murderer isn’t the fund that this child’s parents have set up in a valiant effort to combat grief by doing good. Instead, it’s the flap over whether or not Gerard Marrone, one of two defense attorneys representing Levi Aron (the confessed murderer), should have quit the case.
“The allegations were too horrific—it’s not something I wanted to be involved in,” Marrone told Eyewitness News. “I have three boys. One of my sons is seven. I looked at my own children, and there are no words.” Unlike those Jewish attorneys from the ACLU who represented Nazi rights to march in Skokie, Illinois in 1978, or William Kuntsler (another born Jew) who defended Rabbi Meir Kahane’s murderer, Gerard Marrone (whose faith we can only guess at), holds his ethical platform higher than his potential earnings ceiling. The skeptics among us will seek less than pristine motives for Marrone recusing himself, but it seems clear to me that this man holds principles above potential movie-of-the-week deals. He doesn’t want to help the beast Levi Aron. He doesn’t want to breathe the same air Aron exhales.
Sadly, it’s a Jew (or perhaps just a Phillip Rothian Jew) who takes public issue with Marrone’s retreat. Defense attorney Scott Greenfield, on his Simple Justice blog, attacks Marrone for stepping away. “He knew the allegations going in,” writes Greenfield. “He knew what he was getting involved with. He chose to do so, a choice which is admirable in that everyone, even Levi Aron, must be given a defense… But now, even though nothing has significantly changed, Marrone has made another choice… He’s chosen to quit, to walk away from his client and in the process, to announce that he, as defense lawyer, is too sickened by his client’s actions to remain beside him. This he cannot do.”
Does this blog post quality Greenfield to join the ranks of George Soros and other Juddenrat who willingly sacrificed their fellow Jews for purely self-interest? Perhaps not. But we know where Greenfield’s values lie. Like Kunstler, Ron Kuby and other embarrassment’s to the justice system, Greenfield feigns sanctifying an ever-reinterpreted Constitution as if the tablet were given by a God such men profess to not believe in anyway.
But the simple truth is the quest for fame, or minimally widespread popularity (a lesser fame to be certain) are also too enticing for men like Greenfield. Having one’s blog quoted by major media outlets will likely raise his per diem. This type of man can’t fathom walking away from this generation’s Lindberg kidnapping.
But men of good conscience, men like Marrone raise the bar of human dignity by reminding us that all the hoopla surrounding this soon-to-be-much-publicized trial (which has the potential to make media stars of prosecutors and counsel alike) is just so much noise obscuring the real story. Because the real story is that of a family who lost a child, and the enormous swelling of empathy that’s coming from all corners, Jewish and non-Jewish alike. Even from an attorney who just walked away from the potential of extending his fifteen minutes into a major career milestone.
your last sentence sounded more like for profit and not for justice…sounds like a community problem. with the evidence in hand there shoudnt even be a waste of taxpayors money.
way to go!!
I knew the murderer personally from elementary school.
He wasn’t normal, plain and simple.
What he did was horrific, but he isn’t a rasha, he is a mentally-deranged person.
He deserves a good defense lawyer simply so he ends up in an institution, not a jail where he will probably be murdered by thugs.
It is beyond me how Rachmanim. Bayshonim, and Gomlei Chassodim can even talk the way I hear people speak (i.e. this guy should be cut into pieces, etc).
This guy is mentally ill.
Even on a stable, normal killer the Torah says “V’Hitzilu Haeidah” – Beis Din shouldn’t be vengeful.
Sorry. The American justice system has its own set of laws. You’re free to live elsewhere.
Why was my comment explaining that the murderer is mentally unstable not published?
Are you to afraid to allow another opinion besides your own?
Or are you too such a vengeful, hateful person that you simply can not bear to see this murderer spend the rest of his days in an institution instead of rubbing your hands with glee while he gets murdered in the prison system?
Or perhaps you simply have not gotten a chance to post it……
Y is he getting a “lier” for he know he’s wrong and y wud a lawyer wana help him or even present this case
Quote” Sorry. The American justice system has its own set of laws. You’re free to live elsewhere.”
Exactly !
You should post more pieces by Cliff Meth. I know him personally and he is a breath of fresh air. His opinions are well thought out and he writes them in a way that everyone can understand.
Thank you for posting my comments, even though you may have disagreed with them. I appreciate it.
Good article.
You hit it right on the nail, cousin.
I’m a big Meth fan.
Great article. You should be my teacher.
Clifford for President!!!
You rock, Clifford
#3. I just hope that the rumors that people in the community knew him to be a threat to children are false. I admire Mr. Marrone for withdrawing before getting too involved in the case. Sure, every defendant is entitled to representation. But attorneys should have the right to determine who they will represent.
We shouldn’t even mention this evil evil killers name ,or look at his picture when it’s posted in the news . I recently learnt two things that I am finding difficult to up hold .
1) Shem reshaim yirkav . The name of a evil person must be obliterated .
2) one should not look at the face of a evil person.
There is no exception of mental ilness in the Torah. Evil is Evil .In the end it was decreed this Being was going to bring about evil so he now has the laws of an evil person.
Hey Chaim–When your elementary school friend gets out on a technicality or after the “institution” that you want to send him to “cures” him, maybe you want to invite him over for a meal? Or hire him to babysit.
Chaim,
It is sickening that someone can attempt to exonerate in any way a person like LA because he is mentally ill.The guy know what he was doing and knew it was wrong.Even prison inmates who had a lot harder childhoods , much more emotional issues and much less training in right or wrong his behavior was unthinkably unacceptable.Perhaps if you got mugged and beaten up by an inner city thug you would like to see him excused in manner you defend LA but as the posuk in Mishley says “Matzdik Rosha, Marshia Tzadik ,TOAEVAS HASHEM gam shneihem”