“When I told my older brother that I was considering being a criminal lawyer, he told me not to do it, because it would take so much out of me. He loves me and he knows that I’m capable, but he doesn’t want me to put myself through the burden of having someone’s life in my hands. I’m a very emotional person, and it definitely would be heartbreaking if I lost a case like his case.
My brother has been incarcerated for about six years. But we feel that my brother did not receive a proper trial because he didn’t have good legal representation. He got a very high sentence – 48 years – but we’re still fighting for him to get proper legal representation so we can get him home. I’ve already been able to help him some with what I’m learning as a student and as an intern in the District Attorney’s office.
So, I haven’t ruled out being a criminal lawyer because the system needs more people to fight for those wrongly accused of crimes. In the judicial system, there’s definitely a lack of color, especially among women. And I’ve seen from the news and personal experiences that people of color are often misrepresented and given the short end of the stick. I chose to major in criminal justice so that I can be one of the people to make a change.
The situation with my brother has definitely been hard on our family. But my brother is actually the strongest of us all. He gives us our encouragement. He doesn’t want us to be sad. He just wants us to fight for him and let his kids know that he loves them and he’s going to come home to them.”
– Kansas, graduating senior criminal justice major from Biloxi, Miss.
