I’m sure you understood this before Radley. Most people do. It’s rather fortunate that the vast majority of people can go their entire lives without having to experience this directly. And it is a strong argument in favor of pacifism, to avoid taking human life at all costs, even the cost of one’s own life — but that is a decision each individual must make on one’s own.

Cory Maye’s story should be made into a documentary film, it is a powerful testament to the mutual destructiveness of the modern police state.

If any good were to come of this, the home-invasion drug no-knocks would be declared illegal. What rational human being would not react precisely as did Maye? One minute you are living your life, the next you are a murderer?

Jones, even if a good guy prior to what happened, paid with his life for a very bad choice of actions. What sucks beyond measure is that Cory Maye, through no fault of his own, has a 10 year hole in his and his family’s life, and the sad knowledge that he unwillingly had to take a human life.

Unfortunately, the no-knock raids continue unabated. The mentality that spawns them is what rules cop shops, and it will take much before it is brought to an end.

Balko—good job. You stayed the course, and it worked out as you had hoped it would. An innocent man at least will be free, even if the legal system is still so dumb-ass stupid as to call him a criminal. It is the legal system that is criminal and it knows it. It’s collective cowardice is shown in its refusal to declare the man innocent. It would be admitting what has been the case all along . . .

It was wrong. And they know it.

Gotta say that I really loath the sympathy for the thug who justly got exactly what was not only coming to him, but absolutely _should_ have come to him.

The true miscarriage of justice here is that it was a complete _reversal_. Jones was lauded a hero and Maye sentenced to death, when in actuality, the one who should have been sentenced to death _was_ and the sentence and execution had been carried out.

And Maye should have been lauded a hero who stood up for his own life and that of his daughter with righteous deadly force. At least commenter #23 gets it.

Good for you, Radley. Really, man. Good for Cory.

That’s all I can say. Welling with tears.

This leftist libertarian thinks many of your economic ideas are disagreeable and even nutty (although I do think you get them by yourself and not spoon-fed by a Koch or something–Talk to the hand, Cole!), but when it comes to the work you do on our criminal (in)justice system, the drug war, et alii, you’re one of the most valuable journalists we have at the moment.