In Cold Blog: Civility Comes to the Un-Civil War: The Trial of Scott Roeder

In Cold Blog: Civility Comes to the Un-Civil War: The Trial of Scott Roeder

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By Stephen Singular

The most interesting part of the Scott Roeder trial last month in Wichita, Kansas, was not the verdict (the defendant was convicted for the first-degree murder of Dr. George Tiller and two counts of aggravated assault). It was that people on both sides of the bitter abortion debate that’s divided America for the past three decades were forced to sit next to one another in a very small courtroom and be restrained and even polite to one another. Their courteous behavior was nudged in that direction by nine very large, heavily-armed police officers standing or sitting at all times inside the courtroom. They made a point of getting in between the two factions whenever the judge called for a recess, spectators exited the room, and there was an opportunity for conflict to erupt. The cops also kept the anti-abortionists in the gallery, several of whom had criminal records, from being anywhere near Dr. Tiller family, on hand to watch all of the proceedings. The late doctor’s wife, her four grown children, their two ministers, and various other family supporters sat behind the prosecutors’ table and stared at the jury or continually broke down during graphic testimony. Tragic is the only word that can describe the impact of Tiller’s murder on the face of his wife, Jeanne. On her way out of the courtroom, she shot several dirty looks to those who supported the killing of her husband.

On only one occasion did an anti-abortion spectator make a noise, which sounded like approval, when a picture of the dead Dr. Tiller was shown on a video screen. The judge said that if this happened again, extremely stern measures would be taken against the offender, and it didn’t happen anymore. The courtroom was the only venue that could keep the two sides’ contempt for one another from openly pouring out, and there was something momentarily heartening about this.

Our legal system, as Winston Churchill once famously said about the democratic form of government, is absolutely awful -- except when compared to every other kind of government on earth. Trials are repetitive, tedious, and at times prosecutors seem bent on overkill, while defense attorneys raise questions or side issues that appear irrelevant to the business at hand. But in the end there’s something dignified and appropriate about the slowness and completeness of the process, and the strict following of the rules of testimony and evidence. Murder trials are fundamentally serious events, and go to the core of what a society can and cannot do to protect itself from danger. Wichita took the trial seriously and it came off without a hitch.

The disheartening part is that shortly after the verdict, Shelley Shannon, who shot Dr. Tiller in both arms in 1993 and is still in prison for her offenses, announced that because of the trial’s outcome there will be more anti-abortion violence. It’s a dismal thought that the only way to bring peace or resolution to the abortion debate is by having police officers permanently standing between the two sides. But the truth is that war is far from over. Roeder showed no remorse for his actions, and it only took his jury only 37 minutes to decide that he’d never again have the chance to attempt to kill a physician who was practicing medicine under the laws of Kansas and the United States.

The most compelling question now is whether the U.S. Department of Justice, which had an official present in the courtroom during the trial and has been investigating the Tiller murder for evidence of the involvement of others besides Roeder, will keep this larger probe alive. The indictment and prosecution of more than just the killer would send a huge message to the violent wing of the anti-abortion movement. That movement decries any mention of a conspiracy around Tiller’s death, while feminist and reproductive right groups are encouraging the Justice Department investigation. So far the feds aren’t talking.

Stephen Singular is the author of nineteen books which range in topics from high-profile crimes and social criticisms, to business and sports biographies. He currently resides in Denver, Colorado. You can find out more about this author by visiting his website at stephensingular.com

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