John Washington III Calls for an Independent Citizens' Justice Review When Officials Won't Act

John Washington III is pressing a question he put at the top of his remarks: when the officials charged with enforcing the law are themselves accused of breaking it, where do ordinary citizens turn for justice? "What happens when the very people responsible for enforcing the law are the ones being accused of breaking it?" John Washington III wrote. He asked what recourse a citizen has when evidence of wrongdoing by a government official exists but a district attorney refuses to pursue the case: "Who holds the district attorney accountable? Who investigates the investigators? And who protects the people when the system refuses to act?"

His proposed answer is an independent pathway that does not depend on the institutions being challenged. John Washington III said the American people should have the legal right to present credible evidence of criminal wrongdoing to an independent authority, especially where conflicts of interest may exist, and that such an authority should be empowered to review complaints, investigate where warranted and pursue appropriate legal action while protecting everyone's constitutional rights. "Justice should never depend on someone's political connections, government position, wealth, or influence," he wrote.

John Washington III framed the proposal as a question of whom government serves. "Our government derives its authority from the people," he wrote. "The justice system exists to serve the people, not protect government officials from accountability." He called for a serious national conversation about establishing an independent citizens' justice review process, closing with his recurring challenge to the system: "Question the system. Demand accountability. Protect the rights of the people."