Interestingly enough, murder is now a victimless crime. At least in Topeka, Kansas. Andres Arteaga-Vega, who according to witnesses was lured outside of a Topeka pool hall and shot to death during an attempted robbery, is apparently not a victim according to Shawnee County District Court Judge Evelyn Wilson. She has sided with defense attorney Tina Buck who argued that calling him a victim would bias the jury against her client. Arteaga-Vega is now to be referred to by his name or as “the deceased”.
Perhaps we should go the fully politically correct route and refer to him as “life challenged”. Surprisingly, Ms. Buck has not called for a dismissal of the case. I would think that would bias the jury against her client, also. I can just imagine the jury members thinking, “Hmm. This guy is on trial. You’re not tried if you’re not guilty. Must be guilty.”
