More empathy for BTK's advocate

That Lawyer Dude pays me a huge compliment, but the rest of his latest post is trustworthy.

He was prompted to write by a post about Sarah McKinnon, a public defender who represented the BTK killer, who said,

"I've seen things I never wanted to see. I have information I never wanted, and I have things inside of me that I don't want ... but it's stuff I have to keep until the day he dies."

My heart went out to her. So did That Lawyer Dude's. He's been there too:

One day the case ends. The excitement, the worry, the noise and the rest ends. But not for you. You still linger with questions. Did I do the best that I could? Could I have done something different that would have changed the outcome? Was I the right one for this case?... Maybe you have haunting memories of what was in the autopsy, a picture of a victim. Hearing the victim scream into a tape machine as she is being bludgeoned to death. The PD that defended the BTK killer was a person... But first she is a Lawyer, a Trial Lawyer. That means that she is about to undergo a decompression, a disappointment, even despair. She has stood where no other dared to stand. Next to a serial murderer, in protection of his rights under the Constitution of the United States of America. Believe me when I say that you may revile the BTK murderer, but pray for his lawyer...

Today after day one of my Class-C felony trial, I came back to the office and learned that an in-house murder was re-assigned to my two co-workers on either side of my work station. They were excited; I hope they'll be okay. Secretly, I breathed a little sigh. I don't care if I never go back to murder defense.