Law and order in Waco

Regarding “Lawyer seeks a ‘test case’ trial for biker” (Page B2, Tuesday), it is alarming that a person can become part of a mass prosecution simply by being in the wrong place at the wrong time and become guilty by association simply because you enjoy riding a motorcycle. The debacle playing out in Waco is just that, nearly every customer in the Twin Peaks restaurant has been charged with conspiring to engage in organized crime. This seems to be an overreach by prosecutors and will likely come back to haunt Waco and McLennan County. The whole thing does not pass the smell test.

Having ridden motorcycles and meeting some of the individuals who wear colors, which I did not wear, I think the premise that everyone at that location came there with criminal intent is ludicrous. I’m not saying that there are not some shady characters in the biking world, but my experiences on the whole have shown that they are not as mean as they look.

What is happening with these charges is the prosecutors are hoping that defendants will take a plea deal to a reduced charge, even if not guilty, in order to show how tough officials in McLennan County and Waco are. It is a form of extortion but legal because the prosecutorial authority is doing it. I find it very disturbing. Just find the shooters and prosecute them and quit persecuting the ones who did nothing.