A just verdict

Killer of officer gets life in prison

The procedural nature of state and federal courts, bound by laws and rules designed in part to ensure fairness for the accused and the accuser, can make the pursuit of justice seem cold and distant.

In a trial involving murder or other forms of violence, the process is often so formal lengthy it belies the human tragedy at the heart of the proceedings.

It’s been more than two and a half years since a driver devoted to avoiding accountability ran over Officer Kevin Apple of the Pea Ridge Police Department and left him mortally wounded. The driver’s indifference to the consequences propelled her forward, eager to preserve her own freedom regardless of what it cost Officer Apple or anyone else who got in her way.

Tragedies that play out in mere seconds take years to move through the courts, demanding incredible patience from those who want and need justice to be served. The reason we can call it justice, as opposed to vengeance, arises from the great care our society invests in the concept of innocence until guilt is proven and the rights of the accused. Yes, the system has flaws. It’s a human-based system, after all. But it’s a system that generally respects freedom and how serious it is to deprive someone of it.

But now, finally, 25-year-old Shawna Cash knows her fate. A Benton County jury returned with a recommended sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole. The judge followed the jury’s recommendation. Jurors could have imposed the death penalty.

Did Cash deserve death? We can’t blame anyone for believing so. She callously took the life of a man devoted to helping and protecting others. In a different scenario, Officer Apple would likely have helped Cash if he had the chance, those who knew him say.

The jury spared Cash’s life. Prosecutor Joshua Robinson said Wednesday Cash’s age was a big influence affecting the jury’s decision, based on the feedback he received from them. Their verdict reflected considerable grace, which by definition (at least biblical) is undeserved. Even if Cash earned the death penalty, it says something good about humanity when a group of Benton County jurors deliver justice while also finding a dose of compassion.

Much was made during the trial of Cash’s childhood, which sounded hellish. But she’s an adult. Sooner or later we’re all responsible for our own choices. But it doesn’t hurt to contemplate how trauma she experienced as a child contributed to that tragic day in June 2021. It’s entirely possible some people failed her in her youth, contributing to who she became. It’s sad when one’s early life sets the tone for eventual tragedy. If only someone had been able to divert her from a troubled path, maybe two lives could have been saved.

But accountability isn’t optional. We’re thankful for jurors who shoulder the heavy burden of weighing the evidence and finding their way to verdicts in such cases. It takes an emotional toll. In a way, they’ve been sentenced to spend the rest of their lives with unwanted memories. Having served their community, they now can’t unsee the evidence of what happened. It’s a vital service without which our justice system could not function. We wish them well.