Do The Job Right

The last time Spokane confronted a serial sex predator, appellate courts shredded the authorities’ best efforts to put him behind bars. Suspected of 40 rapes, Kevin Coe was charged with seven and by the time two juries and the state Supreme Court had completed their work, one count survived, imprisoning Coe only through 2006.

Today, another South Hill man, also from a outwardly stable family, stands accused as a predator. Coe raped joggers. Robert Lee Yates Jr. is alleged to have murdered prostitutes.

Before the arrests, each case deeply alarmed the community. After an arrest of this kind, comes relief. More important, however, are the months and years of patient work that lie ahead.

Sheriff Mark Sterk and his deputies seem very much aware of the burden that rests upon them. Good for them! Their scrupulous investigation, measured public statements, generous care for the defendant’s family and careful court procedures attest to a determination to do this job right.

And what is that job? It is to determine the truth. Perhaps the truth is that Yates is innocent. For now, the law presumes him innocent, and that is a fact everyone must remember. It is a fact that makes it essential for authorities to take no risks, play no games and provide Yates with the best possible defense.

This is a time for the community to support all of the authorities involved, coming forward with information and refraining from haste or prejudice. The appellate courts will be rigorous. That’s their job. The rest of us have a job to do, as well, and we should do it as responsibly as we can.