Justin Ross Harris, the man who was accused of murdering his 22-month old son by leaving him in a hot SUV in 2014, has been convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment. The trial was long and intense, spanning almost five weeks and included a move all the way across the state after interruptions caused by issues with the jury. Not to mention the cost - an estimated $550,000 of taxpayer money was spent to convict Harris. Most of the cost was for his legal defense, lodging, meals, mileage, expert witnesses, and more.
Ashleigh Merchant of The Merchant Law Firm noted that the defense's fees of 60 dollars an hour is nothing compared to the average compensation of around 129 dollars an hour for defense attorneys for federal trials.
While the cost is excessive, the bottom line is that we should not put a price tag on the Constitution - which was designed to provide protection for our rights to a fair trial.
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