Justice Forgotten

Albuquerque, New Mexico, was like many cities in the country. For a myriad of reasons, some reasonable and some due to gross misconduct, the Crime Lab of the Albuquerque Police Department had 5,000 untested rape kits in its lab. Five thousand. The new District Attorney for Bernalillo County enlisted the help of the private bar to prosecute defendants once identified by the lab as the tests were completed. Two young lawyers in Johnston & Blackwell, PLC, Jackie LaPointe and Rosalind McManus, with the full backing of their firm, were in the first wave of volunteers to bring justice to the victims who had been discarded by the system that was supposed to protect them. This is their story and the story of the district attorneys and officers of the ABQ Police Department Sex Crimes Unit who, one by one, made a difference in the lives of so many.

＂It would be better if there were pictures. Not great, mind you, but better.＂

-The author’s book club

＂It’s a good thing you say you’re only writing these for yourself.＂

-The author’s best friend

＂If this were an audio tape, you could sell it as a cure for insomnia and finally make some money.＂

-The author’s wife

＂I bought one as a favor to my father and got charged for six. I didn’t dare hurt his feelings but I can say with certainty the other five made great kindling.＂

-The author’s daughter