It is a fundamental principal of democracy that people are not left helpless when the state accuses them of a crime. Because any state, liberal or totalitarian, can wield absolute power over an individual, providing a means of defense for the accused is essential to limiting a state's natural tendency to exercise more power than it should. And any system that calls itself Justice should provide that protection to everyone.

A justice system isn't just a bureaucratic symbol of what democracy can look like on a good day. It is the imperfect yet essential guardian of both our liberties and mutual obligations; the right-hand of the democracy we aspire to be. By at least attempting to guarantee the poorest in our community the rights we all deserve, the public defender is both the protector of equal justice and an exemplar of the best instincts of America. We should be proud that our community created the office years ago.

That pride is now firmly put to rest after the travesty of democracy we've witnessed. It was not just an unprincipled usurpation of the process by a party majority, but an improper use of police power to deprive citizens of their right to participate in decision making and to petition their representatives.

To a community that's reeling from death and despair, it also sent a clear message of how important the public defender's office, its constituency, and the principals that underlie it, is to the ruling cabal. If it was the selection of a corporate defender at issue, we know that constituency would've had a seat at the table. But that form of corruption is so standardized, we don't think twice about it.

With the contempt for democratic principals and the rise of police-military integration nationwide, however, it is the corruption of unrestrained authority, which this event demonstrates, that should worry us all. Against such authority, when the next emergency throws Americans into confusion, who'll defend the public?

CARL PULTZ, ROCHESTER