The US government has been established by our forefathers as a nation governed by laws that have their foundation in the US Constitution. Every law that is passed by the legislature or mandated by the presidency must be approved as constitutional by the Supreme Court. Thus there is a balance of powers so that the rights of the people cannot be infringed upon by any branch of government. Also, all the laws of counties, cities, and states must similarly measure up to the constitutional standard. Even the military is not exempt, and a person entering military service does not abrogate his or her constitutional rights, but is under what is called The Uniform Code of Military Justice. Court decisions are also governed by previous court decisions, and most of the contents of the big volumes found in a law library are the records of these decisions.
However, the practice of law is a dynamic process and by no means stagnant. New situations arise that have not been previously adjudicated, and courts are continually finding loopholes that need to be plugged up so that the original intent of the law is preserved. Each trial has rules of procedure so that the rights of the accused are protected, and a referee, or judge, must insure that these are obeyed by the prosecution and defense attorneys. The police must also be extremely careful to collect evidence in a legal fashion so as not to violate the laws of privacy. Sometimes vital evidence is inadmissible because of procedural violations. A smart defense lawyer can use these mistakes and other loopholes to persuade juries to release those suspects that are obviously guilty. It is a common belief that those who can afford a smart lawyer escape punishment while the poor are penalized for their crime. We can all think of wealthy individuals who have escaped punishment from serious crimes through the clever tricks of a smart lawyer.
However, there is one Judge who cannot be fooled by such cleverness and there are no loopholes in His courtroom. We shall all someday stand before God in the final judgment in heaven (2 Cor. 5:10), and in that courtroom there is only one Lawyer. That Lawyer is the most skilled of all. and He is the Counsel for the defense, Jesus Christ the righteous. He serves without cost, pro bono, for rich and poor alike; He will represent all who have called upon Him for help, and He never loses a case. There are those, however, who will not recognize Him and refuse to be represented by Him. In that case, they will have no counsel, and they will be judged without defense. They have rebelled against God, have refused His sacrifice on their behalf, and therefore they stand accused of high treason before the heavenly tribunal. Only those who have requested it will receive help from the divine "Counsel for the defense."
