NEW YORK — Here’s what we need to remember about “Justice”—it comes in different shapes and sizes, not one size fits all. The concept of “Justice For All” doesn’t mean that we impose the same punishments for every person, regardless of the circumstances. The true administration of justice requires that both our laws and our judges possess the wisdom and experience to differentiate among crimes and criminals.

I bring this up not because of something that’s happening in a courtroom right now but, rather, because of something that’s happening in a school district in Missouri. James Jones has been banned from attending his son’s graduation from high school in Buchanan County. The reason is that Jones, now 36, is a convicted sex offender, having been convicted in 1990 of the rape of a 15-year-old girl when he was 17-years-old. Jones spent 5 years in prison following that conviction.

The problem for Jones is that, in 2006, Missouri enacted a law banning sex offenders from any school property without the permission of the school district superintendent. Jones, who according to reports has had no other legal problems since 1990, has asked to be allowed to attend his son’s graduation but that request has been denied.

The Buchanan County Superintendent, rather than engage in a review of the situation as contemplated by the law, has extended a blanket ruling that all previous sex offenders are banned from school property, regardless of the circumstances, claiming that “it is not my position to judge a case.” And that is not justice.The law of Missouri has, in fact, made it the superintendent’s job to judge each case to ensure that a fair and just decision is made. James Jones has said: “I’m always preaching education to my children. How does that make me look if I’m not there at graduation?”

The hallmark of our justice system has always been that each person’s case deserves a full and fair review and some resolution based solely on the facts and the law. Perhaps Jones should be allowed to attend his son’s graduation, or perhaps there is some real reason why he should not. But James Jones most certainly deserves a fair review of his request—nothing more and nothing less.

–Jack Ford, In Session anchor