By Renée Abbott, News Editor
On Feb. 7, students in Peter Salman’s AP Language and Composition class welcomed mitigation specialist Rebecca Cohen to speak about her role in the justice system, as well as her connection to renowned author and lawyer Bryan Stevenson. Students in Bailey Tighe’s classes also attended the presentation. Cohen shared her experiences in working with defendants on death row, and also how the function of mitigation has changed throughout history.
“I wanted Cohen to speak at WHS because she has such a powerful story to tell about the transformative impact of kindness, empathy and mercy. She is such a good example of how to respond when faced with injustice: turning principled belief into courageous action,” Salmans said.
Cohen grew up in Bennington, Vermont, which does not have the death penalty. Her introduction to criminal justice was a course she took during her time at Yale University about the death penalty. From there, she developed a passion for justice, and she sought out an internship under Stevenson and ended up working with him in the south.
To begin, Cohen shared past cases that were influenced by mitigation—or the lack thereof—including cases such as Furman v. Georgia and McCleskey v. Kemp. Cohen thoroughly explained all legal terms to her audience and was adept in explaining each case in detail. Cohen also discussed the role that mitigation has served in confronting racial inequality in the justice system. Mitigation in law is the practice of defending a defendant who is already guilty, in efforts to reduce the term they serve in prison or take them off of death row. Relevant information in mitigation can be the upbringing of a defendant, their mental state or injustices committed against them in the past.
“I found it pretty moving that she has been putting her time and effort into helping people and realizing that people are not only their actions. There's a lot more to them that influences how they behave and act,” junior Isabella Gauthier said.
Cohen discussed mental health, racial bias and evidence of innocence to give students a broader perspective of what goes on in a courtroom. Cohen recalls her experience working with Stevenson and her personal relationships with defendants including Walter McMillian. Stevenson, author of bestseller “Just Mercy,” mentored Cohen at the beginning of her career and was a fundamental part of her inspiration to become a mitigation specialist.
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“As Cohen and Stevenson's stories show, we can make an amazing difference for other people just by caring and by being proximate. Walpole community members are so well positioned to help others, but it can seem scary or difficult to put our ideas about the importance of justice issues into action. Cohen showed us the impact we can make by taking principled action,” Salmans said.
Above all, Cohen advocated for empathy for everyone, criminal background or not. Cohen’s passion for her work shined, and her ability to forgive people on death row for their mistakes inspired many in the audience.
“Young people can take away that our justice society is flawed, and that what other generations have normalized should not be accepted in today’s modern society,” junior Christina Forester said.