American Justice Coalition

     Greetings, my name is Edwin Commet; I am the founder of the “American Justice Coalition” a victim advocacy organization.  I have spent the majority of my adult life working as a law-enforcement officer.  Having served at various capacities, from a cop on patrol beat, to major crimes detective.  I’ve had the opportunity to have gained experience at various levels of this fascinating yet often misunderstood profession. Having had the unique opportunity to have been employed locally by Sheriff’s Offices and to have worked with most federal justice agencies.  I have come to believe the one fundamental reason people choose criminal justice as a career, is a simple belief in the ideal that they can make a difference.

      However, what I often found is law-enforcement officers are often restricted from pursuing many significant injustices for numerous reasons.  Be it resources, time, policy or just the simple fact that the case itself upon first observation may lack a certain provable criminal element.  A common explanation that officers are forced to deliver is “I’m sorry this is a Civil Matter” and the “victim” needs to seek assistance elsewhere, such as from a private attorney.  But, unfortunately more often than not, the party(s), generally our most vulnerable elderly citizens lack the resources, ability or the basic knowledge needed to even make an attempt at finding justice. 

     One example was a case of a 67-year-old widow that was swindled out of the only asset she had left, her home.  Her husband, a doctor had passed away a few years earlier and had left her a beautiful home valued at over a million dollars and a modest financial nest egg.  Not being the best manager of funds, in a fairly short period of time, with assistance of one of her fellow “charity enthusiasts”, the majority of her cash assets had been spent supporting her favored charitable organization. 

        Once the cash assets had been depleted this same charity enthusiasts convinced the widow to sign her home and property over to him.  An agreement was made that he would seek a mortgage against the property.  Then the proceeds would be invested, providing the widow with monthly stipend and paying the new mortgage from the dividends.  However, once property deed was signed over, any communication with the associate ceased.  The next thing this poor woman knew she was served with a notice of foreclosure to the tune of about half a million dollars.  Law-enforcement considered the matter a civil dispute directing her to contact a private attorney.  However, without financial resources to retain private counsel the inevitable proceeded.  Without our involvement this elderly victim would have been rendered homeless and cast into the street penniless.  

     For years I have contemplated how to best use my experience, training and insight to do what I believed need be done.  It seems, rarely a week goes by in that someone with whom I came in contact didn’t reach out to me for advice or direction on an issue that reeks of injustice. Daily there are stories in the media where someone finds himself or herself victimized first by the incident, and then again by the accompanying helplessness, frustration and the subsequent fallout that ensues. To whom do these people turn? 

     It is these issues that brought me to the point of founding the "American Justice Coalition".  The basic principle of the organization is clearly described in our mission statement.  In short, it is to be an advocate for that which is right, true and just.  A “watch-dog” group that has just as much “Bite as it does bark”, standing up for victimization of individuals, communities or even the very basic principles of our great nation as a whole.