When justice and grace collided in a Dallas courtroom

In a small Dallas courtroom this week, two things happened: justice was served and grace was given.

A jury convicted former Dallas police officer Amber Guyger of first degree murder for shooting Botham Jean, a young black man whose apartment she had mistakenly entered. Guyger’s actions are inexcusable. Certainly, Guyger had been exhausted from a full shift on duty, distracted by an ongoing affair that was emotionally draining, and understandably confused by what she believed was an intruder in her home. Except it wasn’t her home, it was Jean’s. She reacted by shooting him in his own apartment, then failed to resuscitate him. She will now serve 10 years behind bars.