The creator of the popular animated adult cartoon “Rick and Morty” had allegations of domestic violence against him dropped by a court — but not before a lengthy ordeal that has left him “deeply shaken.”
According to Fox News, on Wednesday, prosecutors in California dropped domestic violence charges against the show’s creator, Justin Roiland.
The 43-year-old had been charged with corporal injury and false imprisonment by menace, fraud, violence, and deceit against a former girlfriend. In response to the allegations, Cartoon Network and Adult Swim cut ties with him, saying that he would not be returning to the show despite the fact that Roiland also happens to voice the two titular characters. Adult Swim is the nighttime programming block on Cartoon Network where “Rick and Morty” airs.
Kimberly Edds, spokeswoman for the Orange County District Attorney’s office, said in a statement on Wednesday that the charges against Roiland had been dropped “due to a lack of sufficient evidence beyond a reasonable doubt.”
Roiland responded to the news on Twitter by praising the decision to drop the charges, but also lamenting the fact that people were quick to believe the rumors that were said about him.
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“I have always known that these claims were false — and I never had any doubt that this day would come,” Roiland wrote in his post. “I’m thankful that this case has been dismissed but, at the same time, I’m still deeply shaken by the horrible lies that were reported about me during this process.
“Most of all, I’m disappointed that so many people were so quick to judge without knowing the facts, based solely on the word of an embittered ex trying to bypass due process and have me ‘canceled.’”
justice pic.twitter.com/1q9M4GA6MV
— Justin Roiland (@JustinRoiland) March 22, 2023
Are people too quick to judge in criminal cases?
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Roiland’s comments speak to a rather concerning trend in the American judicial system today, and that is that people are so quick to rush to judgment about a case before all the facts are in, especially when that case involves sexual harassment or domestic violence.
The Constitution gives the defendant the right to be innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Until that time, a person is only a suspect or an alleged criminal.
That was the way our justice system worked for years. However, with the rise of the #MeToo movement, all that changed, and people began to willingly believe every allegation of men committing sexual harassment against women. That subtle mindset shift, as Roiland’s plight illustrates, resulted in some disastrous, life-altering consequences for the accused — even if the men were ultimately exonerated after the fact.
It went from a trial by jury to a trial by public opinion, with many people having their lives and reputations irreversibly ruined by these allegations, and never having the chance to properly answer them.
But it is not just the #MeToo movement that has contributed to this. Black Lives Matter is guilty of the exact same thing whenever there is an instance of a white police officer shooting a black man.
Because of the activities of BLM, many people, including government officials, often rush to judge the officer involved as guilty before the evidence has come in and before anything has been proven in court, even if the allegation is later proved to be false.
Roiland may have ultimately been cleared of any wrongdoing, but only after his ex-girlfriend had spread lies and rumors about him and several outlets were quick to drop him. In other words, despite nary a conviction, Roiland’s reputation and career were in tatters.
The former voice of Rick and Morty has clearly indicated that he’s planning to bounce back from this, but it is going to take some time because of the severity of the rumors that were spread about him.
Next time, can we all agree to just let the facts come out first?
