I agree losing your job so what. spill hot coffee from mcdonalds on yourself and sue and get millions, if it was cold they would have took it back.
Lose your life due to a broken govt. your SOL.
However, the legal system is a tough business and I believe we do the best we can when crimes are committed every other second of the day. The best thing to do it keep your nose clean and live an honest life.
If you're speaking about CRBs for police shootings, I don't really agree with those because it seems silly to think that the average soccer mom or "cubicle dweller" would have much understanding of life or death split-second decisions. Maybe vets who have been under fire before, they would understand.
On the other hand I believe the public should have more understanding, access, and input in the court system because of the great many problems there.
250k is not enough for a 20 year old in prison for rape. There is a code in prison. If he went in at 20 on a rape charge, he was punished by other inmates in bad ways.
The court usually has a public component i.e. juries.
The public also votes on judges in most jurisdictions.
It is easy to blame "the man" or " the system" but the reality is that WE are responsible for the state that we are in.
WE are responsible.
Not them, WE.
Unfortunately it's easy to complain on the internet and MUCH harder to get involved.
Michael Brown
Re Juries - We need a better cross section of society. Too many well qualified people weasel out of serving leaving mostly the chronically unemployed and Oprah-watching housewives. More experienced and accomplished people are needed who will be less easily swayed.
Re Judges - I routinely vote them out. We don't need habituated judges. After awhile I believe the power gets to them and they lose touch.
I don't know the particulars of this individual case but I gather that there is railroading of suspects with the following characteristics:
1. unpopular appearance or a minority
2. past criminal activity or other "shaky background"
3. no money to hire a decent attorney
Few cases make it to a jury, most are plea bargained. Except for Grand Jury Petitions the public has little oversight of our courts.
Although we here in OK. get to vote on District Judges and Associate Judges there are other issues.
Chamber says 'then there were 8' uncertainly clouds judicial commission
http://capitolbeatok.com/_webapp_37...e_8'_–_uncertainly_clouds_judicial_commission
I do not blame "the man" or "the system" itself, But I do think the operations of the system should be reviewed and those in it who do wrong should be held accountable.
I agree WE are responsible, I agree twice that WE are responsible. Look at who we elect, look at what we allow.
I'm sorry if my comments only seem to be complaints, my intent was to share info and ideas. And I do try to be involved as best I can.
This is the EXACT reason police officers, judges and district attorneys are held to a higher standard. They have the ability to make decisions that seriously affect other people lives, rightly or wrongly.
The amount of money used to run the "system" isn't the issue. It doesn't matter to me if I pay my plumber makes $50k per year or $200k per year. He has made the decision to be a plumber so I expect him to do his job properly. Mistakes will happen, so I expect him to admit his mistake, fix it and remember it so it doesn't happen again.
Before you argue the final decision is made by the jury, look at the historical conviction rate of just about ANY district attorney. It is always high, however it is on the decline. There's a simple reason for this. Society trusts our government. The average juror trusts that, if the police and district attorney have brought a case to trial, then that person must be guilty. Fortunately, the average member of society has less faith in our government to do the right thing which should, at some point, level the playing field of the judicial system.
Somewhere in Texas, there is a retired police detective and a retired district attorney that really screwed the pooch. I would hope their cases are now under review.
I think it's time to get back to the judicial system in it's original concept. In the words of the English jurist William Blackstone, "Better than ten guilty persons escape than that one innocent suffer."
Higher standard? We have two judges in OK. who have been overturned by the higher courts for jailing people in violation of the Constitution, they're still on the bench, what standard?
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