Innocent until proven indigent?

10 Dec 09

Comments on our Jury System, from a Chief of Police, and student:

"With sincere and logical intentions, our Founders believed they created a Justice System that would shield citizens from the abuses of government by positioning the jury between those citizens and the arbitrary power to incarcerate.

It is an interesting theory, but today the System plea-bargains the vast majority of criminal cases. That fact, combined with the crippling financial impact of hiring competent attorney(s) to take one's case through the trial process, has eroded this so-called protection to the point of it being a rare privilege, rather than a 'right' accessible to everyone.

When government brings a politically-inspired case against you, you will doubtless be offered a 'plea-deal.' Usually, this deal will include a guilty plea to a technical 'felony,' and a significantly reduced sentence, compared to that which is possible when the case goes to trial, and a conviction results.

Thus, many innocent people face this dilemma: Do I plead guilty to a ' felony' that I did not commit and get probation, forever forfeiting basic rights in the process and essentially becoming a permanent, second-class citizen? Or, do I ever-impoverish my family in an attempt to win at trial, knowing that, when I lose, I will be incarcerated for an extended period, and will probably die in prison?

Penalties are now so severe, for even insignificant, highly-technical violations of incomprehensible, generally-unknown, and arbitrarily-enforced codes and regulations, and litigation costs so high, that, unless you are willing to gamble your future with a public defender, most normal people are easily bullied into accepting the first 'deal' that is offered.

Adding a vast array of brand-new federal felonies, that most of us will never even hear about (until federal agents come knocking on your door), is now the accepted approach in Congress."

Comment: Our System, that was set up to protect the innocent from criminals, in both the private and public sectors, is corrupted by power-lusting politicians, eager to confiscate it for the purpose of promoting themselves.

This, of course, has always been the case. But, the recent, enormous surge in the growth of government has imperiled everyone. The innocent are casually swept up into sinister, political agendas, high-sounding though they may be, and there is little protection.

"Innocent until proven guilty" has become "Innocent until proven indigent! "

/John