Wow...the prequel to this one was something else.
I remember what I was trying to get to but there were so many interesting things I had to say about it, I just had to finish it the way it was going.
Many have heard that our United States was formed by people who wanted a level of equality for all people regardless of social status, or ethnicity, or other factors. It has also been said that the people in this nation are to be considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law...a stark contrast to the British legal system in which the accused are guilty until proven innocent. If that were true, rich people would not get off, and poor people would not be incarcerated. In recent years, some of the rich people have had public 'slaps on the wrists' and in the past, certain wealthy people have been imprisoned for their misdeeds against other wealthy people...once they've been caught. Our country claims that we do not have 'pauper prisons'...in Europe's past, poor people were put in prison for their inability to pay taxes or other debts. Do you know what happens to a poor person who is unable to pay traffic citations (especially repeat offenders)? Do you know what happens to a person who cannot afford to be defended by someone other than a public defender? What about all of those high conviction rates of the prosecutors...? Do you think they were able to prove beyond a reasonable doubt to a jury that the accused was guilty? A plea bargain is a choice given to people who don't have excellent attorneys...it is also considered a guilty conviction...even if it means releasing the accused person for time served in jail while waiting for the 'speedy trial' because they did not have the means to pay for bail. If an innocent person is not guilty until proven otherwise, why do they have to be incarcerated? Of course, there are people who would be flight risks...but even those who have the ability to flee have the money to make bail. People who are poor don't have the means to leave. I knew of a judge who had been accused of murdering his estranged spouse. He had a lucrative business as well as his legal duties. His case was put on hold, and he was given several years of freedom before he would have to return to court. He was told to turn in his passport and to make sure that if he left the state, he would have to inform the court of his itinerary. I never heard anything about him again. The media supports hiding more than we would like to think...that case took place in a county where even the top law enforcement officer (county sheriff) had been arrested for a series of crimes. He was eventually released...but if it had been a pauper from the streets, he would still be locked up. The same county has an unusual image to represent justice...using the statue they call the "Goddess of Justice". She has no blindfold, and her scales are tipped one way. She is chubby and wears "I Dream of Jeannie" clothes...and stands about 20 or more feet tall at the main entrance to the old courthouse.
This legal racket is also a vicious cycle. Once you are caught up by the system, it is extremely difficult to be permanently released and left unmolested by it's enforcers. Many of the enforcers know more truth than they are willing to reveal. They recognize the true criminals, and who is innocent. Often, they like to harass some of the innocent people because those people get angry at the system...so they are provoked into doing something out of that anger and getting further into trouble. Like recognizes like: I have heard it said by members of law enforcement, and corrections, "The only difference between them (the criminals) and us (the law enforcers) is we wear badges." Still others have said the only difference between the incarcerated and the correctional officers is that they get to go home at the ends of their shifts. When I was younger and thought law enforcement was an honorable profession, and fresh out of the US Army, I had sought employment with various law enforcement agencies. I passed the exams and made it to the panel interview. Later, I was told I was too nice to be a cop. Perhaps I was too much of a rule follower and not much of a 'kiss-up' that revealed my inability to go along with the status quo of law enforcement agencies in our society.
I heard an attorney on television in another state declare that rich people get off way too easy because of their ability to spend the money. I have personally heard another attorney in California state that the only reason the polygraph and other means of lie detection are not acceptable in courts is because it would remove the need for attorneys. The judges are also attorneys...they would not be liked if they accepted something that put their colleagues out of work.
Another racket (a sub-section of the legal racket) is the jails and prisons, and their follow-up probation or parole system. I can put that info into a third post...cause I am tired of typing right now.
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