Surviving Justice: America’s Wrongfully Convicted And Exonerated

R

ReighnStorm

The Smoke that Thunders
Registered Senior Member
http://www.cnn.com/2005/LAW/12/23/dna.pardons.ap/index.html
Thurman was convicted in 1985 of rape, abduction and assault. According to the state Corrections Department, he was sentenced to 31 years in prison and was paroled in February.

Davidson was convicted in 1981 of sexual assault. He was paroled in 1992 after serving more than 11 years in prison.

SURVIVING JUSTICE: AMERICA’S WRONGFULLY CONVICTED AND EXONERATED

http://www.weeklydig.com/index.cfm/...c/nodeID/3743af99-edd6-41e3-9c11-bf412e6b6e3a

Calvin Willis was misidentified by a rape victim, and was freed 22 years later with DNA evidence. A notoriously corrupt Chicago police precinct coached witnesses into fingering James Newsome for a fatal robbery; after 15 years, fingerprint evidence freed him.

“An innocent person always holds out hope that the system will work. That’s the naïveté,” Newsome adds. “You’re brought up that way, looking at Dragnet and all these law enforcement programs on TV. You’re induced to believe that the good guy always prevails. That’s a bunch of bullshit. The good guy ends up last.”

Thoughts about the American Justice System past and present :confused: ? Regarding this issue? Other issues?
 
Thoughts on the American Justice System? Well, that's easy ...it's run by humans, so errors and inconsistencies are inevitable. Therefore, we should employ only robots to perform all aspects of the justice system, from the lawmakers, to law enforcement, to the courts and juries and attorneys, and, last but not least, employ robots for the prison systems. Get rid of humans and the system should work just fine.

Baron Max
 
Don't forget that humans also created the robot...so theres bound to be issues there too. :)

My point/question is ,for instance, why aren't there more things done for the victims of the justice system when incarcerated from crimes not commited by them? That's one question!? :confused:
 
ReighnStorm said:
, why aren't there more things done for the victims of the justice system when incarcerated from crimes not commited by them? That's one question!?
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Like what? Perhaps you say give them $4,579 gazillion, but I only wnat to give them $25 ...so where in that range is appropriate "punishment" to the state for a few human errors? And is the state responsible, or is the human that made the mistake responsible?

By the way, just so you know, there are civil courts that handle just such lawsuits and the judgements can run into the millions. So what else do you want to do? ....in a nation of laws?

We had one 60-something year old black man who was put into jail simply to await a few papers from the DA's office. The man's attorney thought the papers had already been filed, so he quit concerning himself with it. The guy should have spend one day, perhaps two at most, yet he was in the county jail for one year and six months!! Listen to this ...the guys cellmate found out the problem, told his own attorney about the guy! That's the only way he's out now! ...his cellmate!! ...LOL!

The old guy is happy to be out and holds no grudges and expects no retribution or further court action. He's just happy to be free. See? He understands that people make mistakes ...some of them can be costly (and some can be costly to others!).

Baron Max
 
Baron Max said:
Like what? And is the state responsible, or is the human that made the mistake responsible?
By the way, just so you know, there are civil courts that handle just such lawsuits and the judgements can run into the millions. So what else do you want to do? ....in a nation of laws?
that people make mistakes ...some of them can be costly (and some can be costly to others!).
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Even though money is good, I don't think it is enough for this issue. Saying that a human made a mistake is also very weak in that this type of issue can't be covered by just saying "oops, I think I made a boo boo. It's just another excuse to make light of a more serious problem. It should be a crime and punishment should be given....I know that's more complicated to do. And yes, I do feel that the state is responsible to a certain degree.
 
Well, Reighn, since we can never be 100%, absolutely certain of anything, perhaps we should just eliminate all law enforcement and courts and juries, and let "suspects" just go free. I mean, even violent killers and rapists can't harm TOO many people .....and woudln't you say that's better than putting one innocent person into jail?

By the way, how do you figure that the state is responsible? The juries that convict people are citizens, not state employees. And I think the district attorney is an elected official ...elected by the people.

But, nevertheless, .....what would you suggest, Reighn? Give me some input on your solutions to this "problem".

Baron Max
 
how about acepting that you cant apologise to a dead man and so abolish the death penelty for a start
 
i am against the death penalty
what if the person being executed holds the answer to a conspiracy?
what if they know too much?
 
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Baron Max said:
Thoughts on the American Justice System? Well, that's easy ...it's run by humans, so errors and inconsistencies are inevitable. Therefore, we should employ only robots to perform all aspects of the justice system, from the lawmakers, to law enforcement, to the courts and juries and attorneys, and, last but not least, employ robots for the prison systems. Get rid of humans and the system should work just fine.

Baron Max
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i disagree. robots operate by rules."when has justice been as simple as a rule book"
the justice system operates on checks and balances, rarely does it do anything without someone knowing.
 
Asguard said:
how about acepting that you cant apologise to a dead man and so abolish the death penelty for a start
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Sure you can apologize to a dead man!! He might not hear it, but you can still do it. So keep the death penalty and, more importantly, use the damned thing when the courts deem it as the penalty for the crime!! Don't wait for decades, ....do it!

Baron Max
 
leopold99 said:
i am against the death penalty
what if the person being executed holds the answer to a conspiracy?
what if they know too much?
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I'm in favor of the death penalty ....what if the person NOT executed escapes and kills 47,823 more people?! What if they like killing that much?

Baron Max
 
leopold99 said:
... "when has justice been as simple as a rule book" ...
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Yeah, and perhaps that's what's wrong with the system?! The fuckin' "rules" are made up as they go ....that's putting a lot of trust in a very few people, ain't it? We should write the rules, then live by them ..unless something absolutely astronomical comes along, then we amend the rule as necessary.

Baron Max
 
does that mean the US isnt civilised?

wouldnt surprise me in the least

Oh and how can someone kill in a 4x4 cell baron?
 
Civilized is relative.
The humble Bonobo is more civilized than any human civilization... and they spend most of their time picking lice off each other and humping.

Sounds like a good way to pass the time to me.
 
Civilized is relative.
The humble Bonobo is more civilized than any human civilization... and they spend most of their time picking lice off each other and humping.

Sounds like a good way to pass the time to me.
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Yep. Being a human is so darn complicated when it shouldn't be.

I love that Capital One commercial about the Garden of Eden. The snake tries to lure Eve into eating an apple saying it'll grant her Infinite Knowledge, etc. She responds saying: "Hey look, I know you're Satan. Why would I wanna eat that fruit when it'll make me worry about wearing clothes, paying taxes, etc etc, basically all the BS people worry about, heh.

- N
 
Asguard said:
Oh and how can someone kill in a 4x4 cell baron?
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Geez, Asguard, there are killings and beatings and rape in prisons all the fuckin' time! Where have you been? Or don't you read the newspapers or listen to the news?

And, just for your info, the prisoners are not confined to their cells 24/7. I think they're permitted to leave the cells at various times of the day ....and that's where they do the rapes, assaults and murders.

So what y'all are suggesting, by keeping the violent convict in prison, is to "release" him onto the general prison population where he can continue his violence on the other prisoners! How nice of y'all. :)

Baron Max
 
It's funny that you all will discuss the death penalty and prison life but not someone wrongfully convicted....well except Baron. Go figure!?
 
Well I've given my opinion on wrongful convictions in other threads before. All I gotta say is that shit happens. It sucks for the person being wrongfully convicted, but if you're wanting to get rid of the death penalty all because of that, I won't agree with ya. The guilty far outweight the wrongful innocent.

As another person said, if the criminal did such a good job of placing enough evidence to make the cops, judge, and jury think that the innocent person did the crime, what can ya say? It sucks, but the majority believe that innocent person not to be.

- N
 
ReighnStorm said:
It's funny that you all will discuss the death penalty and prison life but not someone wrongfully convicted....well except Baron. Go figure!?
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What I can't figure out is what exactly you want to discuss? I mean, we all admit that mistakes happen in the courts, but ...well, okay, what now? What is it that you want anyone, the governemt, the courts, the attorneys, the judges, etc ....what do you want them to do when a person is found to be innocent?

I think we should set him free, then send a Hallmark sympathy card with a check for, say, $25. What do you think?

Baron Max
 
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