seriously! what is going on in this country? People go to prison on very little evidence everyday. The people have forgotten that this is supposed to be a free country, and you must be proven guilty, not just look like you are guilty or assuming that you are guilty since the cops arrested you.
one of the biggest industries and quickly expanding is the field of law enforcement/criminal justice! Its as if they want us to be incarcerated!
You are just one false move away from being thrown in prison...or maybe you will just be charged with something you didn't do? nothing surprises me anymore with the U.S. Government, unless we would pull out of iraq. That would surprise me. Or, say, if bush resigned out of remorse for his many many sins. that would be a shock! bush having remorse!?
if you are arrested for something, and you have no money to make bail, you wait in jail for days, weeks, moths, and in some cases, a year or more until a court date. By then, if you are able to prove that you are innocent, even with the "public defender" (whom usually are trying to become prosecutors-thus not caring whether you win or lose your case), you have just wasted all of that time you waited to go to court because the government made a mistake. Wow. just think about that for a moment. it happens to thousands of people every day.
GUILTY UNTIL PROVEN INNOCENT
This is not an idea that free countries incorporate.
2007-03-03 07:19:06 · 11 answers · asked by Anonymous in Politics & Government ➔ Other - Politics & Government
but what if you happen to be living in poverty, as many americans are, what with president dipshit and all.You will not be able to post bail. you wont be able to pay fines. you cant get a lawyer to prove you are innocent. you are fuhkt.
and about probable cause. That term is stretched by police into meaning if you have a dirty windshield, he can pull you over to tell you to clean it, and while you are pulled over, search around your car with a flashlight, hoping to find contraband. if he THINKS he sees something, he will just search. or they start out by asking you if they can search, and if you say no, that's their probable cause! its happened to me before! also, they can say you are acting nervous, etc. and they do this often, find ways around the constitution. its disgraceful, but they are dirtbags.
2007-03-03 07:58:21 · update #1
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kitten, you think that is a good thing? these people get stuck in the system, it is actually very sad. 57 % of those people in prisons are there for drugs! The U.S. has experienced a surge in its prison population, quadrupling since 1980, partially as a result of mandated sentences that came about during the "war on drugs" and DESPITE THE DECLINE IN VIOLENT CRIME and property crime since the early 1990s. drug addiction is no reason to throw a person in prison who otherwise obeys the laws! drug addiction??? if it were up to me, they would be set up with a drug counselor and possibly sent to rehab depending on the severity of their disease.
2007-03-03 08:09:20 · update #2
Well when you own your own bisiness and a mexican wants to work there and you don't let him, for whatever reason,and he hollers discrimination, he don't have to prove you are, you have to prove you ain't so I guess in some cases the answer is yes
2007-03-03 07:22:24 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
It depends...If you are arrested, they can only hold you for so long until they actually charge you for the crime. When they officially charge you, every person has the right to a speedy trial. Often times, this right is given up as the individual isn't aware of their civic rights. Also, Bush has (in the overall picture) very little to do with the actual workings of the criminal justice system. If the legislative branch really wants to overrule the president, they do have that right. They have to pass laws before they are ever put in front of the President. Even when the President vetos something, the legislative branch can override his veto with (I think it's a) 2/3 vote. This is to keep the President from having too much power over the country. As for guilty until proven innocent, I agree that our criminal justice system as become warped and it's becoming harder and harder to prove innocence when in reality the CJS should prove you are guilty. Unfortunately, it's something that most people aren't aware of until they are caught in the middle of it and by then it's too late to take a stand against it.
2007-03-03 15:27:27 · answer #2 · answered by 1234 1 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Actually a little over half of people charged with a felony were actually convicted.
An estimated 62% were released by the court prior to the disposition of their case. Thirty-eight percent were detained until case disposition, including 6% who were denied bail.
All Felony charges.
About a third of released defendants were either rearrested for a new offense, failed to appear in court as scheduled, or committed some other violation that resulted in the revocation of their pretrial release.
Fifty-seven percent of all defendants were convicted of a felony, and 11% were convicted of a misdemeanor.
Of those convicted of a felony 69% were sentenced to confinement 31% were given probation.
2007-03-03 15:42:55 · answer #3 · answered by kittenbrower 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You are correct. It does seem that people are guilty until proved innocent. Due process went right out the window. I have this discussion all the time. Someone gets arrested for whatever and people automatically think "guilty". I have to remind them that the person arrested is only a SUSPECT, has not been charged with a crime and is innocent until proved otherwise. Then I get the deer in the headlights look.
2007-03-03 15:29:50 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
I disagree. If you were guilty until proven innocent then they wouldn't allow you to post bail. They imprison you inorder to insure that you will be in court, then when you post bail your money stays in jail (LOL kind of corny I know). You also have to understand that there is bail bondsman that you could use if you don't have the money.
Also, Police Officers need Probable cause that you committed a crime to arrest you. In fact I think its the opposite that people get off on more crimes than are committed, I mean look most of the cases. Oh it should be dismissed because the prosecutor didn't reveil his discovery to me.
I don't think that is the idea of a free country when criminals can run rampid because they slipped through the cracks of the criminal justice system
2007-03-03 15:28:44 · answer #5 · answered by TEFMLB 3 · 0⤊ 2⤋
I totally agree. People are found guilty in the media and often never charged. Many have property confiscated by the government and never charged. I don't understand this at all. William Jefferson's crimes sound heinous-but how can it be he's not been charged two years later? But guilty in the press, FBIs eyes. What happened to a speedy trial? I don't know what has happened to us.
2007-03-03 15:34:33 · answer #6 · answered by Middleclassandnotquiet 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I think it has changed. Look at Jose Padilla! I say the time has come for his trial to start or for him to be released. Same with the people at Guantanamo Bay.
Cannot even get a habeas corpus hearing. Why is the government so scared?
2007-03-04 01:27:20 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
unfortunately you are so true. if you are around people that are guilty of anything then you are considered guilty. as in you are who you run with. when you go to jail, you have to prove your innocence or you are guilty.this is not suppose to be that way, but with the current Judaical system it is they are all a bunch of crooks
2007-03-03 15:27:40 · answer #8 · answered by unforgivenevr 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
it never was innocent until proven guilty, they arrest people before trial and lock them up, there is assumed guilt by arresting them. it make a nice slogan but that's about the extent of it.
2007-03-03 15:22:24 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
depends on your race and coulor, i think and im white
2007-03-03 15:28:31 · answer #10 · answered by bruce m 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋