[quote]NorCal916 wrote:
[quote]angry chicken wrote:
[quote]NorCal916 wrote:
[quote]Severiano wrote:
[quote]MaximusB wrote:
[quote]Severiano wrote:
[quote]TheCB wrote:
[quote]Severiano wrote:
[quote]TheCB wrote:
[quote]Severiano wrote:
It doesn’t even account for actual racist judges, juries, etc as in the Frimpong case that I’ve brought up here before. [/quote]
are you seriously suggesting that significant amounts of innocent black people are going to jail because of racism and/or guilty black people are receiving disproportionate sentences due to racism? (maybe you have a case for about 1 in 100,000 convictions, being extremely generous).
if so it is absolutely laughable and embarrassing.
maybe hundreds upon hundreds of thousands of black people are in jail because they actually committed a crime rather than it’s just those damn racist whiteys fault. [/quote]
I’m asserting that not only do a disproportionate amount of innocent blacks end up in jail, but that the laws themselves target their demographics under tough on crime laws as I have already explained, as are the sentences themselves harsher. [/quote]
how many “innocent” blacks do you estimate are currently in jail right now?[/quote]
It’s not for me to estimate actually. There are plenty of examples, I would site data that actually supports my argument but I don’t think there is enough of it, just being honest… That doesn’t mean there will be eventually. Some of what I could bring up are statistics from those exonerated due to DNA testing. Wrongfully imprisoned blacks and whites are being released.
http://www.innocenceproject.org/Content/African_American_Wrongful_Convictions_Today.php
http://www.innocenceproject.org/Content/African_American_Wrongful_Convictions_Throughout_History.php[/quote]
So when exactly will Al and Jesse march for the wrongfully accused whites ?[/quote]
Did you read the article? I’m not trying to claim it’s the end all be all, but the statistics show that the majority of people exonerated via dna evidence are black, and among all races they are 60+% of those being exonerated. [/quote]
Sounds like they need better legal council.
[/quote]
Amen to better council. I knew guys who were sentenced to 20 years or LIFE for the same crime I was sentenced to ten for. Later modified down to five on the condition I was accepted into and completed the Boot Camp program (HLTBC). I ended up serving only 3.5 years. And I had a damn good lawyer. And frankly, 3.5 years was MORE than enough for me to realize I had to change my evil ways. And I did, I got out and became a productive member of society. The problem is that SO MANY people don’t get that chance. Especially young men. Young BLACK men if you want to play the race card (it happens to be a valid card to play in this case). Imagine getting a 20 - 30 year sentence for something you did when you were 18? Or even SIXTEEN, and tried as an adult (how the fuck does THAT make any sense? Either you are 18 and responsible for your actions, or you are NOT…Slippery slope).
Our criminal “justice” system is so fucked up it isn’t even funny. There are so many people in prison that really don’t belong there. Not saying they’re all “innocent” (who here is truly “innocent”?) but the sentences that are handed out for what are a majority of victimless crimes is fucking ridiculous.
And then there are the sentences that are just stupid. Like the guy who got TEN YEARS for beating the shit out of the guy who molested his little girl. Or the guy who beat up an off duty cop who didn’t identify himself, put him self in a position and got his ass kicked, but then got the last laugh. I met countless people who didn’t need to be in prison. Serving time right next to people who frankly should be executed on sight. Seriously. Guys in for DWI sleeping in a cell with a guy in for multiple rapes and homicides. Then the DWI guy gets a street charge for defending himself against a fucking animal…
These are peoples LIVES…
There are so many mistakes made that I don’t see how ANYONE can be for the death penalty unless there is NO shadow of a doubt. Guys getting the electric chair for circumstantial, shady “DNA” “evidence” is fucking bullshit.
The whole system is fucking bullshit. It certainly doesn’t make our society any better or safer in the long run. In fact, I could effectively argue it does the opposite.
[/quote]
Agree. I think, of course can’t prove it, that some public defenders basically are in cahoots with the DA. They don’t give 2 shits about their “client”. They r just another name on the docket. They probably laugh and joke and work deals over lunch. And to a poor guy who is ignorant of how the law works, if the public defender (or your “lawyer”) says take this deal, then don’t they basically think that it’s in his best interest but maybe it’s not???
I got a little problem with that. How to fix, not sure though.
[/quote]
The DNA evidence problem is very difficult to solve. Between hired guns and scientific illiteracy on the part of judges and juries, it is often incredibly prejudicial without being equivalently as valuable.
Prosecutorial misconduct is probably best addressed by some harsh penalties and a lessened reliance on win percentages. But how to actually achieve that is difficult to quantify. Perhaps making criminal trial counsel randomized would do it, but I can see that going down like the Hindenburg.
But the way that crimes are dealt with probably needs some thought. I think there is an arguable case for taking non-violent theft out of the criminal sphere entirely and moving it into the civil sphere. Same with drug purchasing. I could see maintaining a crime of possession with intent to sell, but intent to use seems unduly harsh in most cases.
A lot of problems with no easy fixes.
