Justice on trial

Radley Balko has an article about criminal justice here.


Reade Seligmann, who had an iron-clad alibi to counter District Attorney Mike Nifong's accusation but was nonetheless dragged through the mud, added, "I can't imagine what they do to people who do not have the resources to defend themselves."


Exactly. Conservatives often dismiss complaints about the imbalance of the justice system. Liberals often decry the system as racist. It isn't. It not about race, it's about class. There is rich man's justice and poor man's justice. There are a great number of minorities in prison but I'd wager that in terms of class the imbalance of poor vs. rich or even middle class is even more pronounced.

With the advances in technology to review DNA evidence and other forensic procedures we need to set the bar ever higher for conviction especially in capital cases. I would go so far as to require manditory review of old cases that have blood or other DNA evidence that was never tested. (I'm thinking of cases that were adjudicated before DNA testing was available.)

If the momentum carries this one forward we may see a bipartisan case for justice reform. The wise candidates will be putting this into their platform.


Referring to the old mentality, Watkins added, "if you sent someone to jail who was possibly innocent, it was a badge of honor."


Positively sickening. Knowing full well the horrors that await inmates, how could anyone think that way?

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