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NBC stung by criticism of sex-predator cases
Steve Thompson Dallas Morning News ^

Posted on 08/14/2007 4:27:34 AM PDT by Dudoight

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To: gridlock
They are Zero-for-Twenty on prosecutions, let alone convictions.

They have obviously had problems in Texas that they did not have elsewhere. I'm not aware of the details on why they were not prosecuted, but laws vary from state to state, and they apparently ran into unexpected problems.

All they have to show for it is one dead guy.

The police used the information they gathered to attain a search warrant from a judge.

The "dead guy" choose to shoot himself when the police showed up to execute the warrant. The deceased was a prosecutor. It's not like he didn't know the legal system and his rights and wasn't able to fight false charges.

His death is due to his own actions, not the actions of the police or NBC. His own actions are why the police sought and attained the warrant, and his unwillingness to accept the consequences of his own actions are why he choose to take his own life.

The only person to blame for his death is him.

321 posted on 08/14/2007 2:08:35 PM PDT by untrained skeptic
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To: trisham

Dont tell me what I meant, dum dum, its impolite. Youre treading in water over your head.


322 posted on 08/14/2007 2:09:45 PM PDT by Nonstatist
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To: gridlock

The guy was writing his nasty sexual intent to what he thought was a 13-year-old boy. This prosecutor knew darn well there are cops and middle-aged ladies out there pretending to be kids online, and he took that risk. His suicide did the world a favor. We could definitely use less pedophiles, especially pedophiles with a BADGE.

And his sister has no necessary shame. If my brother were caught in such a situation, I would not sue for wrongful death no matter how deep the pockets. I’d be glad he was caught, and if not glad he was dead, I’d be glad he was stopped. And I love my brother very much.


323 posted on 08/14/2007 2:10:12 PM PDT by Yaelle
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To: gridlock

But, if forced to choose, I will favor the man accused of being a child predator who still has the presumption of innocence until conviction.

DITTO


324 posted on 08/14/2007 2:11:22 PM PDT by Nav_Mom
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To: Nonstatist

I don’t have to say a thing. You reveal yourself with every post.


325 posted on 08/14/2007 2:11:33 PM PDT by trisham (Zen is not easy. It takes effort to attain nothingness. And then what do you have? Bupkis.)
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To: gridlock
Ever notice that this series is never filmed in Washington DC, or any city that is a state capitol? Now why would that be, I wonder?

They don't want to cause a traffic jam.

My nomination for post of the day.

326 posted on 08/14/2007 2:11:57 PM PDT by Yaelle
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To: new cruelty
Most of what you asked for is noted in the Esquire article.

You are flat out wrong. Either you are lying or you are mistaken, I don't know which.

I read the whole thing. There was not any of that stuff. No authentication. No chain-of-custody. No investigation. No checking of alibis. Nothing.

What the article did say is that all of this was notably lacking, but they went forward anyway.

327 posted on 08/14/2007 2:12:28 PM PDT by gridlock (I have taken a sacred vow to always maintain a smaller carbon footprint than Al Gore)
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To: my_pointy_head_is_sharp
Any defending of a pedophile makes you look very bad.

I think I have written sufficient disclaimers in this article. But if you need another, here you go.

I loathe pedophiles. I think they should be, upon conviction, punished severely.

However, I think conviction should occur before punishment. Dateline is acting in concert with the police, as an agent of the police, and is imposing punishment prior to conviction. This is a problem.

328 posted on 08/14/2007 2:15:47 PM PDT by gridlock (I have taken a sacred vow to always maintain a smaller carbon footprint than Al Gore)
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To: samtheman

“They all showed up! To have sex with children! Only a moron.... “

There was never a child involved in the whole process!


329 posted on 08/14/2007 2:18:05 PM PDT by Lower55
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To: Lower55

Did you watch the show? Did you see the one where they guy took off his clothes at the request of the child-like voice from “upstairs”? Do you really believe that those guys didn’t fully expect to end up doing some very bad things to some very young kids a very short time after arriving at that house? Are you really that stupid? Or are you just trying to start an argument because you’re bored?


330 posted on 08/14/2007 2:23:35 PM PDT by samtheman
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To: gridlock
However, I think conviction should occur before punishment. Dateline is acting in concert with the police, as an agent of the police, and is imposing punishment prior to conviction.

I think that you just summed up what most of the Anti-Dateline posters on this thread think.

Speaking for myself....if they ran these same honey traps, turned the evidence over to the police, got their convictions, then did a "total package" show...here's what they did, here's the evidence, here's the conviction and results... I think that I'd be more supportive of something like that. Not good TV, and no "instant gratification",. though.

The rabid sensationalism of the perv showing up at the scene of the crime, and the interview...there's just something wrong with that. NBC plays judge, jury, and executioner...all rolled up into one package.

I'd also be interested to find out how many "misses" there are, that don't make the show. Innocent bystanders, people that are just in the wrong place at the wrong time, rabid opportunists that see a video camera, etc etc etc. It sounds like - in Texas at least - there were plenty of people accused where the charges didn't stick. How long before "Dateline" grabs ahold of someone who's totally innocent? And, will the same people that are dead certain these predators should be shot on sight rush to defend the innocent man? Or will they say "Well, he likely did *something* or else they wouldn't have shown it..." and let it go at that?

331 posted on 08/14/2007 2:34:28 PM PDT by wbill
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To: samtheman

“they guy took off his clothes at the request of the child-like voice from “upstairs”?”

There was no child involved in this whole process. Noone knows what the “guy” was thinking, except the “guy”.


332 posted on 08/14/2007 2:45:35 PM PDT by Lower55
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To: 2 Kool 2 Be 4-Gotten

If you know, or think you know, that the person with whom you are chatting, whether he/she initiated the chat, is under age, is that a valid excuse for continuing the conversation and agreeing to a sexual encounter? I say no. I say that it is criminal. Do you disagree?


333 posted on 08/14/2007 2:53:58 PM PDT by NCLaw441
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To: samtheman

“Or are you just trying to start an argument because you’re bored?”

Ever since I saw the first show like this, I said, “They are accusing him of coming there to meet a child, when there was no child in the proceedure.”

If they say that he came there thinking he was talking to a child, they must be mind readers...impossible!

It would be easy enough to get a real child to play the part of the child. Then they wouldn’t be liars.

Of course, then they would be charged with exploiting a child.

Any lawyer worth his salt could expose this entrapment.
If it’s legal, then I guess anything can be legal. JMHO


334 posted on 08/14/2007 2:55:12 PM PDT by Lower55
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To: Nonstatist

This guy would still be alive if he were innocent.


335 posted on 08/14/2007 3:53:26 PM PDT by AppyPappy (If you aren't part of the solution, there is good money to be made prolonging the problem.)
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To: AppyPappy
This guy would still be alive if he were innocent.

He didnt deserve to die for what he "did". Sorry, I'll stick with the same Constitutional due process rights everybody else gets.

336 posted on 08/14/2007 4:08:19 PM PDT by Nonstatist
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To: gridlock
"Maybe. Maybe not."

I wouldn't kill myself over a "maybe". But perhaps I am just being too "judgemental".

337 posted on 08/14/2007 4:10:51 PM PDT by Sam's Army
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To: Sam's Army

Well, when you have twenty cops and a TV camera in your house, maybe you can sit down and think rationally about it.


338 posted on 08/14/2007 4:14:25 PM PDT by gridlock (I have taken a sacred vow to always maintain a smaller carbon footprint than Al Gore)
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To: gridlock
"Well, when you have twenty cops and a TV camera in your house, maybe you can sit down and think rationally about it."

Yeah. Like maybe a nice lawsuit with the prospect of owning NBC...but most likely they would settle for an undiosclosed amount, probably in the multi-millions.

IF I were wrongfully accused, that is.

339 posted on 08/14/2007 4:25:29 PM PDT by Sam's Army
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To: Nonstatist

No he didn’t. But he took his life just the same.


340 posted on 08/14/2007 4:35:42 PM PDT by AppyPappy (If you aren't part of the solution, there is good money to be made prolonging the problem.)
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