Posted on 09/04/2016 1:51:51 AM PDT by BlessedBeGod
I don’t mind the concept of a plea deal, but it seems like justice is extreme.
Time Served is much too short and would have put a dangerous criminal back on the streets.
40 years is much too long. Then again, it seems like many criminals get out early so he may only server a fraction of the sentence.
The whole system is screwed up.
He probably knew he would break parole and be jailed for 40 if released.
>>>What if they made the same deal to you, except you knew damn well you were innocent? Would you take their offer or take your chances with a jury?<<<
Especially since the judge is under no obligation to honor the terms of the plea.
Please keep sounding the alarm over this, because you are correct.
This “between a rock and a hard place” scenario is exactly what has been, and is continuing to happen to our citizens, one by one, across this formerly great nation. Citizens are charged and faced with an unreasonable number of years in prison, when they were innocent, often with eye witnesses documenting their innocence. Nevertheless, state attorneys proceed with bogus charges anyway. Why? It’s another “notch” on their belt, a resume enhancement. See what a tough prosecutor I am? Look at my record of accomplishment. I procured this many convictions/admissions of guilt.
Plea deals are offered when the prosecution KNOWS they have a WEAK case. They deliberately put the innocent (yes, innocent because they are innocent until proven guilty) in this no-win situation because they know 99% of people faced with this horrible choice will admit guilt when they are innocent, to avoid a worse fate.
It’s easy to pass this EVIL gov’t practice off as hypothetical when in fact it is “just another day at the office” for these gov’t attorneys who perpetrate these outrageous crimes against their fellow citizens.
Some may say “Oh, well citizens who know of examples of this happening should report it, or fight back.” That may hypothetically sound like a noble cause, but, when faced with a thoroughly corrupt system filled with corrupt people, sane people recognize the futility of proceeding with that expensive course of action.
There is a special place in hell for gov’t attorneys and everyone involved in the whole INjustice system, more accurately named the Legal System in this formerly free republic.
Now THAT is real pressure.
You're right that extreme plea-bargaining choices like this aren't what justice should be about. It's like picking which door has the Lady and which has the Tiger, not balancing guilt or innocence, or punishment versus court time.
Mental illness takes many forms His delusions run deep
No, the kangaroo court comes later. Plead them to probation, let them go home, and then revoke the probation when you have slight evidence of of minor violation of the terms of probation.
Saves the taxpayers a lot of money.
Thank you. I couldn't imagine I was the only person who saw this.
I live in Mont Co, 1st off the new Judge was the 2nd in command prosecutor just last year. Bias against the defendant right there. Plus the cops around here I do not trust 1 bit. Thankfully I’m semi retired and stay home a lot and never ever go out after dark
I retired and left Harris county and Texas almost 2 years ago.
My BP and state of mind are much better off now. I believe in law and order but when you can spot 8-10 cops on a 10 mile trip to the grocery store you tend to get paranoid. And I lived in a good part of the county.
“The success of a law enforcement agency or operation is measured by the absence of crime, not by conspicuous police presence.”
“I have to wonder how many possibly innocent people accepted this “offer you can’t refuse” and now have criminal records.”....
Believe me when I say, it happens a LOT!
This Judge is incompetent. He has the discretion to properly sentence people. The root cause of this problem is the people who elected him / put him in office, but they will never take responsibility, and can hide behind their secret ballot. Voting needs to be a public record.
We had a guy in Buffalo who had been in prison for twenty years for a couple of rapes. He would have been paroled, except he would never personally admit that he had committed the crime. Then, the use of DNA came to be used in crime investigations. The reason he wouldn’t admit guilt was because he was innocent. He was released when they finally caught the real serial rapist/murderer.
I think you are right, which is why I oppose the idea of offering him a deal that would set him free without a trial.
I knew when I saw this question that we would get to see the usual dance in the "answer". :)
Our “justice” system has adopted all the main features of the Nazi system (forcing acceptance of punishment by innocent individuals lest they be subject to draconian alternatives), except that Nazi courts found ten times the number of innocents charged as ours do.
Perhaps the DA has political ambitions (Governor?) and wants to run on an impressive conviction record.
I understand that another trick is to load up the defendant with everything from the alleged crime down to jaywalking or littering, then say "We'll drop all charges except XYZ if you plead guilty".
Maybe I watch too much Investigation Discovery shows, but I often see a Murder One plea bargained down to Manslaughter or Abuse of a Corpse in dismemberment cases.
That is not how it worked. They did not say, “plea guilty and you are free or you will get 40 years in the slammer.”
They offered him a plea deal that would let him free. He turned down the plea deal, wanting to take his chances in court.
Because of his long criminal history, any court conviction would result in a sentence from 25 years to life in prison.
So the perp decided to gamble on a trial jury getting him off, even knowing he was facing at least 25 years if convicted.
He was an idiot to not take the plea deal. He clearly committed the crime.
My guess is, we are better off with this jackhole behind bars for the next 40 years than out on the street, so thank you Mr. Idiot T. Perp for making this easy on the rest of us and putting yourself behind bars until you are old and gray. Thanks, job well done.
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