"Multiply that in North Carolina, where the legal system can screw innocent people and the general public would never know,"
That is everywhere in the country.
It might occur everywhere in the country, but it happens far too much in North Carolina. I have never seen a state with such a corrupt system.
The potential for corruption and railroading defendants is present in varying degrees across the country, depending on the laws and criminal procedures established in a given state. Most prosecutors uphold the ethics and oath of their office, and it's always the bad ones we hear about. Keep in mind that NC has many unusual rules and procedures as well as an acute absence of oversight that leaves the entire state ripe for an extreme abuse of official powers such as we're seeing openly in this case.