Actually, this *has* happened! It took a minimal number of those accused to drag the system into an dysfunctional torpor.
It started with a kook movement, I believe “sovereign citizens”, or someone like that. They knew that the government would eventually haul dozens of them into court, and put them in prison, so they agreed that not only would they demand trials, but they would also submit endless, frivolous motions written in an unintelligible way, to drag out each of their court hearings for years.
Within a few months, trial dates years in the future were being set, because the system could not handle even a few dozen such cases.
Importantly, for those of you who think that this is the sort of thing imbeciles like OWS would do, you are mistaken. This is a *reaction* to some pretty horrible abuses of the legal system by the government.
For example, forcing plea bargains on innocent people by threatening them with dire consequences if they are convicted by a jury. “Six months or life, your choice.”
Another thing, behind the scenes, is intentionally giving public defenders enormous workloads, so they cannot adequately defend their clients. Is a system fair that has 12 assistant prosecutors but only 3 public defenders?
Prosecutors and judges also demand “elocution”, confessions of guilt, under threat of severe sentences. This kills dead any chances for appeal, or to win a judgment for false prosecution.
Those who are convicted *cannot* refuse parole or probation so they may end their sentence as free persons. Instead they are usually forced into semi-slavery, in which unless they obey demands of their overseer, they can get sentences *beyond* their original sentence. In some cases, these probation officers are deeply corrupt, either forcing their charges back into a life of crime, or creating rules impossible to oblige, so they are sent back to prison.
Some judges can tell when a jury is likely to acquit, so they encourage some blatant act by the prosecutor so they can declare a mistrial, so the prosecutor can have a “do-over”. Likewise a judge has wide latitude to decide that even if a jury is 11-1 for acquittal, that the case can be retried.
So don’t feel bad if somebody eventually throws a monkey wrench into the machine. Perhaps some good will come of it. Or at least something better than what we have to endure now.
“You enter the court a pig. You exit as sausage.”
Do you also live in Polk County or perhaps the state of Louisiana?
Good post.
"Horrible" is a damn good description of what some of these courts have done to people.