No matter what the outcome of this trial it will stink. Because if a person can be convicted on flimsy evidence like this you and I are not safe any more.
This is an example of GROSS GOVT INCOMPETANCE (for the prosecution) during a political election year...
Unfortunately, people are convicted on this sort of flimsy evidence every day in this country. We have a population that, for some reason, believes that if you are arrrested for something, then you must be guilty as charged.
Of course, no one thinks it will happen to them. I'm sure DW felt that way, too, and now he is on trial for his life.
We are not safe.
You have said it all. They rushed to judgement on this..one needs to ask WHY?
Hope all is ok with you K
"The Criminal Justice Establishment," by Mark Green, written around the late 1970's predicted this day would come, and that we would see even worse in that there is a subtle bureaucratic self-creating need for more and more police, prisons, judges, prosecutors, bailiffs, lawyers, jailors, etc. built into the system. Green noted first that the actual amount of crime was basically a statistical constant except when new laws are passed and in that case crime increases since new conduct is criminalized. When the war on drugs was commenced, nearly every police agency in the country requested extra funding for the coming year based upon rising crime rates. The crime rates rose at first because of new laws being passed. Then, the agencies receive the additional funding and were able to hire additional officers or agents to put on the streets. A higher total number of officers on the street led logically to a higher number of arrests and therefore a higher number of crimes reported to the federal government which gives its' annual report on the rising crime rate. Thence, each year, each agency would urge an increase in its' budget based upon rising crime rates so that it could hire more officers or agents and as a result would be able to show even higher crime rates for the next year's budget.
This is the Crime Control Establishment and its' raw material for manufacture is human beings, the destruction of personality, of families, and of freedom. It has led us to be ranked first in incarceration rate in the history of the world and two of our states to be ranked third and fourth. It has led to a revolving door for most people that once experience the system because the system is designed to inspire into the product hatred so great that he or she will surly rebel, but without the political sophistication to organize that rebellion. It politically marginalizes anyone who happens to get caught in its' web by taking away their right to vote and their right to own a handgun so that they cannot vote for change or lead a movement for change without fear of assassination in that they must remain unarmed.
And the Beast continues to grow at a record setting pace. Now we hire private firms to build and manage our prisons so that they and we make even a greater profit from imprisoning the population. Thus, the motivation to incarcerate increases. It is from this Beast that we had to be taught the hard lessons of Waco and Ruby Ridge. There must be no resistance to the Crime Control Establishment. There is simply too much profit there.
In short, good luck out there; keep your head down, and never plead guilty. Don't take the government's train if you are ever the man in the cross hairs, but count on your fellow citizens and their commons sense and you will come out much better, most of the time.