You know that the rule of law has essentially vanished when the Attorney General himself feels compelled to state: “America’s legal system, we must face the reality that, as it stands, our system is in too many respects broken.” That is precisely what Eric Holder stated earlier this week, while seemingly taking no responsibility for that fact despite being the top lawyer in the nation. Guess he was too busy protecting his banker masters from prosecution to notice.
In any event, the broken criminal justice system really took center stage earlier this year when the federal prosector Carmen Ortiz drove child prodigy Aaron Swartz to his death by piling on overzealous charges in an attempt to advance her career. Instead she drove a gentle genius to an untimely death. Kudos Ortiz.
In light of Holder’s comment, Bloomberg columnist Clive Crook wrote an excellent article outlining some of the main attributes of out increasingly Kafkaesque legal system. Here are some key excerpts:
“As a prosecutor, a judge, an attorney in private practice, and now, as our nation’s attorney general, I’ve seen the criminal justice system firsthand, from nearly every angle. While I have the utmost faith in — and dedication to — America’s legal system, we must face the reality that, as it stands, our system is in too many respects broken.”
In a widely reported speech this week, Eric Holder delivered that assessment of U.S. criminal justice. Many commended his frankness, but if you ask me he’s confused. A broken system of justice shouldn’t command the utmost faith; it should arouse the utmost skepticism. And his appraisal was actually too generous. America’s criminal-justice system is not “in too many respects broken”: It’s a national disgrace, from top to bottom.
According to a forthcoming report from the American Civil Liberties Union, 2,074 federal inmates are serving sentences of life imprisonment without possibility of parole for nonviolent crimes. Think about that.
The U.S. — a country that loves freedom, so I’m told — has virtually abolished trial by jury. According to one recent count, guilty pleas resolve 97 percent of federal cases that are prosecuted to a conclusion. Instead of bothersome trials, the U.S. has a plea-bargain system in which prosecutors not only bring the charge but also, in effect, determine guilt and pass sentence.
Frequently you read of judges deploring the sentence they have to pass as they deliver it. They do it anyway. It’s the law.
These elements, disturbing enough in themselves, come together in an especially pernicious way. The combination of plea bargains and mandatory minimum sentences — not to mention the U.S. practice of stacking charge upon charge, with sentences to run consecutively — gives prosecutors awesome powers of intimidation. One dreads to think how many innocent people are in U.S. prisons, and will be felons for life, because they were offered the choice of a relatively light sentence if they pleaded guilty to a lesser charge, or the risk of decades of incarceration if they preferred to take their chances with a maxed-out indictment at trial.
In this system, everything — everything — depends on the decency and restraint of prosecutors. Most no doubt are indeed decent and restrained. (If that weren’t so, the demand for radical change would already be overwhelming.) But some lust after high political office and wish to make their mark; some are vain; some, as in any profession, are just bad people. The American way is to create checks and balances, so that the system’s integrity doesn’t depend on the incorruptibility of individuals. How strange that the country has made an exception for criminal justice.
This is a good time to remind everyone of point made by Harvey Silverglate that every American commits three felonies a day. Just think about how dangerous that is…
Full article here.
In Liberty,
Mike
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The Drug War, militarization of police forces, your run of the mill badge licking “law and order” citizen, the national security state, they’re all intertwined in this.
As I’ve said for years, the US government will dispense with the illusion of democracy long before they’ll dispense with control. After continually being kicked in the collective nuts for the last two decades, even the dumbed-down, brain dead Boobus Americani are beginning to realize that democracy is dead and that their government views them only as cows to be milked for the benefit of the elite. In response, the government has increasingly taken measures designed to instill fear in the public to dissuade resistance. The criminal justice system’s transition into a police state is a natural consequence of the transition to tyranny of the elite. It’s a somewhat naive to think that the criminal justice system has anything to do with justice–it’s been repurposed to protect the elite. From that perspective, I’d have to say that it’s working nearly flawlessly.
My name is Steven R. Clark; I am an unemployed, disabled veteran. I was just ordered to pay $732 a month in child support, although I only live on $611 a month in VA disability income. My ex wife is a cop making over $120,000.00 a year. Also, I was ordered to pay for things that are above and beyond what I am required to pay. I believe this judge is not only getting “kickback” for sending fathers to jail who cant pay unrealistic child support but also has a clear bias for cops. This judge also called the VA a fraud in reference to my 40% disability rating. I and every other father and child in this country need help. The US legal system is diminishing our liberty and freedoms every day.
There is no where for me to turn for help, my daughter is being denied her father and the legal system is profiting from this. Please help if you can.
Sincerely,
Steven R. Clark
I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis and was maliciously fired from my career based on literally hundreds of lies (physical evidence of perjury) my former employer, their lawyers, the district and appellate judges teamed up and organized against me to beat me in my Americans with Disabilities Act lawsuit….our entire judicial system is crooked….both civil and criminal….they attacked, bullied and threatened a poor pro se guy sick with MS because they are crooked….I have evidence AND am NEVER shutting up!!
God bless you! This judicial system IS a farce and they think they can keep doing their BS
You are ALL crooked and evil for sitting on your asses letting crooked judges corruptedly make unethical and illegal decisions that hurt poor and sick people
Our legal system is so corrupt it almost makes me ashamed to be American. Our legal system shamelessly destroys the lives of tens of thousands of non-violent offenders and has absurdly harsh penalties for even minor crimes. The war on drugs is not only a colossal failure that they’re clinging to desperately but also a stain on our conscious. Meanwhile you have people out there who even if they disagree with the war on drugs insist that everybody still “respect the law”. Why the hell should anybody respect a law that needlessly destroys the lives of thousands and drains our nation of its resources? Seriously, why should I respect our drug laws any more than I respect North Korea’s laws against free speech.
A lot of non custodial parents that pay, more than hundreds of dollar, do not even get to see child, & if they have anything of value, they are suppose to give it up for child support,& be homeless, than the child is not being taken care of.
The court system is holding our children for ransom so they can benefit this is political kidnapping our leaders at the top the president doesn’t do a damn thing hasn’t for forty years every president has ever been in office needs to change what is down here on the local level
Are there any organizations out there that will help fight a corrupt criminal justice system. We have a family member accused of a terrible crime he did not committ. There is a great deal of evidence that will prove his innocence.
We have spent 35,000 on legal defense fees and NOTHING has been done to gather and present his case. We have hired four lawyers who promised to vigorously defend him. They have all told us that a crooked St Louis county, Mo asst prosecutor believes he is innocent but refuses to admit she made a mistake in charging him. He has been in jail 3.5 years -because this prosecutor stood in court and told absolute lies that could have easily been proven as such- to the bail judge. Blatant misconduct by this prosecutor has gone unpunished. He has lost his whole life and his family is nearly bankrupt.
These attorneys drain our finances, do nothing and we have had enough. There is plenty of evidence to prove his innocence but for all the money we have spent we cannot find a single honest attorney to present it. We have been laughed at when we threatened to file complaints. They know they can get away with it. Is there anyone who can help us. Please!
Assault and sexual harassment gets people thrown in jail and prison. But the Iowa State Judicial System can do these things and everyone overlooks these crimes. If they would look at the way these inmates are treated when they are released to a work release program they would understand why half of them end up back in prison the treatment that they get is so terriblle its like judicial system enjoys playing games with these people. Its like they want them to go back to prison.
https://www.academia.edu/34232162/Fbi_Agents_Rampantly_Engage_In_Criminal_Activity