Current Events > Ugh, dealing with the criminal justice system is exhausting and demoralizing

(+) Yeah! (+)

I've talked to a lot of people who have gone through the system. Convicted, LEOs, Attorneys etc. It always shocks me how profoundly evil the system is and how much it favors quick and cheap "justice" over what is best for everyone. I think about armchair observers who easily cast judgment on others without ever getting to see how deeply deeply fucked the entire system is. I think about how many innocent people are convicted because they are told that risking a trial might condemn them to life. It's worse then you think it is. Imagine how bad you think it is and imagine it's worse.

Having gotten court side reports and officers often finding ways to increase charges even if they were spurious so they can hang a draconian charge over someone's head to force guilty pleas is just a matter of policy in some places. Public Defenders are often overworked and many don't even get to see their clients, having to pass off that to paralegals or others.

And don't get me started about what happens once they are in prison... I've seen lots of hay made about how vicious some prisoners are with little attention at how treating people like monsters often teaches them to become a monster. Prison guard abuse is a rampant issue and the flagrant disregard for life is incredible. Then the cycle continues. Hurt people hurt people and those hurt people continue to hurt people. Only in rare instances does incarceration actually help anyone. Perhaps if the entire system was kinder and more humane, perhaps more like the Scandinavian models, but the fact is that they cause more harm then good. And we are shocked at the recidivism rate. Not because they commit the same crime again, but because they struggle to follow the rules that we have hamstrung them with.

It always amazes me how those who are extremely sceptical, even hostile, towards police and politically motivated judges and prosecutors suddenly change their tune when an accused appears in court.

Now they are a 'scumbag', and the lawyers defending them 'pieces of shit'. Instead of the only things standing between a citizen and an often arbitrary and corrupt system.

The system is largely fucked, I agree, but I'd hardly say it's in pursuit of "quick and cheap" justice. It can take years to bring a case to trial and significant resources expensed to do so.

lilORANG posted...

The system is largely fucked, I agree, but I'd hardly say it's in pursuit of "quick and cheap" justice. It can take years to bring a case to trial and significant resources expensed to do so.

That's only if the defendant has resources to put up a fight. For anyone that needs a public defender, "quick, dirty and unjust" is what to expect.

EPR-radar posted...

That's only if the defendant has resources to put up a fight. For anyone that needs a public defender, "quick, dirty and unjust" is what to expect.

Idk if you actually practice law or we just live in wildly different jurisdictions but PD cases languish for even longer than private attorney cases here. For private counsel, time is money. They have an incentive to resolve cases soon. PDs can explore every avenue of their defense while the state pays for it.

lilORANG posted...

The system is largely fucked, I agree, but I'd hardly say it's in pursuit of "quick and cheap" justice. It can take years to bring a case to trial and significant resources expensed to do so.

That's why they try to force through draconian punishments. Because it forces guilty pleads and saves money. It would be even longer if every case was brought to trial but the system is design in such a way that most won't ever see a jury.

lilORANG posted...

Idk if you actually practice law or we just live in wildly different jurisdictions but PD cases languish for even longer than private attorney cases here. For private counsel, time is money. They have an incentive to resolve cases soon. PDs can explore every avenue of their defense while the state pays for it.

The problem is PDs often have huuuuuge caseloads. Some over 100 cases at a time is not unusual. I've heard reports of over a 1000. They don't have all the time in the world, deadlines are still a thing even if they appeal and they don't have time to give the due diligence to every case. Many are incentivized to get their clients to take a deal rather then try to fight it.

ai123 posted...

It always amazes me how those who are extremely sceptical, even hostile, towards police and politically motivated judges and prosecutors suddenly change their tune when an accused appears in court.

Now they are a 'scumbag', and the lawyers defending them 'pieces of shit'. Instead of the only things standing between a citizen and an often arbitrary and corrupt system.

Defense attorneys have a tough job. Making sure the guilty get a fair shake has got to be rough, but defending innocent people and knowing they might be falsely convicted is worse.

And people thought Ace Attorney is unrealistic for the US.

https://youtu.be/uskW9Bc4uLw?t=3705

https://youtu.be/gP3MuUTmXNk?si=g50iXdYdRLbdWLed

LSGW_Zephyra posted...

And we are shocked at the recidivism rate. Not because they commit the same crime again, but because they struggle to follow the rules that we have hamstrung them with.

This becomes much less surprising once you realize the goal isn't rehabilitation. We have for profit prisons, meaning they actively make more money the more prisoners they have to exploit.

So if the system is set up so that it's easy ro fall back in...

And of course, most people dont want to hire a felon. "This totally won't disqualify you for a job, but if you lie about it you'll be fired for that".