Hated to see....

[steer]

Our legal system is horrible. I'm an example of that.

Innocent until proven guilty? It's a LIE.
I was issued 30 days in jail when I was 18 years old. I went and appealed it, and got it reduced to community service. Now, let me explain why.

2003 graduation practice at J.W. Adams Elementary. Girl runs in and tells the officer she thinks she saw myself and a friend racing cars around the bus loading platform. (it's an oval that looks like a mini race track) She told him we were doing 60 plus mph and side by side. If anyone has been there, you know this is impossible. Well, the cop comes and talks to us the night of graduation and says he's given us a wreckless driving ticket for "illegal street racing". We denied it left and right, and he said he believed the girl over us. I thought the cop would have to actually catch me in the act to write me a ticket? Wrong. He actually called my house, and asked me for my cars tag number. I didn't provide it to him, so he actually drove to my physical address to see the car and get it himself.
So, we went to court over this, and this was my FIRST time in court EVER. I ended up going on 3 separate occasions because the cops witness didn't show and finally the cop said he had "amnesia". I stuck to my story, and even brought in my witnesses. The cop was going on hear-say and the judge believed him. She sentenced me to 30 days in jail for a first offense, when a police officer couldn't produce ONE single witness and keep his story straight. Of course, I appealed it and was sentence to 16 hours community service.
My point is, our legal system is ignorant. I never actually raced around the oval at J.W. Adams.. and I even went with a state trooper and figured that you couldn't get even get up to 60mph with 2 cars side by side. But this shows they'll lock you up for anything, and it's a shame. It really is a shame.

[centennialdawg]

I have supported the legalization of pot since my early 20's. I see no sense with the laws(past and present) banning this substance.

[NotSoSilentBob]

PS....If my math is right we are incarcerating about 700 to 800% more people than communist China! We aren't talking about the U.S. locking up a few more people than other countries. ONE IN EVERY FOUR PRISONERS IN THE ENTIRE WORLD IS INCARCERATED HERE IN THE U.S.!!!! THAT DOESN"T SEEM LIKE A PROBLEM?!?!?!?!?!

That's because China executes rather than imprisons.

[Gotch]

That's because China executes rather than imprisons.

China executed 470 people last year that does rank them slightly higher per capitia than the U.S. but not enough to change the percentage even 1%. Sorry, simply not true. I had already thought of that as a possible retort and had already run the numbers.

[Gotch]

Sorry, those numbers above are wrong.

Those are official numbers from 2007. China, by best estimate executed about 3,400 people last year. That is a staggering number compared to the 46 executed in the U.S. In fact China executed more people that the rest of the world combined.

As terrible as those numbers are, if you add them to the incarcerated numbers they barely change the comparison there either though.

In other words The U.S. incarcerates or executes about 700 to 800% more people than Communist China if that makes you feel better.

If you want the numbers in totals, there are about 2.2 million behind bars in the U.s. right now. There are about 1.5 million behind bars in China (keep in mind that China;s population is 4 times ours). As you can see 3,400 executes, while absolutely horrible, wouldn't change the numbers by more than a percentage or two at most.

[NotSoSilentBob]

if you believe those numbers, ive got a bridge i want to sell you

[Gotch]

Steer, I feel your pain. In my lifetime I have been charged with two minor crimes. The first time I was guilty but found not guilty. The second time I was not guilty but found guilty. Neither time was there any attempt by anyone to find out the truth or what actually happened. Our courts are a farce.

Disclaimer: Both events occurred more than 25 years ago.

[Gotch]

if you believe those numbers, ive got a bridge i want to sell you

Which numbers?

I had already admitted I was mistaken on the first total. That was an official total as claimed by the Chinese.

The second total was provided by groups opposed to the executions in China and was based on the best data available and then had some guesses added in. If it is wrong it is probably too high, not too low. The Chinese actually executed more in 2007 than 2010. The numbers have been dropping due to international pressure.

Now, if you get out the old calculator and run the numbers you'll see just how minor a difference 3,400 makes in 2.2 million (the total incarcerated in the U.S.)

Finally, I will buy nearly anything I think I can make a dollar on, but bridges have never been a big seller for me, unless there are some gold teeth attached.

[1inStripes]

Reasonable doubt is a farce. So is innocent until proven guilty. They sound nice but neither is actually in practice in our court system today.

I've told is little anecdotal story before. Many years ago I was in the office of one of counties assistant prosecutors (he was a life-long friend RIP) his boss came in and started discussing a case right in front of me. It appeared that his boss had two primary suspects. The entire discussion concerned which one was more "CONVICTABLE". That was the word I heard over and over and over. Never once anything about which might possibly be guilty! Just which one they could more easily convict.

I'm not sure if you knew, but several years ago Amnesty International rated our court system at below the 50% level compared to other countries. Russia beat us in terms of offenders getting a fair trail. Our prison system scored even lower.

Today is a prime example as to why you are innocent until proven guilty. But it may prove your lousy court system correct.