I think it is a great thing to have attorneys to help protect our rights when they are violated, but I think it has gotten way out of hand when it comes to criminals. Plea bargains are one of my main annoyances. You murder somebody and because you can tell some stories, you are out of jail in a few years or less? If the police fail to give a suspect the Miranda rights one hundred percent correctly, he is let free? Parole violent felons because jails are over crowded and the prisoner is rehabilitated? For what, so the perpetrator can do it again? How about the rights of the victims? Yep, that is correct, what rights? This is not a great post and it is small in words but sometimes I really get annoyed at the idiots running our country! It used to be,"Can't do the time, don't do the crime."
I think that still applies to the criminals that don't have a clue what they are doing. A lot of those who decide to make a career or start a career in crime have become much more knowledgeable in the law and civil rights. They pretty much educate themselves from other's mistakes or their own to do less time or no time behind bars.
Not just your country. I'm sure this is a worldwide phenomenon. When I was about to leave school, it was suggested that I should study law. I was never keen on the idea and now I'm really glad I didn't. I would have hated to ever be put into a position where doing my job well would result in a dangerous criminal being put back on the street. As far as I'm concerned, there is a big difference between law and justice.
In many ways, I too find it frustrating to see the dark side ( excuse the term ) constantly winning in our society. How is the sentence determined and why is the sentence for a crime different from one person to the next? How do we know if someone is truely "rehabilitated?" Those two questions lead to hundreds more and I am sure there are absolutely no answers that make any sense. But, have you ever been in jail? I have, and there are many people who I know who have spent a little time in the "greybar" hotel who will probably never go back. Not because they have good lawyers, mind you, but because they did something wrong, paid the price, and are now free people. I dare say, without proof, that 40% of the population before they die, will have spent time in jail or paid a fine for something they did wrong, or didn't. Now, about the heavy duty crooks! Almost every politician known falls into that catagory, but beyond them, how does the rapist, murderer, full time crook, drug dealer get the great deals? These are the people we hear about. The one crook that got free because he wasn't read his rights properly does not trump the 10k who were and prosecuted to the full extent. The one rapist who got loose because a jury thought he was cute and told the truth does not cast any huge shadow on the thousands who are sitting in prison. Our justice system stinks to high heaven, but with all of it's faults it is still the best in the world. After all, there really are a whole bunch of people who have been pronounced, "not guilty," because they really weren't. And, after a few mistakes, there are still people in prison who really didn't commit a crime but will have to carry the burden of a "mistake." And, woefully so, there are people who have paid someone elses price and lost their lives on death row. The balance might fit if you were the accused, but were innocent. Wouldn't you rather the "extra" care in the laws perchance to go free, rather than just rot in prison on a suspicion like other countries seem to do? Please do not say, "It couldn't happen to me, because just like the heart attack that isn't supposed to happen, It can, and might................trust me!
Hi Bobby! As usual, a nice well thought out reply. To just answer part of your reply, yes, I spent some time in jail. I was facing 20 to live when I was only 21 years old. And fortunately, I had the funds for the best attorney that I could find and after six months of continuances, I was found not guilty. That was damn close to fifty years ago and was my only brush with the law. I was one that did learn a hard lesson.