Could you imagine being found guilty of a crime you were innocent of?

Holy War · #1 12-27-2008, 01:44 PM

like murder or rape or something. I think that would be one of the most horrible situations to have ever been experienced. Im watching this thing on NBC right now about it. Guys who have been locked up since 1984 for crimes they hadnt committed. Unbelievable...

Fassa Albrecht · #2 12-27-2008, 01:47 PM

There's been a few cases recently of people locked up in mental units for 30, 40, even 50 years simply because they were lost in the system, or no relatives looked for them. In a lot of cases they were there for minor crimes such as theft.

IconBasser · #3 12-27-2008, 01:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Holy War

like murder or rape or something. I think that would be one of the most horrible situations to have ever been experienced. Im watching this thing on NBC right now about it. Guys who have been locked up since 1984 for crimes they hadnt committed. Unbelievable...

that is the sole reason why I don't support the death penalty. Our justice system isn't accurate enough.

mike_v_s · #4 12-27-2008, 02:34 PM

I nearly got banned for something I didn't do....does that count?

Mike

Holy War · #5 12-27-2008, 02:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mike_v_s

I nearly got banned for something I didn't do....does that count?

Mike

On TB, yes, yes it does

theshadow2001 · #6 12-27-2008, 02:41 PM

If that was me I'd escape to the Los Angles underground and drive around in a Van as a soldier of fortune....If you have a problem, if no-one else can help, and if you can find me, maybe you can hire theshadow2001.

cassanova · #7 12-27-2008, 02:57 PM

I'm not affluant enough to afford a good attorny so if someone lied or the state had me confused with someone else and I didn't have a solid aliby then I'd be going away for a long time. So yes I can imagine that. Then again I also have a very vivid imagination.

CrazyArcher · #8 12-27-2008, 03:12 PM

Could I imagine that? Yep, for sure. That's surely gonna suck big time...

alembicguy · #9 12-27-2008, 03:13 PM

It sure is amazing how many innocent people are locked up

Bass Mule · #10 12-27-2008, 06:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by theshadow2001

If that was me I'd escape to the Los Angles underground and drive around in a Van as a soldier of fortune....If you have a problem, if no-one else can help, and if you can find me, maybe you can hire theshadow2001.

I pity the fool.

flakeh · #11 12-27-2008, 11:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by theshadow2001

If that was me I'd escape to the Los Angles underground and drive around in a Van as a soldier of fortune....If you have a problem, if no-one else can help, and if you can find me, maybe you can hire theshadow2001.

Yah know, I'm actually considering that as a career choice. being a hired gun..hmm

jonathan_matos5 · #12 12-27-2008, 11:12 PM

this thread sounds like the plot of the a team

bassguppy · #13 12-27-2008, 11:14 PM

I think it's way more prevalent than the media reports. With some people being exonerated by DNA evidence I see why the States and DA's do not want to hand over evidence where a death penalty was carried out.

Remember, prison is a big business in some countries.

The more open our society is the more threatening it is to the status quo.

Figjam · #14 12-28-2008, 09:50 AM

Big issue with child molestation cases.

anchor_th · #15 12-28-2008, 11:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Figjam

Big issue with child molestation cases.

I personally know a man who's being charged with molestation on a girl.

The girl claims he raped her, but we all know this sweet man, and he would never do such a thing. He's known this girl all her life, and cared for her, and never done anything to harm her.

The girl and her mother just want money. (The man isn't her father.)

Beno · #16 12-28-2008, 11:57 AM

That would SUCK!

hbarcat · #17 12-28-2008, 12:49 PM

Quote:

Big issue with child molestation cases.

A friend of mine was convicted of sexual assault of a 5 year old girl and sentenced to 20 years in prison.

He appealed to the Supreme Court of Wisconsin and his conviction was overturned, ruling that he was denied his right to present evidence. The case against him didn't even make logical sense and the girl (as well as her mother who was three feet away from the girl at the time) both testified that the incident didn't happen. The only evidence against him was the testimony of a social worker who elicited the accusation from the alleged victim during an interview that was designed for this purpose. He was denied the right to present an expert witness of his own to refute the testimony of the prosecution's expert witness, and the jury, convinced that an "expert" social worker must be right beyond a reasonable doubt, voted to convict.
http://www.wicourts.gov/html/sc/00/00-2830.htm

He eventually won his appeal and the prosecution decided not to retry the case because they didn't have a viable case, but he'd already spent more than a year in prison. I talked to him a few times about it and he is really bitter. Before the case he had sole custody of his own 6 year old daughter, but because of his conviction, his ex-wife regained sole custody and she then moved away with her and he hasn't seen his daughter since. One can only assume that her daughter now believes that her dad is a child molester.

IconBasser · #18 12-28-2008, 01:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hbarcat

A friend of mine was convicted of sexual assault of a 5 year old girl and sentenced to 20 years in prison.

He appealed to the Supreme Court of Wisconsin and his conviction was overturned, ruling that he was denied his right to present evidence. The case against him didn't even make logical sense and the girl (as well as her mother who was three feet away from the girl at the time) both testified that the incident didn't happen. The only evidence against him was the testimony of a social worker who elicited the accusation from the alleged victim during an interview that was designed for this purpose. He was denied the right to present an expert witness of his own to refute the testimony of the prosecution's expert witness, and the jury, convinced that an "expert" social worker must be right beyond a reasonable doubt, voted to convict.
http://www.wicourts.gov/html/sc/00/00-2830.htm

He eventually won his appeal and the prosecution decided not to retry the case because they didn't have a viable case, but he'd already spent more than a year in prison. I talked to him a few times about it and he is really bitter. Before the case he had sole custody of his own 6 year old daughter, but because of his conviction, his ex-wife regained sole custody and she then moved away with her and he hasn't seen his daughter since. One can only assume that her daughter now believes that her dad is a child molester.

atrocious...

jrthebassguy · #19 12-28-2008, 03:27 PM

One of my good friends was busted for pot that wasn't his, he didn't even smoke. Him and a so called "friend" were pulled over, and he pinned it all on him. That sucks, but that's nothing compared to hbarcat's story...wow.

Luckily, I've never been falsely accused of anything illegal. I've been falsely accused of stuff by the family, however...

Pilgrim · #20 12-28-2008, 05:27 PM

f course I can. right here in Fort Collins the police railroaded Tim Masters for murder about 11 years ago - ignored evidence, didn't disclose some evidence to the defense...it was disgusting. DNA evidence got him out of prison after 10 years - although the police had tried to get the clothing with the DNA on it destroyed. Once they made up their minds who was guilty, they just set up the evidence to support their conclusion and ignored what they didn't like.

In all too many places, if the police want to convict you, they will ignore your rights and the proper procedures. I'm a supporter of law enforcement, but they can and do pervert the system at times.

Tim Masters