Curse

Shursh · Jun 25, 2009, 01:36 PM // 13:36

how F-ed up is the american judicial system?

get this - Donte Stallworth gets 30 days in jail for KILLING a man while driving drunk

a man named Lee Crider gets 3 years in jail for stealing Lance Armstrong's bike...

am i missing something here???

here are the actual links with the stories:
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/...LiDDQD990I10G0
http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/fo..._to_donte.html

obviously, these types of stories are a dime a dozen, so you're welcome to share any other stories of injustice. it really irritates me when stuff like this happens.

xDusT II · Jun 25, 2009, 01:47 PM // 13:47

Person 1 had money.
Person 2 didn't.

Ghost Omel · Jun 25, 2009, 02:09 PM // 14:09

Its not just American .... its all systems..... Hey For stealing a fruit in some countries you loose your Arm -_-.......How fair is that

In any case above is 100% true

Roy_ · Jun 25, 2009, 02:14 PM // 14:14

Quote:

Originally Posted by xDusT II

Person 1 had money.
Person 2 didn't.

That is, unfortunately, what it comes down too. Justice is broken, and the world is corrupt. Sorry to put that bluntly, but it really is the only way.

Shursh · Jun 25, 2009, 02:30 PM // 14:30

i'd also like to add that stallworth's out-of-court settlement with that family was shameful. i'd use that blood money to hire a hitman.

Quote:

Person 1 had money.
Person 2 didn't.

They need to chisel off that blindfold from the justice statues.

Etta · Jun 25, 2009, 03:29 PM // 15:29

"Couldnt help but make me feel ashamed to live in a land, where justice is a game."

Hurricane, Bob Dylan.

fowlero · Jun 25, 2009, 03:53 PM // 15:53

Yeah its a pretty RED ENGINE GORED ENGINE GORED ENGINE GORED ENGINE GOed world

Painbringer · Jun 25, 2009, 04:00 PM // 16:00

My friend’s dad worked in the embassy in Egypt (many years ago) but he remembers as a kid someone getting a hand chopped off right in the streets for stealing.

Anyway back on topic

It is hard to say what the circumstances are. There may have been priors on the bike stealer. He may have violated parole etc… Plus there are values of property stolen the jack up the consequences. I don’t think he stole a $50huffy. More like a 10k bike.

I will leave the manslaughter one alone too many factors to be considered

Shursh · Jun 25, 2009, 04:21 PM // 16:21

^ family settled out of court and his sentence has been made. 30 days and a few slaps on the hand for killing someone (albeit "unintentionally" per the law)

Bryant Again · Jun 25, 2009, 04:22 PM // 16:22

Hehe, sometimes living in the US just kinda feels like a big joke.

Black Metal · Jun 25, 2009, 05:13 PM // 17:13

in Stallworth's case, he paid the family off big time to ask the prosecutors to essentially let him off the hook. In the American justice system, the prosecutors use the will of the victim's family to determine how far to prosecute.

So, in effect, one had money the other didn't. But in Stallworth's case, he also lost an indisclosed millions in $ and has his reputation ruined, which is worth millions more, whereas the guy without money didn't.

kostolomac · Jun 25, 2009, 05:15 PM // 17:15

Quote:

Originally Posted by xDusT II

Person 1 had money.
Person 2 didn't.

This.

And the jurry system is easily exploitable.

Black Metal · Jun 25, 2009, 05:26 PM // 17:26

kosto, a little lesson in the American legal system for criminal trials:

1. Prosecutor sets the charges
2. The 'jurry' finds the defendant guilty or not guilty
3. If found guilty, the judge determines the sentence, in which many factors play into

Winterclaw · Jun 25, 2009, 05:30 PM // 17:30

Stallworth paid off the family, the prosecutor was okay with a lesser charge because of it, and a judge let it happen. Now he is suspended indefinitely from football by the NFL commissioner but that could be reduced to only a few games.

Justice is a lost concept in the US.

Roy_ · Jun 25, 2009, 05:40 PM // 17:40

I personally stand by hammaurrabies (sp?) code, eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth.

People didn't get away with stuff...and people didn't DO bad stuff...although this would be exploited unless we had someone who stood by the laws, and didn't bend the rules...

Ghost Omel · Jun 25, 2009, 05:49 PM // 17:49

.. Rules are meant ot be broken in one way or the other

Anyway.. for the bike thing... dont care what the reason he should have been FINED.. not put in jail for 3 years..

Regarding drunk driving -_- well what can i say... if i was in the familys shous.. ive done the same thing =)

I mean The person cant bring back the dead.. puting him in jail wont solve family problems.. funeral arangements that kind of thing... They made a right choice and they got a HEFTY HEFTY penny..... So smart people now they are covered for the funeral, arangements and have 99% of the repeation money left to rot in their bank accounts... Still a loss on their side but now they dont need to worry about finances =)

Tyla · Jun 25, 2009, 05:54 PM // 17:54

I personally think fining someone and taking off time when they caused a death is stupid. You can pay for bikes and bring them back, but you can't bring back a life. In my opinion, don't take the money, put them in the prison for their time, no questions asked.

Roy_ · Jun 25, 2009, 06:11 PM // 18:11

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ghost Omel

.. Rules are meant ot be broken in one way or the other

Anyway.. for the bike thing... dont care what the reason he should have been FINED.. not put in jail for 3 years..

Regarding drunk driving -_- well what can i say... if i was in the familys shous.. ive done the same thing =)

I mean The person cant bring back the dead.. puting him in jail wont solve family problems.. funeral arangements that kind of thing... They made a right choice and they got a HEFTY HEFTY penny..... So smart people now they are covered for the funeral, arangements and have 99% of the repeation money left to rot in their bank accounts... Still a loss on their side but now they dont need to worry about finances =)

The problem with this logic is this...The person is dead.
SO logically you would want that person to not have life too.
We can't (unfortunatly) just kill them.
So we put them in a cage so they can live the hell rather than dying.

In many cases Jail can be worse, although not really anymore...they get freaking television and weights...they should all be thrown in boxes to rot imo.

EDIT: rules are not meant to be broken... That doesn't even make sense, if the rules are bad you CHANGE them, don't beak them unless you have a good reason (ie: American Revolution)

Shursh · Jun 25, 2009, 06:14 PM // 18:14

Quote:

Originally Posted by Black Metal

kosto, a little lesson in the American legal system for criminal trials:

1. Prosecutor sets the charges
2. The 'jurry' finds the defendant guilty or not guilty
3. If found guilty, the judge determines the sentence, in which many factors play into

true. somebody is RED ENGINEing up during at least one of these stages, and my bet is that's it's all three - the prosecutor, the jury, and the judge.

EDIT: regarding Ghost's post, i'd personally find it extremely offensive if someone tried to pay me off after killing one of my family members. just the way i was raised i suppose, but i'm an eye-for-an-eye type of person. i would be forever shamed if i took that money.

kostolomac · Jun 25, 2009, 07:22 PM // 19:22

Quote:

Originally Posted by Black Metal

kosto, a little lesson in the American legal system for criminal trials:

1. Prosecutor sets the charges
2. The 'jurry' finds the defendant guilty or not guilty
3. If found guilty, the judge determines the sentence, in which many factors play into

I'm aware of that. But the people that are the jurry are easily exploitable. The idea behind this system is very noble and good, but it's based on the assumption that every American is a honest, law and justice loving citizen that doesn't have any racist, political or other prejustices towards other citizens and that he/she will do his/her job the best they can.