Robert Arvay writes at the American Thinker about disturbing developments in the area of criminal justice.
[I]f we ignore the warning signs, if we do not address the inequities in our justice system, the public will reach a point when there is so little respect for the law that its enforcement will cease to be effective. The danger is that we might become a lawless society, and that will lead to becoming a failed state. Chaos and disintegration could follow. …
… One of several defects in the current system of plea bargains is that prosecutors can coerce innocent people to plead guilty to a lesser charge, because otherwise, they may risk years in prison. Such coercion can also entice people to give false testimony against other defendants to help the prosecutor in related cases. …
… Another reason why innocent people may plead guilty to lesser charges is because even if the prosecutor has a weak case, the defendant’s legal fees can bankrupt him and his family.
Part of the coercive power of the prosecutor is that he can pour far more money into his case than can most defendants. So-called expert witnesses, such as medical, forensic, and other technical persons, can persuade a court of an innocent defendant’s guilt, unless the defendant can afford to find, and pay the expenses for bringing equally expert witnesses to the courtroom to defend him. Few ordinary people can afford to do this, however innocent they may be.
