Is There Ways The Average Joe Can Protect Himself From Wrongful Convictions??

[bj81]

What is the name of your state? Arkansas
With the recent Duke-lacrosse scandal and all of the talk of corrupt law enforcement, the "Nancy Graces" and wrongful comnvictions being cleared by DNA, I wonder if there is a way that a non-Duke-lacrosse(a person without access to the best lawyers around)can protect himself from wrongful accusations and convictions?? A jury is also no help, as they listen to people like Nancy Grace and stuff.

 

[Ohiogal]

Don't drink and do not sleep around. Wait until marriage. Other than that what do you want us to say?

 

[garrula lingua]

Nifong was a corrupt Prosecutor - corrupted by the hopes of election and the limelight.

He is NOT the norm among Prosecutors - most take the mission statement of 'Do Justice' VERY seriously.

I've seem more honest Prosecutors 'get off' (dismiss or reduce charges) innocent defendants, than defense attorneys.

Injustices do occur; although none should happen, the known percentage is very low and the major reason appears to be bad eye-witness testimony (in the DNA cases).

Life is full of surprises and challenges (and, hopefully, few injustices) for you.

 

[tranquility]

The best way is to avoid coming to the attention of the government for any reason. Even the government has limited resources and tends to deal with those outside of the norm. Don't yell at the police on a street corner, have a silver car rather than a red one, don't commit crimes, don't sass the police, etc. If you do come to the attention of the government, know your rights and use them. Don't fall for the trap that some want you to believe that rights are only used by the guilty. They are for the innocent. It's just that the guilty get the most benefit of them in our current system.

 

[xylene]

If your going to do the time, at least get to do the crime.

That's sarcasm, but it makes a point.

You can't walk in the middle of the road. (For long...)

Drunken group sex with a stripper/prostitute may not be rape, but it isn't real brainy.

Don't act entitled.

Don't believe that the wheels of justice wont act on something immoral, even if not "illegal"

 

[FlyingRon]

Nifong was a corrupt Prosecutor - corrupted by the hopes of election and the limelight.

There was NO conviction in the Duke case.
There wasn't even a trial.

 

[bj81]

How about the people that can't afford the best lawyers like the Duke boys to defend themselves against Prosecutors like Nifong?? What about Nancy Grace and her threat to the U.S. justice system??

 

[CdwJava]

Well, according to this the Criminal Justice System is still stuck in the dark ages.


http://www.truthinjustice.org

One can find websites to support most any position. All because there is a website collecting stories and anecdotal data does NOT mean that it's position(s) is true.

So ... would you rather have the continental European system which tends to be "guilty until proven innocent"?

- Carl

 

[CavemanLawyer]

After the Duke case fallout there was a major article written about prosecutorial misconduct. It of course cited Nifong, and another case from the 50's and the rest came from the 1900's. And that was the best the author could come up with. Nifong and the like are the bad apples that are absolute rare exceptions to the rule. People aren't wrongly convicted because of rogue prosecutors or even rogue cops, they are wrongly convicted because no system is ever perfect. The wrongful conviction cases are almost always based on incorrect identification by laymen witnesses and are cases of the accused just being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

As far as Nancy Grace, she's just a clown. She can convict people in her own mind just based on the charges being filed but the actual people in the trenches have to play by the rules and that's all that matters. I don't mean to offend anybody on this forum...really.... but I gotta figure that the people who watch Nancy Grace are the same people who read about Bigfoot and 500lbs babies in the National Enquirer. Its sensationalism, it is not reality.

As for how you avoid getting wrongly accused of a crime? Just act responsibly in everything that you do. Hell if you just get yourself a full time job you already cut your chances of getting in trouble in half since half of your waking hours are spent doing what will later be your "alibi."

 

[sigmachimarine]

Short answer for your question

What is the name of your state? Arkansas
With the recent Duke-lacrosse scandal and all of the talk of corrupt law enforcement, the "Nancy Graces" and wrongful comnvictions being cleared by DNA, I wonder if there is a way that a non-Duke-lacrosse(a person without access to the best lawyers around)can protect himself from wrongful accusations and convictions?? A jury is also no help, as they listen to people like Nancy Grace and stuff.

State: Texas

To answer your question, what can be done to protect yourself from a wrongful conviction, the answer is nothing. That is why it is called a wrongful conviction. As far as protecting yourself from a conviction, there is plenty of good advise on this forum.

 

[roomservice]

full time

Getting a full time job is the best way to stay out of trouble, I agrree with caveman. Try farm work, long hours ,low pay, your not around anybody, and your to tired to actually do anything

 

[>Charlotte<]

How about the people that can't afford the best lawyers like the Duke boys to defend themselves against Prosecutors like Nifong??

Bad example. I could have busted Nifong with one of my cats in the second chair (although it would be Zoey, the smart one).

 

[bj81]

Prosecutorial misconduct is also alleged in the case of the "West Memphis Three." What about DNA evidence, doesen't that help?? Also, how do you keep people on a jury from being influenced by people like Nancy Grace??

I tell you, if I was ever wrongly convicted of a crime, I don't think I could ever forgive the prosecutors and police. I think they should make it a felony in itself to wrongly convict people of a crime, punishable by prison time or the death penalty if they send the wrong person to death, then these prosecutors and cops will make dang sure they get the right person. Being a prosecutor or a cop isn't a game for fun, they are playing with people's lives.

 

[CdwJava]

Intentionally framing someone for a crime is already punishable by felony offenses.

Being convicted and later exonerated does not - by itself - imply misconduct. One can be wrongly convicted even with a true and faithful pursuit of the evidence. We cannot possibly hold prosecutors or the police liable for "not guilty" verdicts, or the system would collapse from a lack of action.

There is a difference between intentionally committing a fraud on the court and not being right.

- Carl

 

[bj81]

Intentionally framing someone for a crime is already punishable by felony offenses.

Being convicted and later exonerated does not - by itself - imply misconduct. One can be wrongly convicted even with a true and faithful pursuit of the evidence. We cannot possibly hold prosecutors or the police liable for "not guilty" verdicts, or the system would collapse from a lack of action.

There is a difference between intentionally committing a fraud on the court and not being right.

- Carl

If you take the time to be 100% sure you have the right person which is a part of the job. I would never forgive if I was wrongly convicted and yes the prosecutors and police should be held accountable. I better not ever go to prison for a crime I didn't commit.