Photograph kids in Maine... go to Prison

Edwardv said:

Okay. Consider this what happens to the individual who is accused of such acts and is found innocent later? Their lives are ruin, job lost, broken family etc. Who is going to set the record straight or support the person, find a home, job etc surely not the individual who was the accuser, the justice system, or state. Chances are no one would give this individual a chance in life. Once you are labeled regardless if you are innocent you life is ruined. One more thing, if word gets out in jail or prison chances are that you life will definitely change for the worst.

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Exactly, which is why this should only be a question of criminality, and not a question of popularity, or even morality.

Where I live, the laying of a criminal "charge" is viewed as a very serious event, not to be entered into lightly, and only after a rigorous review of all available information.

It is why our police forces will rarely identify a suspect, until they become a formally charged accused.

It is why our courts are scrupulously careful to insist on proof beyond a reasonable doubt, no matter how disappointing that may be to some who are victims of crime.

I don't know much about Maine, but I would be surprised if they had a different standard there.

Edward, there are falsely accused people everywhere. Every system I have ever worked with has tried its utmost to avoid creating more. If the system you are exposed to doesn't do the same, the remedy is a political one. If the system you are exposed to does try, but fails, the remedy is also a political one.

The administration of justice where I live is far from perfect, because those charged with the task are human, but in my experience most of those humans are very principled, and usually fair.

I've done defence counsel work in my career (I'm a lawyer) although I don't practise much anymore in the criminal courts.

All of us - defence lawyers and Crown Counsel (prosecutors) are considered officers of the Court and held to a very high standard. Police officers are also held to a very high standard, and are castigated publicly and privately if they fall short. Everyone I have ever encountered in this system has considered a false accusation to be a very serious problem.

I have one experience in my background where the senior investigating officer in a complex conspiracy case actually testified in my client's favour on sentencing after my client pled guilty, because that officer and others in the police task force (which included US Secret Service agents) considered my client to be at least as much a victim of some of his co-conspirators as a perpetrator. He, his superiors, and I assume the US Secret Service agreed to this, because it was eminently fair to do so.

If the criminal law system where you live isn't being administered fairly, than my suggestion is that you should hold the people involved to account.

We hold our system to account, and they generally respond.

Matt

jeroldharter said:

We worked at a state psychiatric hospital there. Our temporary housing was in a defunct forensic psychiatric group home. Had the largest recliner I have ever seen. The director of mental health for the state in charge of state psychiatric hospitals seemed to be opposed to involuntary treatment/medication. That led to some interesting situations and a murder on the grounds that should not have happened. So oddly, it was one of the few states that still maintained long term residential treatment units for people with chronic psychotic disorders, held them there involuntarily, but more or less refused to treat them. I am simplifying it a little but that was basically what was going on. I was glad to get out of there as it was lawsuit waiting to happen. The state is beautiful though and the people were uniformly nice (except for the untreated psychotics that murdered people).

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We have had issues with state hospitals, of all kinds here, with a few lawsuits coming to mind. Maine has it's idiosyncracies, and very dry sense of humor, and a few very interesting characters. Sometimes to me it all adds up to being a little kookey, but thankfully most often in an amusing non-psychotic way

Peter

Our children are prey to all the sicko's out there and i dont mind giving up some freedom to protect them. All states should pass laws that give life sentences to anyone who preys on children.

pwitkop said:

We have had issues with state hospitals, of all kinds here, with a few lawsuits coming to mind. Maine has it's idiosyncracies, and very dry sense of humor, and a few very interesting characters. Sometimes to me it all adds up to being a little kookey, but thankfully most often in an amusing non-psychotic way

Peter

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I agree. Acadia is one of my favorite places.

IOS said:

Our children are prey to all the sicko's out there and i dont mind giving up some freedom to protect them. .

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I get absolutely no sense that anyone has to give up any freedom whatsoever in this case. The sexual abuse of children isn't a "freedom"...period.