(11-08-2017 01:05 PM)MU88 Wrote:  

(11-08-2017 12:03 PM)RutgersGuy Wrote:  What is word salad supposed to mean? The players are kneeling because of the lack of accountability of police abuse on minority citizens.

Also you should actually learn about your own justice system since people are held for months and years without a trail. Kalief Browder at 16 was sent to Rikers where he remained for 3 years without any charges being brought against him.

https://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/09/nyreg...icide.html

He then killed himself after he got out.

Sad story, but you left out the part that the kid was convicted of grand larceny 8 months before the second arrest and was placed on probation. Due to his prior felony, he was considered an adult at 16. When he allegedly stole the backpack, he was sent to Rikers because of the probation violation. If his record would have been clean, the situation probably would have ended up completely different.

After his arrest, he went before a court that issued bail at $3000. Depending on the jurisdiction, you could have purchased a bond for 10% of the amount or $300 (although some news stories say $900). No one bailed him out.

Again, its a sad story. Unfortunately, Rikers there are so many criminal in Rikers, the trial courts in NYC are bogged down. I don't think the court treated him unfair. Bail was minimal for a felon. He was offered multiple plea deals, including ones the would have allowed him to be released immediately, but he refused. I doubt you can argue it was a racial discrimination case, since the alleged victim was also African-American.

Should the courts be better funded so that the accused don't spend years waiting for trial? Of course. But, no one wants to have their taxes raised. So, the courts operate the best they can with limited resources. Unfortunately, there are situations like this. I remember a case in Arkansas where a man was held 10 or 11 years without a trial. I think there was a case not too long ago about a woman who was arrested on a drug offense who wasn't allowed to see a lawyer or a judge for 3 months. Clearly, these are unacceptable situations. However, how often do they happen in the United States? Certainly, these cases are the exception and not the rule. And, when a case like this arises, local governments are quick to put in place safeguards to insure that these situations never arise again. While even 1 case is 1 too many, mistakes are going to happen.

All that said, the best way to fix the criminal justice system is to reduce crime. Making the sentences lighter or not prosecuting certain crimes to limit the use of the court's systems resources doesn't really solve anything in the long run.

Don't recall Arkansas holding anyone that long.
South Carolina had one held 10 years where they just never got around to having a trial.
North Carolina had a guy held 14 but the North Carolina guy has never been held competent to stand trial state doctors say his IQ is 50-57 and he wasn't competent to waive Miranda when he confessed. He had not been adjudicated not guilty by mental defect where he would be held until no longer a danger to himself or others, instead on indefinite hold "in the hope" he will be competent to stand trial some day.