Denis Barker
Aug 28, 2017 · 1 min read

Dan, this is exactly how justice works. This is why we have the exclusionary rule, the presumption of innocence, the high burden of proof beyond a reasonable doubt and a host of other safeguards to prevent wrongful convictions. The expression goes: it is better for a hundred guilty to go free than a single innocent man be jailed. In the O.J. Simpson case the LAPD and the L.A. county prosecutor’s office was rife with corruption. It had gone on for decades with few consequences. In one scandal, known as the Ramparts scandal, the conviction of LAPD’s drug and gang unit officers lead to the vacating of more than 140 convictions. No doubt many of those gang members set free were factually guilty of their offences, but the conduct of the arresting officers rendered their evidence and testimony unreliable. That is how justice works. Dishonesty on the part of law enforcement should always lead to acquittals, whether or not the accused actually committed the offense.

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    Denis Barker

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