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Judge acquits Backpage co-founder Michael Lacey on most counts

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Re: Judge acquits Backpage co-founder Michael Lacey on most counts

#11

Post by banish-m4 »

superkuh wrote: post #2

Typical FBI. Make up dozens and dozens of bogus charges and commit to constant harassment until enough of the people targeted kill themselves. Then when a real judge finally gets involved slink away. Just like with Aaron Swartz and Qwest CEO Joseph Nacchio. Dear people flagging this, please stop perceiving my statements through your domestic political lenses. I am not talking politics here. Just because your team is…

The police-prison-industrial complex is motivated to convict and keep millions of people incarcerated. Apropos book: Three Felonies a Day by Silerglate

Re: Judge acquits Backpage co-founder Michael Lacey on most counts

#12

Post by petertodd »

underseacables wrote: post #10
petertodd wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It would help a lot if charges were an all or nothing basis. Either a jury convicts on all counts, or you go free, with all your legal bills paid and compensation for the false arrest and imprisonment. Most criminal cases are open-and-shut deals where someone is clearly guilty of something, so for typical cases this policy wouldn't change much. But it would significantly reduce the power of government to harass innoc…

I agree with part of your statement. I think if you were found not guilty, the state should have to pay your legal fees. It's an unfair fight against the full might of the government.

Another way to do it would be to require the state to provide funds for legal defense for everyone, regardless of income or assets, with at least with the same budget as they use for the prosecution.

Again, this won't change anything in the typical case, because the typical criminal case involves something who is clearly guilty. But it'll keep innocent people out of jail.

Re: Judge acquits Backpage co-founder Michael Lacey on most counts

#13

Post by [deleted] »

superkuh wrote: post #2

Typical FBI. Make up dozens and dozens of bogus charges and commit to constant harassment until enough of the people targeted kill themselves. Then when a real judge finally gets involved slink away. Just like with Aaron Swartz and Qwest CEO Joseph Nacchio. Dear people flagging this, please stop perceiving my statements through your domestic political lenses. I am not talking politics here. Just because your team is…

[deleted]

Re: Judge acquits Backpage co-founder Michael Lacey on most counts

#14

Post by ALittleLight »

Seems like there should be an optional trial end, in addition to conviction or acquittal, for "prosecution shouldn't have brought this case", where the accused would get some kind of compensation. I don't know the details of this case, but I remember hearing about it many years ago. I can't imagine the expense and stress of such a trial, dragging on for so long, and then at the end it's just "Okay, guess you're not guilty."

Sometimes it seems like prosecutors brought a reasonable case given the evidence and tried it fairly. In this case, I believe acquittal is the right call. Other times it seems like a case that shouldn't have been brought and you should be compensated for that and/or the prosecutor should be punished.

Re: Judge acquits Backpage co-founder Michael Lacey on most counts

#15

Post by jrflowers »

busterarm wrote: post #7
superkuh wrote: post #2

Typical FBI. Make up dozens and dozens of bogus charges and commit to constant harassment until enough of the people targeted kill themselves. Then when a real judge finally gets involved slink away. Just like with Aaron Swartz and Qwest CEO Joseph Nacchio. Dear people flagging this, please stop perceiving my statements through your domestic political lenses. I am not talking politics here. Just because your team is…

[flagged]

Is there documentation of this?

Re: Judge acquits Backpage co-founder Michael Lacey on most counts

#16

Post by petertodd »

ALittleLight wrote: post #14

Seems like there should be an optional trial end, in addition to conviction or acquittal, for "prosecution shouldn't have brought this case", where the accused would get some kind of compensation. I don't know the details of this case, but I remember hearing about it many years ago. I can't imagine the expense and stress of such a trial, dragging on for so long, and then at the end it's just "Okay, guess you're not g…

No need to make it optional. If the state can't convict on all counts, you should get full compensation for all expenses, including your legal bills, any time spent in prison, lost income, etc. In a case like this it would be millions of dollars, maybe tens of millions. Of course, this case probably wouldn't have happened in the first place if that was the way prosecutions worked...

Most criminal cases are open-and-shut deals where the defendant is clearly guilty, so this wouldn't change much on average. But it would ensure that 1) prosecutors only prosecute what they can actually prove, 2) innocent peoples' lives aren't destroyed.

Re: Judge acquits Backpage co-founder Michael Lacey on most counts

#17

Post by yieldcrv »

> The first [trial], in 2021, was declared a mistrial after prosecutors and their witnesses couldn't stop talking about sex trafficking despite none of the defendants facing sex trafficking charges

Thats always been my take on the backpage case, but I didnt feel comfortable talking about it because people are too emotionally invested in curbing sex trafficking

We’d be better off just treating it as labor trafficking, and not bothering with the non-trafficked people just like the rest of the job market.

Re: Judge acquits Backpage co-founder Michael Lacey on most counts

#19

Post by eitland »

ALittleLight wrote: post #14

Seems like there should be an optional trial end, in addition to conviction or acquittal, for "prosecution shouldn't have brought this case", where the accused would get some kind of compensation. I don't know the details of this case, but I remember hearing about it many years ago. I can't imagine the expense and stress of such a trial, dragging on for so long, and then at the end it's just "Okay, guess you're not g…

In Norway we have two different "not guilty" outcomes:

- "frifunnet på grunn av bevisets stilling" (~"acquitted because of the situation with the evidence" my best translation at 00:02 in the night) which I think in practice means it wasn't proven that the person did it and so (s)he is acquitted.

- "henlagt som intet straffbart forhold" (~"acquitted as no punishable offense" my best translation at 00:04 in the night) which I think means the investigation not only failed to prove guilt but also proved that a person was not guilty.

I tried to find better translations but wasn't able to. Feel free to fill in.

Re: Judge acquits Backpage co-founder Michael Lacey on most counts

#20

Post by lazide »

petertodd wrote: post #16
ALittleLight wrote: post #14

Seems like there should be an optional trial end, in addition to conviction or acquittal, for "prosecution shouldn't have brought this case", where the accused would get some kind of compensation. I don't know the details of this case, but I remember hearing about it many years ago. I can't imagine the expense and stress of such a trial, dragging on for so long, and then at the end it's just "Okay, guess you're not g…

No need to make it optional. If the state can't convict on all counts, you should get full compensation for all expenses, including your legal bills, any time spent in prison, lost income, etc. In a case like this it would be millions of dollars, maybe tens of millions. Of course, this case probably wouldn't have happened in the first place if that was the way prosecutions worked... Most criminal cases are open-and-s…

Can you imagine the public angst around the OJ trial if THAT was what happened?
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