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In Jail Without a Lawyer: How a Texas Town Fails Poor Defendants

nytimes.com

421–430 of 457 posts

Re: In Jail Without a Lawyer: How a Texas Town Fails Poor Defendants

#421

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> . Two years on, and we were just at the beginning of "discovery" -- an amazingly invasive process that appears to be unique to the US legal system. This is common in almost all legal systems. How else would the defendant get to examine the evidence against them and how else would you provide evidence if there was no discovery process? Its hard to imagine there would be a legal system without it.

> > . Two years on, and we were just at the beginning of "discovery" -- an amazingly invasive process that appears to be unique to the US legal system. > > This is common in almost all legal systems. This statement is false, both the German and French legal systems do not have something like discovery. To confirm for yourself just Google "is there something like discovery in the German/French legal system". Consideri…

Most legal systems in Europe are based on Roman law, including the French and German. The Anglo-American ones are unique in that they are based on common law, not Roman law.

Re: In Jail Without a Lawyer: How a Texas Town Fails Poor Defendants

#422
post #65

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Is this where the whole Europe bashing on social media comes from? US needing to believe that a better society, rule of law, social services isn’t real in Europe and impossible in general?

Speaking only for myself, I think Europeans, in general (and most people in this thread) have no real sense for how violent the US really is, how much more crime we have than Europe, how many of our violent offenders serve no serious time, or how many times the modal US prisoner has been previously arrested or convicted of a crime. The typical US prisoner 1) did their crime; 2) did many other crimes besides the one t…

Your solution to crime isn’t working very well, but that’s OK, nobody’s telling you what to do.

We can just observe the society you have and wonder how you can simultaneously not take responsibility for your outcomes, and bash others who make different choices and have better outcomes.

From your post it sounds like you feel that you do know better, and the only issue you’re having isn’t your policy, but your “lack of homogeneity”, which makes it impossible to improve anything.

Re: In Jail Without a Lawyer: How a Texas Town Fails Poor Defendants

#423
post #422

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Speaking only for myself, I think Europeans, in general (and most people in this thread) have no real sense for how violent the US really is, how much more crime we have than Europe, how many of our violent offenders serve no serious time, or how many times the modal US prisoner has been previously arrested or convicted of a crime. The typical US prisoner 1) did their crime; 2) did many other crimes besides the one t…

Your solution to crime isn’t working very well, but that’s OK, nobody’s telling you what to do. We can just observe the society you have and wonder how you can simultaneously not take responsibility for your outcomes, and bash others who make different choices and have better outcomes. From your post it sounds like you feel that you do know better, and the only issue you’re having isn’t your policy, but your “lack of…

very reasonable observation. :)

i can tell you being physically strong comes with it violence and is at the fabric of being an American. so i’d say the issue is complicated and nuanced as is most.

breaking the law (through violence) is also American. we stand up for what we believe in. even if it means breaking the law and going against our government. this is America.

the fact that you have better outcomes for crime is great. how’s your investment system? how’s your sports teams? how’s your military? how’s your stock market? how’s your currency?

Re: In Jail Without a Lawyer: How a Texas Town Fails Poor Defendants

#424

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Americans have a recent history of slavery. They believe since they would be aggressive if emerging from the same situation, that African Americans would be equally aggressive. Which is why most American own guns…

Yeah, I've heard this theory before, and it kinda makes sense. Except that there are other countries (most of the Anglosphere, including the UK) that also had slavery, (and/or have confronting relationships with their indigenous population), and don't feel that same fear. Is there something unique about the USA's history with slavery that would cause this?

Its about owning a farm in the middle of nowhere not slavery. It really is not that hard to understand that people have different worries back when the second amendment was written when the nearest town for protection is weeks away and not hours.

Re: In Jail Without a Lawyer: How a Texas Town Fails Poor Defendants

#427

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>but there really is a skepticism about some Europe nations, can they - and the bloc - sustain its 21st century advances and social safety nets while adequately paying for its own defense? Yes. The EU's defence is a political unity issue. Not a spending one. It needs a unified foreign policy where that makes sense and the like. Not countries receiving preferential gas pricing and pusyfooting when it comes to giving a…

Yeah I'm fairly confused about what hugely-increased costs folks think Europe will need to "adequately" defend herself when it's now been definitively demonstrated that the on-paper weakness of Russia (due to its lagging economy) is also in-fact weakness. Europe might need more spending to launch major military adventures on the other side of the globe, which is what the US does quite a bit and why we "need" so much…

>Zelensky highlighted the disparity in forces between Russia and Europe, saying that Ukraine's army consists of 110 brigades, while Russia fields 220 and plans to expand to 250 this year. In contrast, Europe, including U.S. troops stationed there, has only about 82 combat brigades, he said.

https://kyivindependent.com/europe-could-face-russian-occupa...

Re: In Jail Without a Lawyer: How a Texas Town Fails Poor Defendants

#428

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah, I've heard this theory before, and it kinda makes sense. Except that there are other countries (most of the Anglosphere, including the UK) that also had slavery, (and/or have confronting relationships with their indigenous population), and don't feel that same fear. Is there something unique about the USA's history with slavery that would cause this?

Its about owning a farm in the middle of nowhere not slavery. It really is not that hard to understand that people have different worries back when the second amendment was written when the nearest town for protection is weeks away and not hours.

Yeah, interesting. But we don't see the same reaction with Aussie farmers. I mean, most of them do own guns, but that's more about the wildlife...

Re: In Jail Without a Lawyer: How a Texas Town Fails Poor Defendants

#429

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Its about owning a farm in the middle of nowhere not slavery. It really is not that hard to understand that people have different worries back when the second amendment was written when the nearest town for protection is weeks away and not hours.

Yeah, interesting. But we don't see the same reaction with Aussie farmers. I mean, most of them do own guns, but that's more about the wildlife...

It does not matter what threat its about protecting or even if its that likely to happen. Its human nature to have things to protection youself and things you care about. Like insurance you never need it until you do but then its too late.

“God created man. Sam Colt made them equal.”

Re: In Jail Without a Lawyer: How a Texas Town Fails Poor Defendants

#430
post #65

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Is this where the whole Europe bashing on social media comes from? US needing to believe that a better society, rule of law, social services isn’t real in Europe and impossible in general?

Not only that, but it explains the disdain for Europe in the current American government. European society proves that Americans could have true freedom and quality of life if it weren't for corporations and oligarchs effectively owning our government. Fascists hate a counterexample.

Calling European freedom true freedom compared to American one is laughable and I say that as a European. Almost no country in Europe comes close to the freedom granted by the bill of rights.
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