Its the Lying, Stupid.

Well, the guilty verdict is in. Scooter's sunk.

I believe I have said it before, its not the crime these people get in trouble for, its the lying to the grand jury or the prosecutor for which they are convicted.


http://philosophicalawyer.blogspot.com/2005/10/he-really-should-have-contracted-that.html


Heh.

Here is the thing- He probably doesn't remember. I know I often forget things I did in Court until I really dig and remember. Here is the deal- the proper answer, then, is I DON'T REMEMBER. Its not a big deal. Its ok. What is not ok, is to "not remember" and answer as though you do.

And another thing that irked me last night- they were interviewing a police officer who was involved in that case where the husband killed the wife and chopped her up and they found the torso- the cop said, "Well, I told him that if he didn't do anything wrong he didn't need a lawyer. We knew he had done something wrong when he got a lawyer."

This is patently untrue, constitutionally iffy and morally reprehensible.

You could need a lawyer for a number of reasons. To understand the system and why they're grilling you like a piece of chicken at Burger King; because there is a side issue you need to pursue (civil suit, ect....) or just to help keep the cops in check.

Let me say this again- the Supreme Court has confirmed: POLICE OFFICERS CAN AND WILL LIE TO YOU TO EXTRACT A CONFESSION. That's right, they may say, "Well, we have an eyewitness who says you were there." Now, you know good and well you weren't- and they don't, in fact, have such a witness. What amazes me, is that they don't think that people will lie and say they did it when they didn't. If you think someone would not confess to something they didn't do- you have too much belief in other people's will. Trust me- I have done it myself without even meaning to. Nothing feels worse as a prosecuting attorney that to have extracted a confession only to discover a fact that leads you to realize they were telling the truth the first time.

And no one should look at someone and say, "Well, they must be guilty if they got a lawyer. "

And please, even more than that- if you're ever in a situation where you think you might need a lawyer- get one and don't worry that you might look guilty if you have council- because you need a professionally trained person to help you present your side to the Judge- you have that right and you should exercise it.

(Philosophicalawyer steps down from her soap box and goes off to do her real work.)