Comments on: The Anatomy of Yet Another Unnecessary Murder: How the Justice System Failed Eugenia Calle and Is Failing Us All http://crimevictimsmediareport.com/?p=1 Wed, 01 Sep 2010 12:43:09 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Brabusis http://crimevictimsmediareport.com/?p=1&cpage=1#comment-1130 Brabusis Fri, 09 Oct 2009 23:13:44 +0000 http://tinatrent.com/?p=1#comment-1130 ?? ???????? ???????? ?? ?????...???????? ?? ????. ?? ???????? ???????? ?? ?????…???????? ?? ????.

]]> By: DB http://crimevictimsmediareport.com/?p=1&cpage=1#comment-792 DB Mon, 21 Sep 2009 16:25:37 +0000 http://tinatrent.com/?p=1#comment-792 Great article, thank you. Great article, thank you.

]]> By: South Carolina DUI Attorneys http://crimevictimsmediareport.com/?p=1&cpage=1#comment-347 South Carolina DUI Attorneys Fri, 03 Jul 2009 19:14:20 +0000 http://tinatrent.com/?p=1#comment-347 Great work ! I think after reading this that you may have single-handedly made a huge difference in how this case is viewed. It is unfortunate that the legal counsel and the judge did not extend the same level of focus. That would have truly impacted the outcome ! Thanks for the article and the work! Great work ! I think after reading this that you may have single-handedly made a huge difference in how this case is viewed. It is unfortunate that the legal counsel and the judge did not extend the same level of focus. That would have truly impacted the outcome ! Thanks for the article and the work!

]]> By: Tina http://crimevictimsmediareport.com/?p=1&cpage=1#comment-40 Tina Tue, 10 Mar 2009 14:24:47 +0000 http://tinatrent.com/?p=1#comment-40 Chris: In twenty-five years, thousands of volunteer lawyers and well-paid activist attorneys have identified merely 233 people, nationwide, who have had their sentences reversed. The rest is confabulations by activists and the press. And many of these people were not "actually innocent," including the two in Savannah, Georgia, who were denied compensation from the state because it is clear that they were guilty of gang rape. Their case was reversed on a technicality that shows the real weakness of our system -- convicting criminals and keeping them off the streets. Others in the 233 are serial rapists busted for the wrong crime because they were operating in the area, and there are people like Ronald Cotton, whose prior rape conviction is probably not mentioned when he collects speaker fees for lectures about "wrongful identification" on his recent book tour (acknowledging his reason for being in a mug shot book takes the shine off such "theories" of systematic inequity arising from a handful of atypical cases). Others are "non-contributing" members of gang rapes, with plenty of other evidence against them. Some are genuinely innocent, but their numbers are so small -- less than 233 men, in 25 of the bloodiest years on America's streets (we're talking millions of violent crimes) -- tragic but utterly statistically irrelevant. You might ask why statistics matter when we're talking, emotionally, about individual lives. I'm not saying that I want to see innocent men imprisoned: nobody wants that. But if we were to be honest, arguments based on the individual value of every human life and the justice system wouldn't exclude the millions of individuals who have lost their lives or were horribly violated by criminals because it's far too easy for the defense to game the system. I wish I had your faith in rehabilitation, and I support rehab for people who don't victimize others (burglary is not a victimless or non-violent crime) and are not recidivists. But in most cases it is overused and hasn't proven to take. The lenience built into our criminal justice system is the problem, not the fact that we imprison high numbers of people: there are high numbers of crimes, as anyone can see. But the notion that there is some type of systematic problem with imprisoning innocent men is simply not true, no matter how much traction Barry Scheck and his thousands of volunteer lawyers gain in the press. It's hysteria; it's inaccurate; and it is horribly insulting to the millions of people who have watched their victimizer walk free because of the way the system works, favoring defendants over justice itself -- sometimes many, many times. It's time to have a new conversation about wrongful convictions -- this time with facts and real numbers. Yes, it's called corrections. It's also called the justice system, and there is little of that -- for victims, that is. Chris: In twenty-five years, thousands of volunteer lawyers and well-paid activist attorneys have identified merely 233 people, nationwide, who have had their sentences reversed. The rest is confabulations by activists and the press. And many of these people were not “actually innocent,” including the two in Savannah, Georgia, who were denied compensation from the state because it is clear that they were guilty of gang rape. Their case was reversed on a technicality that shows the real weakness of our system — convicting criminals and keeping them off the streets. Others in the 233 are serial rapists busted for the wrong crime because they were operating in the area, and there are people like Ronald Cotton, whose prior rape conviction is probably not mentioned when he collects speaker fees for lectures about “wrongful identification” on his recent book tour (acknowledging his reason for being in a mug shot book takes the shine off such “theories” of systematic inequity arising from a handful of atypical cases). Others are “non-contributing” members of gang rapes, with plenty of other evidence against them. Some are genuinely innocent, but their numbers are so small — less than 233 men, in 25 of the bloodiest years on America’s streets (we’re talking millions of violent crimes) — tragic but utterly statistically irrelevant.

You might ask why statistics matter when we’re talking, emotionally, about individual lives. I’m not saying that I want to see innocent men imprisoned: nobody wants that. But if we were to be honest, arguments based on the individual value of every human life and the justice system wouldn’t exclude the millions of individuals who have lost their lives or were horribly violated by criminals because it’s far too easy for the defense to game the system.

I wish I had your faith in rehabilitation, and I support rehab for people who don’t victimize others (burglary is not a victimless or non-violent crime) and are not recidivists. But in most cases it is overused and hasn’t proven to take.

The lenience built into our criminal justice system is the problem, not the fact that we imprison high numbers of people: there are high numbers of crimes, as anyone can see. But the notion that there is some type of systematic problem with imprisoning innocent men is simply not true, no matter how much traction Barry Scheck and his thousands of volunteer lawyers gain in the press. It’s hysteria; it’s inaccurate; and it is horribly insulting to the millions of people who have watched their victimizer walk free because of the way the system works, favoring defendants over justice itself — sometimes many, many times. It’s time to have a new conversation about wrongful convictions — this time with facts and real numbers.

Yes, it’s called corrections. It’s also called the justice system, and there is little of that — for victims, that is.

]]> By: Chris http://crimevictimsmediareport.com/?p=1&cpage=1#comment-37 Chris Sun, 08 Mar 2009 00:22:25 +0000 http://tinatrent.com/?p=1#comment-37 This story is tragic and unfortunate. My sorrow goes out to the victim's family. I am an Emory Alum (Goizueta) and feel sort of a connection to this as well. The system has failed society in the case of Shamal Thompson but I think the system does get the majority of criminals off the street as Georgia has a high inmate population in relationship to other states. I think the system is flawed nonetheless and needs to be reworked so that those who deserve jail are sent to jail and those wrongly convicted are set free. Those with violent past and pose a threat to the daily lives of citizens need to be put in jail for purposes of rehabilation. In this case he should have been incarcerated earlier but as a result of the system trying to give someone a "fair" chance it didn't give her a fair chance at life. On the other hand you see a plethora of questionable convictions to those who were put in the vicious cycle of the criminal system. I believe the system needs to make sense and those who have a history of prior wrongdoings and pose a threat to society need to be put in jail. Nevertheless I think the answer is not just in criminalizing these youth. At any point Shamal Thompson could have changed his ways with proper rehabilation treatment, which is the purpose of the CORRECTION system. The system is failing us all and until we realize all the shortcomings it brings than we wont have substantive results from the penal system. This story is tragic and unfortunate. My sorrow goes out to the victim’s family. I am an Emory Alum (Goizueta) and feel sort of a connection to this as well. The system has failed society in the case of Shamal Thompson but I think the system does get the majority of criminals off the street as Georgia has a high inmate population in relationship to other states. I think the system is flawed nonetheless and needs to be reworked so that those who deserve jail are sent to jail and those wrongly convicted are set free. Those with violent past and pose a threat to the daily lives of citizens need to be put in jail for purposes of rehabilation. In this case he should have been incarcerated earlier but as a result of the system trying to give someone a “fair” chance it didn’t give her a fair chance at life. On the other hand you see a plethora of questionable convictions to those who were put in the vicious cycle of the criminal system. I believe the system needs to make sense and those who have a history of prior wrongdoings and pose a threat to society need to be put in jail. Nevertheless I think the answer is not just in criminalizing these youth. At any point Shamal Thompson could have changed his ways with proper rehabilation treatment, which is the purpose of the CORRECTION system. The system is failing us all and until we realize all the shortcomings it brings than we wont have substantive results from the penal system.

]]> By: Pissed http://crimevictimsmediareport.com/?p=1&cpage=1#comment-36 Pissed Fri, 06 Mar 2009 19:41:57 +0000 http://tinatrent.com/?p=1#comment-36 Care to chime in, Cynthia? Care to chime in, Cynthia?

]]> By: SM http://crimevictimsmediareport.com/?p=1&cpage=1#comment-34 SM Thu, 05 Mar 2009 19:00:30 +0000 http://tinatrent.com/?p=1#comment-34 I was in the courtroom this morning with this case and am totally discussed with how Thompson’s attorneys handled the situation and how smug Thompson and his attorneys are. I understand we need a judicial system, however, in situations like this when EVERYTHING points to Thompson being guilty, why are we wasting time and money. Put him in solitary confinement with one hour of daylight a day for the rest of his life. I was in the courtroom this morning with this case and am totally discussed with how Thompson’s attorneys handled the situation and how smug Thompson and his attorneys are. I understand we need a judicial system, however, in situations like this when EVERYTHING points to Thompson being guilty, why are we wasting time and money. Put him in solitary confinement with one hour of daylight a day for the rest of his life.

]]> By: Tina http://crimevictimsmediareport.com/?p=1&cpage=1#comment-32 Tina Fri, 27 Feb 2009 15:53:26 +0000 http://tinatrent.com/?p=1#comment-32 Thank you, Helen, I am beginning to regret dropping out of law school again. And alienating all those people running the courts and City Hall by demanding stuff like accountability. Julius: I sometimes hear from prisoners, and ex-prisoners, I sincerely, sincerely hope you get your life together. I will be thinking good thoughts for you. I recently heard from an old co-worker at the Congress Center who told me that being in prison saved his life because it got him off the streets for a long time. I'd be curious to hear your opinions on that. Nate: I respect what cops do every single day, and if I weren't 43-years old, I would join the academy myself. Of course there are a few bad cops. There are a few bad priests, and a few bad teachers, and lots of bad politicians and appointed officials and university presidents and criminologists. But the cops are the ones who take it in the nose every time, and they do practically the hardest job in the world. Changing that perception is one of the main goals of this blog. If you have any suggestions for linking with the community of police, please e-mail me. Thank you, Helen, I am beginning to regret dropping out of law school again. And alienating all those people running the courts and City Hall by demanding stuff like accountability. Julius: I sometimes hear from prisoners, and ex-prisoners, I sincerely, sincerely hope you get your life together. I will be thinking good thoughts for you. I recently heard from an old co-worker at the Congress Center who told me that being in prison saved his life because it got him off the streets for a long time. I’d be curious to hear your opinions on that. Nate: I respect what cops do every single day, and if I weren’t 43-years old, I would join the academy myself. Of course there are a few bad cops. There are a few bad priests, and a few bad teachers, and lots of bad politicians and appointed officials and university presidents and criminologists. But the cops are the ones who take it in the nose every time, and they do practically the hardest job in the world. Changing that perception is one of the main goals of this blog. If you have any suggestions for linking with the community of police, please e-mail me.

]]> By: Nate http://crimevictimsmediareport.com/?p=1&cpage=1#comment-29 Nate Wed, 25 Feb 2009 14:29:49 +0000 http://tinatrent.com/?p=1#comment-29 From the law enforcement side, I thank you for this article. I can not tell you how many times we as police officers and detectives sit in disbelief when we see this first hand. When I arrest someone and run their criminal history and they have 13 felony convictions and each time I see they were given probation and were arrested again while on probation it sometimes makes me aske myself, "Why am I bothering?". I know why I chose this job and plan on continuing it until I retire. I was there for the incident when this person was arrested and the charges later dropped because the primary arresting officers had been fired for an off duty fight. I have no idea why the DA's office dropped the charges, all they would have had to do is give notice to those officers to be in court. I think that is called a subpoena. Again thank you for calling attention to these incidents and hopefully it will cause enough people to band together. Believe me, the police are here to help, that's why we do our job, and we get sick and tired of seeing the same offenders over and over again. When I have arrested a person steadily from the time he was 15 years old until he is now an adult, I think that is unacceptable. From the law enforcement side, I thank you for this article. I can not tell you how many times we as police officers and detectives sit in disbelief when we see this first hand. When I arrest someone and run their criminal history and they have 13 felony convictions and each time I see they were given probation and were arrested again while on probation it sometimes makes me aske myself, “Why am I bothering?”. I know why I chose this job and plan on continuing it until I retire. I was there for the incident when this person was arrested and the charges later dropped because the primary arresting officers had been fired for an off duty fight. I have no idea why the DA’s office dropped the charges, all they would have had to do is give notice to those officers to be in court. I think that is called a subpoena. Again thank you for calling attention to these incidents and hopefully it will cause enough people to band together. Believe me, the police are here to help, that’s why we do our job, and we get sick and tired of seeing the same offenders over and over again. When I have arrested a person steadily from the time he was 15 years old until he is now an adult, I think that is unacceptable.

]]> By: y http://crimevictimsmediareport.com/?p=1&cpage=1#comment-28 y Wed, 25 Feb 2009 14:25:55 +0000 http://tinatrent.com/?p=1#comment-28 this article was well written...very informative..and tells the truth of it all..thanks for writing.. this article was well written…very informative..and tells the truth of it all..thanks for writing..

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