Aresholes con a jury, part two

[Indiana_Jones]

This thread is fucked, the Jury said they didn't do it, get on with your life, the bitch lied,

I shoplifted once and afterwards felt pretty bad about it and havn't done it since, if someone accuses me of it again does it make me guilty of every accusation that gets thrown my way?

who's to say they didn't bust her for something when she was younger and she's held a grudge ever since and now has had the chance to exact her revenge? all a woman has to do now days is cry wolf and a mans life is ruined, have you ever had a psycho girlfriend? thay can cause alot of shit just because they can.

12 people who know these guys have been accused of this before looked at all of the evidence and decided they didn't do it, maybe just mabe they didn't, but you want to hang them because they may have done in the past, I'm really glad your not part of the justice system

I agree, bling awarded.

-Indy

[terbang]

Yeah right and if we all stood around blindly believing 12 people then the likes of Arthur Alan Thomas would still be in jail or have spent a lot longer than he did.

[Damon]

Yeah right and if we all stood around blindly believing 12 people then the likes of Arthur Alan Thomas would still be in jail or have spent a lot longer than he did.

and if we all stood around beliving what 1 person said based simply on someones past then we would all be in trouble

[James Deuce]

Yeah right and if we all stood around blindly believing 12 people then the likes of Arthur Alan Thomas would still be in jail or have spent a lot longer than he did.

AAT was convicted because of evidence introduced by the Detective prosecuting the case, some of which he made or up or the links between exhibits A & B were so tenuous as to be of no use.

The jury wrongly convicted him because the Prosecution made up a case against him.

A small number of wrongful convictions compared to the vast majority correct cases doesn't mean that the whole system doesn;t work.

AAT needs to be thankful that his case didn't happen 13 years earlier. It's pointless pardoning someone who has been executed for a wrongful murder conviction.

[Bloody Mad Woman (BMW)]

Having served on several juries, you are instructed that your verdict "must be beyond reasonable doubt" based on the evidence put before you. We all knew in one case the guy was guilty but there was doubt with the some of the evidence put before us. One member of the jury just stuck to his "he's fkn guilty" and wouldn't budge from that so we had a hung jury.

Woman that are raped don't get justice in this country - and this case just deters woman even more from coming forward. The emotional trauma of the rape itself is bad enough - but a court case as well - the latter is the most horrifying and traumatic thing I have ever experienced - and something I will never ever go thru again. I have experienced murders, deaths, divorce - nothing matched the court experience.

[terbang]

A small number of wrongful convictions compared to the vast majority correct cases doesn't mean that the whole system doesn;t work.

True, but should we chastise and redicule those that 'prod' or question to test it's worth. Too many people in all walks of life blindly follow the law and would follow it to oblivion. I've done all sorts of psyche tests in my career and one thing that often pops up is that I am a little anti authority. Obviously not too bad as I was chosen to command Royal flights. However that side of me will allways see me question any situation. And I question this one based on some personal acquaintances..

[James Deuce]

And I question this one based on some personal acquaintances..

If you had proof you should have come forward before the trial ended.

Btw, I'm not trying to pick on you. Once upon a time we regarded ourselves as citizens and made it our business understand how our country worked, and contributed what we could, when we could.

Now we have rights. Rights are quickly becoming a byword for "excusable ignorance".

[Winston001]

If I was accused of theft and had a history of it wouldn't that be relavent..? It shows a pattern of behaviour.
So a person who has a lifetime pattern of paedophilia, perhaps in and out of jail throughout his life, could face a jury and say "oh no it was a one off accidental mistake' and get a lighter sentence as a result.

A very fair question and at the heart of the public outcry.

Firstly, every person has the right to be tried only on the facts of whatever they are charged with. Previous accusations and convictions are not evidence that the new charge must be true.

Secondly, there is an exception which is rarely available, but it can happen. "Similar fact evidence" can be admitted of previous convictions where the similarity of past offending is very high. So a rapist who always binds his victim's hands with red rope, bites a particular area, and uses a specific method will be confronted with previous rape convictions - but only if the specific methods exist in the present charge. Tough luck if he used blue rope for a change...............

The example of pedophilia is a good one because it is one of the categories of crime where offenders tend to have specific patterns and thus previous convictions can be brought out in court. Nevertheless it is still a rare procedure.

[MisterD]

I wonder if their good character as policemen (Rickard tried to wear his uniform on one occasion) was also witheld evidence because it may have affected the Jury's decicion.

Their good character as policeman is something that the defence could choose to bring up - but obviously wouldn't because that would give the prosecution the chance to ask for previous conviction evidence to be introduced to refute that.

[terbang]

Oh and just to refresh a few memory's, Louise Nicholas did compain all those years ago and it became a whitewash because she was a kid and they were cops. The NZ police took a lot from this woman then and when they finally tried to do the right thing (good for them) memories had faded and stories and alibis were well practiced by those who had been trained in investigation. Two ex cops and the assistant police commisioner.

[Guitana]

It would be interesting to hear what Aurther Alan Thomas would have to say about that quote.

That's not fair he was stitched up by some clever people!!!

[Lissa]

This thread is fucked, the Jury said they didn't do it, get on with your life, the bitch lied,

I shoplifted once and afterwards felt pretty bad about it and havn't done it since, if someone accuses me of it again does it make me guilty of every accusation that gets thrown my way?

who's to say they didn't bust her for something when she was younger and she's held a grudge ever since and now has had the chance to exact her revenge? all a woman has to do now days is cry wolf and a mans life is ruined, have you ever had a psycho girlfriend? thay can cause alot of shit just because they can.

12 people who know these guys have been accused of this before looked at all of the evidence and decided they didn't do it, maybe just mabe they didn't, but you want to hang them because they may have done in the past, I'm really glad your not part of the justice system

Wait on.... How much guts does it take to come forward and say that a "policeman" raped you? You arent going to accuse someone of rape just because you have a grudge, let alone someone so powerful.... dont you think that her life has been ruined by all this? Do you think it was easy for her to reveal that part of her life. If she was raped dont you think her life was ruined and scarred from that very moment? I take exception to you saying that all a women has to do is Cry Wolf and a mans life is ruined... crap. Yes it has happened before... and those women are usually found out... and charged with whatever.

I just hope this isnt going to stop alot of rape victims from coming forward.... to have to go to trial and look your rapist in the eye... the very person who took away your dignity and your rights. Couldnt think of anything worse... and have the media and the rest of New Zealand judging you because of it.

[Bloody Mad Woman (BMW)]

Ditto Lissa Thx - put very well. With respect - men will never understand what rape does to a woman.

[Ixion]

..? I take exception to you saying that all a women has to do is Cry Wolf and a mans life is ruined... crap. Yes it has happened before... and those women are usually found out... and charged with whatever.
...

I don't think those complainants are ever charged with anything. Certainly nothing much, at most a "wasting police time".

The other scenario is when a woman gets "carried away" and later regrets what has happened. Or, when she starts out willing, and then things go beyond what she anticipated. Which is probably what happened in these cases.

BTW, men get raped too. Or does that not count?

[SlashWylde]

If you want a Police state then form a Political party (register it for $500) and then campaign on that basis.

This isn't a case of 'well thats the law, who are we to question it'.

The prosecution failed to raise enough evidence to convict.

Sounds to me that you'd prefer a society where Habeas Corpus is rescinded. Not a place where I'd want to live.

That place is called the United States of America.