At the April 2 Volusia County Council meeting and one other meeting last year, Councilman Don Dempsey said in his 34 years as a prosecutor and defense attorney, he had seen people who were innocent take a plea deal rather than play Russian roulette with a jury. As a result of so many crimes now having mandatory minimum sentences, some pundits feel the U.S. no longer has a trial-by-jury system.
Game of Thrones’ star Joseph Gatt was charged with a sex offense that appears to be based on fabricated evidence. Since the L.A. District Attorney’s Office would not perform what Gatt felt was a thorough investigation of the alleged crime, he had to hire his own forensic expert to do the work.
Gatt had the money to prove that the evidence had been fabricated by an obsessed fan, but most people do not and are forced into a plea deal, knowing they never committed a sex crime.
A guilty person being set free from any punishment is abhorrent to a civilized society, but punishing an innocent person is even worse.
Good ole John Adams is right in many ways “Our Constitution was made only for moral and religious people, it is wholly inadequate to the government and any other.”- John Adams
Truth will never be free until government understands truth.
I’m an innocent man on Florida’s sex offender registry because a federal agent lied under oath to obtain my indictment and conviction for simple possession of CP. I played “Russian Roulette” and lost with a guilty verdict that was based on (1) false testimony; (2) a federal prosecutor violating a court order by withholding exculpatory and impeachment evidence from my defense; (3) failure of the prosecutor to correct his agent’s false testimony (ie subornation of perjury); and more. Because I went to trial, I have the transcripts that prove what I’ve posted here. Confronted with these facts, the US Probation Office recently requested the court terminate my lifetime supervised release early. This rarely happens. The court agreed to do so but sealed the record so nobody can have access to their request without going through him. Very suspicious because the judge originally sentenced me to prison time plus lifetime supervision based on me maintaining my innocence. The feds are used to people taking plea deals. In fact, they apply great pressure on defendants to induce guilty pleas. That tactic didnt work on me but I lost everything as a result. Kudos to the probation officer who had the courage to sign the request. Nice of that officer to give me a copy for my records since the court sealed it.
People forced to register are innocent of what the registry attempts to prevent.
Two quotes by John Adams:
It’s of more importance to community that innocence should be protected than it is that guilt should be punished.
We are to look upon it as more beneficial, that many guilty persons should escape unpunished, than one innocent person should suffer.