Please do not quote:Despite last time not working out so well....
The watchdogs checking and balancing police practice and procedure are underfunded, unpopular, and undermined: defense attorneys.
I almost linked the John Oliver segment on Public Defenders....
About 92% of crim. cases in the US are plea bargained. Trials aren't really funded. Forgetting money, there's not enough courtrooms, judges, prosecutors, defense attorneys, bailiffs, investigators, or infrastructure. Insufficient (unfunded) courtroom hours. Imagine "just" doubling the number of trials (down to 84% plea rate), nevermind x10. Impossible without funding and infrastructure.
Public Defender / Appointed Counsel is a dangerous, degraded, demanding, and not least of all defunded job with often impossible and opposing goals. System wants more cases done, with implicitly less individual attention, at no cost. Client wants more individual attention on his / her case, implicitly excluding other cases, at no cost. Impossible, unfunded, fundamentally opposed goals.... Something's gotta give. Uncountable threats of bodily harm and death from dangerous people are just "expected" as part of these jobs. Society thinks you're scum for defending these people, at all. Debt is astronomical. Pay is microscopic. No one will respect you, at all. Do not become a lawyer kids....
Even Police and Prosecution often lack support and training, and some say "why bother with a 90% + plea rate?" Budget cuts.... Police Officer should be, but often isn't, a full time, living wage job (though requiring a crim justice degree and dangerous conditions). We're basically throwing almost all of society's many messes at this and somehow wondering why screw ups happen. I'm honestly surprised there aren't more screw ups given the circumstances. How is anyone surprised at an under-resourced, stressed, overburdened system having problems? As opposed to what, resourcing it properly for better results?
Unfed watchdogs guarding justice.... What could go wrong?
P.S. I know some
damn good Police Officers out there, who don't need criticism, but rather a hand. If people actually want these problems solved, then we need to focus on enabling the system to properly operate under the immense stress out there. Solutions focus.... Address how to properly handle Police interactions (yes that certainly includes how the public should interact with Police too). No, it isn't simple. We should want improvement, not blood. One would help, the other won't.
Please do not quote: