Comments on: Back to Mississippi http://www.theagitator.com/2007/12/21/back-to-mississippi/ It rankles me when somebody tries to tell somebody what to do. Thu, 28 Aug 2008 10:28:25 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Nick T http://www.theagitator.com/2007/12/21/back-to-mississippi/#comment-66940 Nick T Fri, 21 Dec 2007 17:15:44 +0000 http://www.theagitator.com/2007/12/21/back-to-mississippi/#comment-66940 Oh and as for victim's rights people... Next time you hear them pipe up, ask them exactly what rights a victim should have. The only one I can think of would be a very vague and broad "right to particpate in the prosecution of the crime." But a right to testify? No. A right to have SOMEONE convicted? obviously not. A right to be made whole? Impossible. A right to direct the prosecution to the point of determining who gets prosecuted, or what theories are employed? Hahahaha. Of course they should be involved in the process and assisted but what exactly would their RIGHT be? Oh and as for victim’s rights people… Next time you hear them pipe up, ask them exactly what rights a victim should have. The only one I can think of would be a very vague and broad “right to particpate in the prosecution of the crime.” But a right to testify? No. A right to have SOMEONE convicted? obviously not. A right to be made whole? Impossible. A right to direct the prosecution to the point of determining who gets prosecuted, or what theories are employed? Hahahaha.

Of course they should be involved in the process and assisted but what exactly would their RIGHT be?

]]> By: Billy Beck http://www.theagitator.com/2007/12/21/back-to-mississippi/#comment-66939 Billy Beck Fri, 21 Dec 2007 17:12:20 +0000 http://www.theagitator.com/2007/12/21/back-to-mississippi/#comment-66939 "Assuming that the prosecution is truly speaking for the family, it amazes me sometimes that the victims’ families are so eager to jump to conclusions so that they can have 'closure'." This is exactly what happened in the Vince Foster case. Allan J. Favish FOIA petitioned for death-scene photographs. The OIC (Ken Starr) fought him all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court largely on the grounds stated here, and won. “Assuming that the prosecution is truly speaking for the family, it amazes me sometimes that the victims’ families are so eager to jump to conclusions so that they can have ‘closure’.”

This is exactly what happened in the Vince Foster case. Allan J. Favish FOIA petitioned for death-scene photographs. The OIC (Ken Starr) fought him all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court largely on the grounds stated here, and won.

]]> By: Nick T http://www.theagitator.com/2007/12/21/back-to-mississippi/#comment-66938 Nick T Fri, 21 Dec 2007 17:12:02 +0000 http://www.theagitator.com/2007/12/21/back-to-mississippi/#comment-66938 This is truly disgraceful. what a dishonest and pathetic argument by a prosecutor who has clearly never read the ethical obligations that apply to his position. Clearly the defendant has a due process right to have his own expert examine the body, otherwise the evidence is not exposed to the light of day, as the medical expert who is the only gateway to that evidednce once it is disposed of is an agent of the state. Moreover, there is no question that the right to challenge and test the evidence against you at your criminal trial outweighs the right of a family to bury their loved ones in a timely manner (or even at all). I know this is so because only one of those rights is, you know, ETCHED IN THE FRICKIN' CONSTITUTION!! Just unreal. Anyway, I am off to court to file a motion to get state funds to hire a psychological expert in my client's family 9civil) case. The judge will look at it for 4 seconds and grant it. That's Mass for ya. Our system is far from perfect but at least we try to give poor people quality representation. This is truly disgraceful. what a dishonest and pathetic argument by a prosecutor who has clearly never read the ethical obligations that apply to his position. Clearly the defendant has a due process right to have his own expert examine the body, otherwise the evidence is not exposed to the light of day, as the medical expert who is the only gateway to that evidednce once it is disposed of is an agent of the state.

Moreover, there is no question that the right to challenge and test the evidence against you at your criminal trial outweighs the right of a family to bury their loved ones in a timely manner (or even at all). I know this is so because only one of those rights is, you know, ETCHED IN THE FRICKIN’ CONSTITUTION!! Just unreal.

Anyway, I am off to court to file a motion to get state funds to hire a psychological expert in my client’s family 9civil) case. The judge will look at it for 4 seconds and grant it. That’s Mass for ya. Our system is far from perfect but at least we try to give poor people quality representation.

]]> By: Zeb http://www.theagitator.com/2007/12/21/back-to-mississippi/#comment-66932 Zeb Fri, 21 Dec 2007 16:42:07 +0000 http://www.theagitator.com/2007/12/21/back-to-mississippi/#comment-66932 Victim's rights people piss me off. If you are going to feel better because the person who is accused of harming your loved one suffers, then you are almost as bad as they are. Even worse if you won't allow a proper investigation to happen. Victim’s rights people piss me off. If you are going to feel better because the person who is accused of harming your loved one suffers, then you are almost as bad as they are. Even worse if you won’t allow a proper investigation to happen.

]]> By: MikeT http://www.theagitator.com/2007/12/21/back-to-mississippi/#comment-66927 MikeT Fri, 21 Dec 2007 16:20:23 +0000 http://www.theagitator.com/2007/12/21/back-to-mississippi/#comment-66927 CL has a good point. You'd have to be one trusting parent to not let your daughter's body be properly examined in this case. After all, it's just a body now--an empty shell. If you are going to get justice done to the perpetrator, there must be no doubt that the person who does time or is put to death for the evil done to your child. The family also has a moral obligation to do its part to ensure that justice is done, in order to help ensure that the perpetrator never has a chance to murder another person. CL has a good point. You’d have to be one trusting parent to not let your daughter’s body be properly examined in this case. After all, it’s just a body now–an empty shell. If you are going to get justice done to the perpetrator, there must be no doubt that the person who does time or is put to death for the evil done to your child. The family also has a moral obligation to do its part to ensure that justice is done, in order to help ensure that the perpetrator never has a chance to murder another person.

]]> By: CL http://www.theagitator.com/2007/12/21/back-to-mississippi/#comment-66926 CL Fri, 21 Dec 2007 15:59:41 +0000 http://www.theagitator.com/2007/12/21/back-to-mississippi/#comment-66926 Assuming that the prosecution is truly speaking for the family, it amazes me sometimes that the victims' families are so eager to jump to conclusions so that they can have "closure". I've never been in the situation where a loved one was murdered, but I'm pretty sure I'd rather know for a fact that the actual perpetrator was caught, even if it takes a long time to do that. Without diminishing the harm caused by wrongful convictions to the accused, it seems like we also need to emphasize that this is a disservice to the victims' families as it means real criminals are walking the streets. Just curious -- where are the "victim's rights" folks on this issue? CL Assuming that the prosecution is truly speaking for the family, it amazes me sometimes that the victims’ families are so eager to jump to conclusions so that they can have “closure”. I’ve never been in the situation where a loved one was murdered, but I’m pretty sure I’d rather know for a fact that the actual perpetrator was caught, even if it takes a long time to do that. Without diminishing the harm caused by wrongful convictions to the accused, it seems like we also need to emphasize that this is a disservice to the victims’ families as it means real criminals are walking the streets.

Just curious — where are the “victim’s rights” folks on this issue?

CL

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