You may have never dropped the case, but how would you have assured a conviction without evidence?

Without evidence? Without evidence?! There were 3 witnesses! What the fuck kind of evidence do you want in rape cases, if 3 witnesses aren’t enough?

The California rape laws might be perfect on paper, but if the DAs think that 3 witnesses is “insufficient evidence” then rape is effectively legal.

You may have never dropped the case, but how would you have assured a conviction without evidence?

I’m not trying to goad you, I’m speaking as someone within the system who has seen both its good and bad sides. And I honestly wanted to know what tangible changes you thought were reasonable and appropriate, and it appears that CA has exactly what you are advocating already in place.

Life sometimes hands up shitty things, it doesn’t make it a conspiracy.

Again. The end.

Right are not these all or nothing things. We all have rights up to some point. That point varies depending on the situation.

Just for some perspective

County-wide, year-to-date, we have entered 69,862 misdemeanor and felony level police reports into our DA tracking system (I noted the number when I left the office on Wed. It took us to 12/28 last year to reach that number). Traffic infractions don’t come through our office.

and it is not Los Angeles County.

How would you change the law (and I gave you CA’s relevant penal code section) in a way that would affect how evidence is gathered, evaluated and charges filed?

In DA Carr’s case she had promised to change her office’s culture from a win-at-all-cost attitude. That’s actually a good thing because DAs, Public Defenders and Private Defense attorneys are all considered officers of the court and their first responsibility is to justice. The burden of proof is always with The People. The defense only has to present reasonable doubt. That’s the way our system works. Not perfect but would you want the burden to switch to the defense? That innocence be proven rather than guilt?

You can see what harm happens to paint all DA’s as “screw the facts I wanna win and I don’t care who I destroy on the way” villans with the Nifong hoax debacle.

I’ve been lucky enough to work for the last nine years in a very busy, but filled with good people, DA office in So Cal. We also have great Victim/Witness advocates that go the extra mile. Sexual assault/Rape/domestic violence is treated very seriously … one of the few areas of crime that is prosecuted vertically or out of a special dedicated unit. Also, the only area of crime in which the victim’s name and personal information is kept out of the court files … including off the complaint.

The media likes the sensational, so the wobbler cases get the press but all the slam dunk ones …where the perp faced with irrefutable evidence pleas rather than take it to court … go unnoticed.

Go volunteer at your local DA office sometime. Spend at least six months on the job, talking with the DA’s and clerks and see what happens that never makes Law and Order where stuff goes from crime to conviction in 60 minutes. I really wish a lot more people paid attention to the nuts-n-bolts judicial system. Maybe then they wouldn’t be taking pains to get out of jury duty.

Well that sound nice, but somehow the rape cases coming out of the region tell a different story. I certainly do wish that you were right, though. It would be nice, and the best news I’ve heard in a long time. But unfortunately . . .

And chad? Don’t try to tell me how I think or feel about anything, hm? Especially when you’re just flat-out wrong.

The first part of that comment was for Cara. Sorry that wasn’t clear.

family = familiar