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re: Massachusetts prosecutors do their part: Pouncey subpoenaed to testify in AH case
Just to give you a quick personal example of this kind of throwing on charges and seeing what sticks at trial (or so that you'll be forced to plea out at a higher percentage, thinking that you're getting a 'deal'), I was picked up at the typical kind of high school party back some 20 yrs ago.
We were all seniors, there was the typical drinking, fighting, a little pot smoking, girls...you know the scene well. The "typical" Friday night post-football kind of party that takes place in every single town in the country.
As the police entered the residence, some of us were 18 yrs old, while others were only 17 at the time--depending upon your specific birthday and the time of the year. Obviously not everyone who is in the same class is of the exact same age, as that it pretty much a no-brainer.
I was charged with the semi-serious charge of "corruption of the morals of a minor" since I was 18 and there were 17 yrs old present, since I was viewed as a legal adult in the eyes of the law. When we went to the initial preliminary hearing the judge literally laughed out loud and immediately dismissed the case without prejudice or future record, but this is yet another prime example of a district attorney hoping to charge a person with anything they deem worth a shot, then hoping to see whatever sticks in the end. It tends to raise their odds a bit, I suppose; and yes--it's definitely an abuse of the law on a tremendous scale.
However, the prosecutor's power to sweep people into a mountain of legal 'hell' is abused. And I think people, at least some, would be shocked to find out just how often it is abused.
Just to give you a quick personal example of this kind of throwing on charges and seeing what sticks at trial (or so that you'll be forced to plea out at a higher percentage, thinking that you're getting a 'deal'), I was picked up at the typical kind of high school party back some 20 yrs ago.
We were all seniors, there was the typical drinking, fighting, a little pot smoking, girls...you know the scene well. The "typical" Friday night post-football kind of party that takes place in every single town in the country.
As the police entered the residence, some of us were 18 yrs old, while others were only 17 at the time--depending upon your specific birthday and the time of the year. Obviously not everyone who is in the same class is of the exact same age, as that it pretty much a no-brainer.
I was charged with the semi-serious charge of "corruption of the morals of a minor" since I was 18 and there were 17 yrs old present, since I was viewed as a legal adult in the eyes of the law. When we went to the initial preliminary hearing the judge literally laughed out loud and immediately dismissed the case without prejudice or future record, but this is yet another prime example of a district attorney hoping to charge a person with anything they deem worth a shot, then hoping to see whatever sticks in the end. It tends to raise their odds a bit, I suppose; and yes--it's definitely an abuse of the law on a tremendous scale.











