Our The U.S. justice system was created so everyone could have equal rights and be judged fairly; then why is it sparking fear in us? An estimated 40,000-100,000 people are wrongfully convicted of crimes in the US currently (and are still being held in prison for “their crimes”), and 130 people are wrongfully convicted and on death row as of 2013. It is not right and there are reasons why it can not be trusted. Evolving forensic science has led countless people to walk free over the years as well as conclusions that were just painfully incorrect or stretched a bit too far for the courtroom. This system has changed so much that people would rather confess to a crime out of fear of worse punishment by our own laws. In spite of many believing
…show more content…
The Odyssey Online says, “It is one in which who you are does not matter; your age, sex, and race do not determine verdicts in our system! While in some instances unfair verdicts are issued because of these factors it is unlikely because of the tremendous strides our country has taken to progress and this is why ultimately I trust the American Justice System!” It is true that America has taken steps to make sure that we are as unbiased as possible, so everyone is judged fairly and so no one should have to fear the system. Nevertheless, I’m sure those elected for jury duty or even judges may be prejudiced against one or more distinct groups of people. No one can actually filter all bias. Yet, one can even go as far back as the Bill of Rights (Amendment VI) which says, “By an impartial jury of the state and district wherein the crime should have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law,” to find evidence that even our founding fathers wanted us to treat everyone the same. This amendment fragment means that the jurors have to be unprejudiced and the trial must occur where the crime happened or it would be at the expense of the accused. These restrictions obviously have to be honored because it is against the law to do otherwise. However straightforward and equitable our justice system is, there are still reasons to …show more content…
For instance, a 1981 case where three people were convicted of arson was proven faulty because of outdated and misinterpreted evidence. The accused were jailed for 25 years. One of the men died in prison, and another lost his sight because of an untreated condition. After all, improper forensic science is the leading cause of wrongful conviction; in the FBI from 1972-1999, almost every forensic examiner has presented inaccurate information or “stretched the science”, according to the Huffington Post. Certain evidence has been accepted as part of the court for a very long time, no one ever questioning it, but maybe it should be taken with a grain of
The Odyssey Online says, “It is one in which who you are does not matter; your age, sex, and race do not determine verdicts in our system! While in some instances unfair verdicts are issued because of these factors it is unlikely because of the tremendous strides our country has taken to progress and this is why ultimately I trust the American Justice System!” It is true that America has taken steps to make sure that we are as unbiased as possible, so everyone is judged fairly and so no one should have to fear the system. Nevertheless, I’m sure those elected for jury duty or even judges may be prejudiced against one or more distinct groups of people. No one can actually filter all bias. Yet, one can even go as far back as the Bill of Rights (Amendment VI) which says, “By an impartial jury of the state and district wherein the crime should have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law,” to find evidence that even our founding fathers wanted us to treat everyone the same. This amendment fragment means that the jurors have to be unprejudiced and the trial must occur where the crime happened or it would be at the expense of the accused. These restrictions obviously have to be honored because it is against the law to do otherwise. However straightforward and equitable our justice system is, there are still reasons to …show more content…
For instance, a 1981 case where three people were convicted of arson was proven faulty because of outdated and misinterpreted evidence. The accused were jailed for 25 years. One of the men died in prison, and another lost his sight because of an untreated condition. After all, improper forensic science is the leading cause of wrongful conviction; in the FBI from 1972-1999, almost every forensic examiner has presented inaccurate information or “stretched the science”, according to the Huffington Post. Certain evidence has been accepted as part of the court for a very long time, no one ever questioning it, but maybe it should be taken with a grain of