I have heard criticisms over the years that usually go something like this: Why tell people who have been arrested for drunk driving how to “beat” the system? Aren’t you ashamed to help these people get off? Drunk drivers hurt and kill people all the time, they need to be punished.
Well, to some degree I agree. I’m as concerned about the harm people do to others due to their criminal behavior as anyone else. On the other hand, isn’t it true that a person accused of a crime is innocent until proven guilty? If we take away the rights of people accused of drunk driving, where does it stop? Should people who speed lose their rights because speeders get into more accidents and hurt more people than those who do not speed? Once we start taking away people’s rights, there is no end to the loss of liberty.
We all have certain rights – the right to be silent, the right to speak with an attorney, the right to a jury of our peers, etc. These rights form the foundation of our criminal justice system. We must preserve these rights, and honor everyone’s right to exercise them. Using our protected rights is not “beating the system”, it is making the system live up to its promise to each of us – you are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Thanks for letting me rant a little. I know how frustrating it seems when people get off with a slap on the hand. The truth is, the system almost always works. It is
