How Mandatory Minimums Send Innocent People to Prison | Opinions | NowThis

[@otogun3324]

We've known this for decades, only a certain group of people deny it....

[@otogun3324]

@Tina Yael Severinovna M. I don't know ask the NFL or the GOP.

[@Ang.0910]

Known for decades and haven’t fixed it because it’s big business 💰

[@automatonaphobia]

saying a certain group of people doesn't work because people are gonna fill in the blank with their own big bad evil boogeyman group.

[@ninjafit3275]

Just think how many times innocent peoples lives had their life treated like a roll of dice losing the roll.

[@joeschmo4391]

That happened to me.

[@ronaldthornton7902]

Thats F Up too

[@rodniegsm1575]

Ask yourself this question.?? How do you recognise evil.

[@richardtrento7409]

By the time you get to a mandatory minimum scenario, you’ve gone too far

[@MK-tq5ec]

This also is going to hurt minorities worst, and somehow the rich will still escape

[@ennieminee4470]

M K why would it hurt minorities more?

[@davidreyes1336]

That's the point of the system. To keep minorities below and the white man on top.

[@okok-ms2sz]

"it doesn't matter what the client's background is" ???it was even mentioned in the video

[@charliehier8865]

M K, it will hurt all races more!

[@genieglasslamp5028]

@@ennieminee4470 Minority people in America are more likely to be poor and less able to pay bail. That means they stay in prisons even though they havent committed a crime.

[@OLVERABOY]

Bro , imagine going to jail for 15 years just for taking a beer from your cousin’s house.

[@LadyMFUnicorn]

Had this happen twice. The first time I took the deal. The judge only required classes. She knew I was being abused. That I wasn't abusing him. I went to jail for throwing my table at my abusers. The second time, I refused to take the deal. I was jumped(5 people 3 guns), I defended myself. I also got class 3 felony assault with a deadly weapon. I had a sword, they saw it as excessive. My lawyer was pushing the deal. One year in prison, for defending myself. Even said "what if they offer a trip to the Bahamas?" I told him "no , I won't take the deal even if it come with a trip to space!" I was cleared. The so-called victim and witnesses were nowhere to be found. Then the district attorney stated, "that it was self-defense case and they would not win."

[@silentcrow6602]

Im glad you could make it out ok, you're too strong for them! Keep fighting for a peaceful life, and give the middle finger to whoever thinks they can own you.

[@Plague_Doc22]

The reason we have a judge is to apply logic and reason. Otherwise why even have a court system beyond saying guilty or innocent. This takes that away.

[@Plague_Doc22]

@Ky Bee Nor did I say they were..you didnt read it well enough. I'm saying thats WHY t hey're supposed to be there. But like in anything there are flaws.

[@Plague_Doc22]

@Ky Bee Alright fair enough. This is a common issue when you read something as you cant really tell the tone of whats being said.

[@LetsTakeWalk]

Wouldn't this be unconstitutional? "The Eighth Amendment (Amendment VIII) of the United States Constitution prohibits the federal government from imposing excessive bail, excessive fines, or cruel and unusual punishments."

[@kd6dash3dot7]

Except it's not the federal government!

[@LetsTakeWalk]

Bernie 1 State Government still needs to comply to federal law.

[@kd6dash3dot7]

Only if somebody holds them to account!

[@jonstone9741]

A man was sentenced to 15 years for taking a can of beer from a family member's home? I'd say that qualifies as a harsh, excessive, cruel punishment. It's like "Les Miserables." A man served 19 years for stealing a loaf of bread.

[@astf5943]

millions so we can be billions what? The constitution is the guiding document for all American rule of law, not just federal law.

[@TwinFalls88]

this is such a STAIN & SHAME on our nation. Embarrassing coming from a so-called "free society"

[@aBc-123-XyZ]

3:58 15 years for taking a can of beer from family member home. Wow.

[@raytayboogie]

In the same state that Zimmerman was able to walk free of crimes when he took a life. There is no morality in justice

[@dontime8047]

Don't forget about Casey Anthony, the woman who killed her daughter and got acquitted.

[@TwinFalls88]

a jury for of TRASH ppl for ruling guilty. they've never heard of 'jury nullification' ? dumb uneducated ppl in that jury pool....

[@TwinFalls88]

full* of

[@zingbing]

victims have zero say or rights in sentences even if forgiveness or restitution terms would satisfy them. THE KING knows better than the people no matter who or what is harmed if anyone or anything actually is.

[@astf5943]

And when restitution is paid, it is not paid to the victim, it’s paid to the state. It’s so insane.

[@joan5150]

The system takes away any opportunity to fight back 😕

[@maryargenziano5379]

It's devastating and scary. So many families have been destroyed by the system. Nobody understands unless it happens to you or someone you love.

[@snowps1]

Yep, a relative just went to jail this week for 12 years for something he didn't do. Didn't take a plea deal because he didn't want to confess to something he didn't do and ended up with a hillbilly jury conviction with zero physical evidence of guilt. He's on day 3 of 12 years. His family is devastated.

[@S0me11]

I feel like the prosecutor should face charges of treason. Even though they know that person is innocent, but still send them to prison. Not only does it hurt the individual but it hurts the tax payers.

[@rubenr4096]

My biggest fear has always been the justice system here in the US especially being Latino

[@billybegood466]

As long as there are people making profit off of the incarcerated, the system will be flawed in the extreme.

[@ChrisComstock612]

awareness is the first step. so tell everyone

[@TwinFalls88]

true

[@40waterqueenz84]

They been rail roading minorities for decades , so many parents lost there kids so many kids lost there parents . So sad

[@peacebro9859]

Now we are having doubts like who is more threatening to American citizen lives?? American government or IsIs??

[@marlak4253]

America is so far from having a justice system. Mandatory minimums continue because legislators are concerned that their prison lobbyists will complain that they are not providing enough prisoners. The U. S. Criminal Justice System is one of the greatest inhumanities to man. Human bondage for sell is a mainstay of the U. S. economy. We must change this by getting money out of politics. The legislature must have ethical guidelines that serve the people of the nation, not exploit the people and destroy our lives.

[@TwinFalls88]

worse than China. the MOST per capita locked up in the entire world....... in the U.S. EMBERASSING !

[@gmanon1181]

It's all about exercising control over another racial group. Even traffic tickets are treated like that if you don't have a lawyer and even more if you look poor. Most people hire a lawyer or declare themselves guilty and pay a fine. This way, you have no idea of how the law treats people.

[@Ang.0910]

We just barely elected a former public defender to be our District Attorney of SF. Can’t wait to see what he does with the overcrowding and long sentences. FYI his parents are in prison and now he’s our DA so he definitely knows the system. Chesa Boudin.

[@genieglasslamp5028]

Its almost as if when you privatize prisons money becomes a main priority and not justice. Who would've thought?

[@TheGrinningViking]

The ability of judges to offer special exceptions is why upper class folk never go to jail on drug charges and working people do. This video is based on a flawed and incorrect premise, that something that shows the flaws and cruelty in the system should be optional. Making punishments for laws optional means the people making laws will never be affected by them and never fix problems with them. All laws should have mandatory sentencing, and fines a fixed percent of income, it's the only way for things to be fair.

[@TwinFalls88]

thank you. hit the nail right on the head. we have a two tiered CJ system based on.... CLASS !

[@JuanCarlos-wb2ve]

Scary stuff

[@jayh6956]

California Public Defenders work as both Defenders and Prosecutors for the state. They dont put the effort to whole heartily help their clients, yet offer them plea deals that pays fines, community service, or jail time that offers the state financial gain...Regardless of innocence...You can visible see the lawyer work a public defender case to switching to a prosecutor role on the same day after lunch only to put up a more intense effort to prosecute an individual than defend their innocence. Truly a broken system

[@uniquenessentertainment5073]

What sick and twisted is that humanity is the cause of this.

[@Hi.Im.Chucky]

Prison Song - SOAD

[@morph261]

Ive faced this first hand. there really is no choice but to take a lesser deal than risk 10 years even if youre 100% innocent. you cant risk the rest of your life so you take the deal and the DA gets a conviction to keep their conviction rates up which means more money. it also didnt help that im a minority facing one of the states most racist areas and an all white judge and jury of my "peers"

[@kentheengineer592]

Yeah & Prison Is Not How Society Should Be Dealing With Crime

[@tonysinclarenyc]

Did you know that you can invest in prison? And no one has to know... Who's in ??? I know some judges and lawyers... Why do Prison have stock ?

[@IzabellasMama]

Mandatory minimums keep the court system swayed in favor of the prosecution, whether someone is innocent or not. It also removes the neutrality a judge is supposed to have in the criminal justice system. Mandatory minimums must be ended.

[@asapxdnvsty553]

People really think police departments don’t have quotas 😂

[@MrDennisvk]

Welcome in America.

[@leesowden3870]

I bet its private prison they are going too

[@jrconcerned6064]

Exactly

[@theblue5224]

AMERICA THE LAND OF THE FREE If you are part of the richest 2% or a part of the oligarchy

[@Darkthoughts-z7r]

Well, how else can corporations and their political mouthpieces guarantee free labor.

[@bradleybruvva3021]

Not surprising..

[@lifematch]

Someone got in jail for stealing a beer can?

[@chef_saumon3449]

Feels like torture in rhe middle age. They only accept you being guilty even if you dont do it

[@ekomagfed20]

I am glad I managed to leave the worst country with a lot of Dollars. Now I am a free Man enjoying life and my bussineses.

[@a.bourne6386]

This happened to a relative of mine. Corrupt Alabama policies. And he is INNOCENT!

[@dustypan83]

Money talks !

[@lklobs]

The 16 people who downvoted this are like, “I think innocent people belong in prison for years & years!” Like, wut?

[@lklobs]

@SsSs RoBbSs I would love for you to enlighten me (thats only a little sarcastic, I am curious. just have a hard time saying anything without at least a bit of sarcasm)

[@lklobs]

@SsSs RoBbSs I personally didnt get the impression that they were saying plea bargaining itself is whats bad, let alone that it's always bad. What I got from it is that because mandatory minimums (which are not all always third-strike situations) take away any ability for the judge to make a nuanced decision about sentencing, people who are actually innocent of the crime charged will be so afraid of the guaranteed (typically extreme) mandatory minimum sentence will take a guilty plea for a lesser charge. Even if it would have been a third strike, that still doesnt justify charging someone with a crime that they didnt commit. Did I misinterpret some info there?

[@whoagang9239]

In West Texas our justice system is racist and down right dirty.

[@rickgarcia7377]

am the only one annoyed by the aspect ratio of these vids?

[@robertli3600]

The 1800s called, they want their policies back

[@patricialucious5091]

It all has to do with Esau who’s evil and wicked.

[@richardtrento7409]

Innocent people? Cmon

[@asapxdnvsty553]

Quotas

[@pavels5600]

Aren't mandatory minimums to (1) take the sentencing away from both harsh and lenient judges and (2) eliminate a disparity in sentencing among defendants of different races? If so, mandatory minimums are good. I don't have a solution for innocent, poor defendants, who plead guilty due to an overburdened P.D.

[@carlinebarnes6436]

Unless you are a minority

[@marcoantoniorodriguesfaria9952]

pscopata fazendo manha . doente

[@shanonsugges2894]

The prosecutor chooses what your charge with tho. Which could be the difference between petty theft and grand larceny, joyriding and grand theft auto, a fist fight with a kick or assault with a deadly weapon.

[@pavels5600]

@@shanonsugges2894 I don't know enough about the court system. Does the judge have the right to modify the prosecutor's charges? Can the judge, prosecutor and defense attorney agree on how the defendant should be accurately charged? Then, the defendant can enter a guilty plea, or plead innocent and go to a jury trial?

[@loveall503]

Im innocent 😌

[@captzoom1778]

If we have these people in prison why don't we make them better people and make sure they become better people before we let them out All we end up doing now is making them better criminals that's so secret everybody knows it

[@DePraatjesMaker]

Lots of countries have that. America sucks

[@GreenGestalt]

Need to go on Jury Duty. Argue to nullify if the law is unjust or the set encephalitis too harsh. We can't afford this welfare state when they ignore legit criminals who have lawyers and rich who have lobbyists and private islands. Yes, this vid is about plea deal coercion, but sometimes it does go to trial, either a vicious prosecutor or a desperate innocent person the are persecuting.

[@thnksno]

It's real simple to avoid a mandatory minimum sentence, don't crimes that require a 20 year sentence.

[@marcoantoniorodriguesfaria9952]

20 anos pense bem pra quem traiu a América o que diz a Constituição..

[@christinebuckingham8369]

thnksno So i guess you did NOT listen to what was being said?? INNOCENT people are locked up!

[@marcoantoniorodriguesfaria9952]

@@christinebuckingham8369 nocente e um bey be o resto , bay bay .

[@thnksno]

@@christinebuckingham8369 No, the sentence is only applied after proof of guilt is made. Just the same as a 10-20. I can't help that people are stupid and would plea bargain if they're truly innocent. Welcome to public edumacation and liberalism, a sure way to end up innocent and in jail. Lol!

[@amersiraz7455]

thnksno lol u think u are smart but u r not

[@abrahamali115]

These laws are sending innocent people to prison. 😆😆😆😆 ...

[@bigrichy45]

I don't get it. Is that funny or are you a moron? I'm guessing the second one. 👍

[@khadijahmuhammad4771]

What's funny about that?

[@majdavojnikovic]

@@khadijahmuhammad4771 it's a Joker laughter.

[@Blackjack09721]

Anything to keep a version of slavery going, up until present day. Just waiting for the Mandingo fights.

[@houseofpain3580]

God bless🇺🇸prisons🔫deportations.

[@rubenr4096]

House ofPain god bless your white daughters 🙏

[@houseofpain3580]

@@rubenr4096 "God" not "god."

[@christinebuckingham8369]

House ofPain WHAT does that even mean?? 🙄