Prosecutors: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO)

John Oliver explains how prosecutors use, or in some cases misuse, their power within our criminal justice system and why it’s important to know whether or not your district attorney is a dog.
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[@TheOneTestPrep]

I am an African American man who has a child from a girl I dated in college. I moved to the Tampa area from Atlanta to be with my son and help raise him. One day after visitation with him, me and my now wife were dropping him off to his mother when the mother told me to move out of the doorway so that she could go tell my now wife that she is pregnant with my second child (a lie). I stood in the doorway and told her to not do this. Long story short, later that night (3 hours later) she called the police and said I assaulted her by standing in front of the open door. I have never assaulted anyone ever and I am now a licensed psychotherapist and help people with their emotional and behavioral problems. I had to go to court and Glenn Beck's wife was the prosecutor. She threatened me with a year in prison if I went to trial. I had a public defender. A very smart and assertive African American woman. The jury of "my peers" was 6 white men and women. I was found unanimously not guilty. A guilty verdict would had precluded me from ever being a therapist again and had me spend a year in prison. I have NEVER been convicted of anything other than driving violations and am SO thankful I took it to trial and that my public defender was well prepared.

[@ryangaskin6319]

Could've ended really badly... I'm glad it didn't

[@kenudice9841]

One Love Counseling I think the only reason you were not found guilty is because of your education credentials. In these situations men are usually assumed guilty by default in most domestic abuse cases; Also African American Men have very high conviction verdicts in the legal system. Long story short, you’re a unicorn 🦄.

[@randylongstreet8398]

I lived in that area, you got REALLY lucky.

[@johngordon6792]

This was a great story! Thank you for sharing. I am glad everything worked out for you.

[@ShiningSpear]

Holy shit, glad everything worked out for you.

[@Keylanb]

A prosecutor once told me. "My job is to get a conviction by any means necessary and let the truth fall where it may" That is the problem with this system

[@Keylanb]

True. Except the defense attorney doesn't hold the power a prosecutor does! You have never heard the news say "What happens next is up to the defense attorney"

[@j.g.2543]

Keylan Bankston TM So the thing is is that Prosecutors and defense attorneys are not under any circumstances supposed to make decisions on the guilt/innocence of defendants. That is the Jury and or Judges job. Attorneys are 100% biased because they have to be.

[@Keylanb]

Again true. But a study done by the Ohio State Bar Association & Cornell University showed that statistically speaking judges accept prosecutors reccomendations 92% of the time. That number is staggering. Judges base their opinion almost soley off of what the prosecutors say. Sure the defendants have a jury to help level this out when on trial but the jury is also heavily influenced by the prosecution! Prosecutors are notorious for bending facts, cutting deals & holding behind door meetings with judges in order to secure a conviction, before a trial, by using the pressure of high risk sentences in order to secure that conviction, whether guilt is present or not. This is corruption at its finest. The problem is that prosecutors should not be looking for a high conviction rate but a high truth finding rate. Their convictions are incentivized and this is the core of the whole rotten apple

[@DaBigBrozer]

Noah Wetjen they decide the 95% of cases that don't go to trial though...

[@Keylanb]

Emma With The Gs..... Wrong. You are innocent until proven guilty in this country not the other way around. Read all of my comments to broaden you views on this

[@urmajerk]

Watching this after RBG has died, it still feels unreal. "Please don't die." The fact that our system depends on one person is terrible.

[@qaadussy1795]

For real

[@bunnysmile1o1]

For Fucking Real.

[@lordoftheducks332]

I was about to say, the “please don’t die” bit is something that has aged like soup. Kinda the same after 2 years but it’s concerning that it’s stayed the same over such a long time

[@lunarmy1336]

I was just about to say that that joke is no longer funny cause its too real

[@1draigon]

Honestly, she didn’t want to step down under Obama. Everyone knew she was going to die but she didn’t want to make space.

[@gagaplex]

Those "tough on crime"-folks should remember: Every wrong conviction means one more criminal free to continue their crimes. Getting it right is more important than getting the win.

[@piotrd.4850]

Which part of "tough on crime" you missed - especially, the "on CRIME" ?

[@thecalmbeforethemaelstrom]

@@piotrd.4850 They didn't miss anything. "Tough on crime" is just code for "Overpolicing poor predominantly nonwhite neighborhoods" and "meet arrest/ticketing quotas to secure funding for your police departments."

[@randomstuff-qu7sh]

@@thecalmbeforethemaelstrom Its also political. People fear crime, especially violent crime. Politicians use that fear to get elected by claiming they're tough on crime. Once in office, having a high conviction rate lets them claim that they're accomplishing that goal. Wrongful convictions get comparatively little air time. And, as you pointed out, the people predominantly victimized by false convictions are those with the least power, those in poor and mostly non white neighborhoods. When you consider that for profit prisons are a thing, there's also perverse incentives for keeping jails full.

[@KuariThunderclaw]

@@piotrd.4850 They missed none of it. The part you missed that was thoroughly demonstrated in this video was that "tough on crime" for prosecutors tends to translate to winning cases at all cost even if it means hiding evidence that'll cast doubt on the case. And it's all about mindset. If you're going into a job like a DA to be "tough on crime" rather than with an objective lens? Then well.. you're not going to be objective. And the consequence of not being objective is often being wrong.

[@kidlewinter5027]

More than that have you thought about that wrongfully imprisoning for long periods of time or even killing innocent people is terrible and essentially the same as certain things that are considered crimes like y’know KIDNAPPING and MURDER but we don’t consider it that when the system is the culprit?.. Maybe an innocent person being wrongly held against their will or killed actually is criminal enough on its own it’s just that they aren’t the criminal

[@CometX-ing]

Stories like these make me sick. That guy who just dismissed a guy who lost 30 years of his life while under the fear that he would be executed is a real piece of shit.

[@InfiniteUmbra]

He really is. I would love to see someone smack the fuck outta that piece of shit, putting him in a 15 year coma that he wakes up from only to have a day left to live.

[@PY5RA]

"30 years in prison = delayed justice". The fk is up with that shit.

[@BewareTheLilyOfTheValley]

A. D. It technically is delayed justice but it shouldn't have been had his case been reviewed properly the first time.

[@akmal94ibrahim]

Fluffymiyster If the guy is given back his 30 years, then that is delayed justice. This is still injustice.

[@Studybud0990]

Fluffymiyster dealayed Justice is a political correctness word for these DA's to say that they Fucked up but it's not their fault,. Technical terms are not GOD made, they are people made and evil people like this. Making a term doesn't make it a law .... Be aware or remain dumb

[@ZeppelinBigFan]

It pisses me off that defense attorneys often get shit for defending "the bad guys", while prosecutors get away with putting away innocent people. The system is so broken.

[@hazukichanx408]

The Ace Attorney series - while originally criticizing the japanese legal system, which works a little differently, though... not that much, it seems, to be honest - brings up the silliness of this systemic problem, a lot. In the recent Spirit of Justice, it even depicts a country where defence attorneys are literally considered evil scum who defend criminals, and if the defendant is found guilty, the attorney suffers the same penalty (often execution). Bet the prosecutors mentioned in this video would just love to see a rule like that added to the already-broken system...

[@mariacupo4937]

Excellent point. It also irritates the fuck outta me when people bad mouth defense attorneys. These people believe in 'innocent until proven guilty, yet they don't even see the hypocritical irony in not fully understanding what a defense attorney does.

[@BaldingClamydia]

That's dark considering how quickly you'd go through defenders, pretty soon you wouldn't have any knowledgeable ones left!

[@hazukichanx408]

+BaldingClamydia - Just so. Which suited the dictatorial theocratic ruler of the country just fine; she could finger any enemy she liked and have her usually-unopposed prosecutors "prove" the person's guilt so they can then be killed or thrown in prison on her whim. A frightening possibility for any country where people place too much trust in broken systems!

[@robertmattison1282]

Broken is more than that.

[@chengarqordath]

Ouch, all the “please don’t die” jokes about RBG hurt now.

[@TucsonsGotTalent]

Yeah I just got to it.... big oof. Wish she'd retired in 2014.

[@GarrettXHolder]

10:27

[@areyoutheregod]

Came here to say this

[@serenabean868]

Even more so now! Ugh good bye rights(I’m lgbtq+)

[@wolfexer8250]

@@serenabean868 And bye abortion.

[@jul7985]

If you lead to someone being wrongfully sentenced to 25 years prison, in Germany it is seen as a deprivation of liberty as if you locked him up yourself and you are charged for that.

[@JustsomeSteve]

Thats one of the reasons why I am glad I was born in Germany (or west-europe as a whole for that matter)

[@purpl3grape]

If only the penalty for them was to serve the time that they wrongfully made an innocent man do. That or, put him in a room restrained, with the wrongfully innocent man and a suite of surgical tools, and close your eyes.

[@HOTD108_]

@@JustsomeSteve As opposed to all the other reasons that make you ashamed? Actually, thinking on semi-recent history, that makes sense.

[@JuMiKu]

​@@HOTD108_ Do you want people to dig up the worst of what people did 100 years ago where you live and tell you to be ashamed for it? Because if you live in the US, the last 100 years don't look so good.

[@rileykenney7381]

I swear John Oliver can, and does, make any topic fascinating.

[@Smartass012]

Morgan Arc especially in sense episode was about always believing Victims. But he uses another man wrongfully convicted of sexual assault Who Admitted to it in a plea deal. .the prosecutor Kevin Steal Campaigned entire to female dominated vote on getting Cosby. And looking at what quaaludes actually do and how they were used Lower stress increased labito. And reading the deposition what was asked.was it in your mind and want to sex with the women you gave these quaaludes to. Did he really admitte to knocking anyone out to have sex with them in their sleep?😪

[@AllenSJ5]

Must be his model-good looks.

[@alexjoane1692]

Smartass012 bill Cosby 🙄 #rapey

[@fartknocker8363]

I think the bastardization of our democracy is worthy of fascination.

[@shhhhquitethyme]

Like the best civics teacher ever

[@UltimateSpinDash]

Who thought a system that rewards Prosecutors for their conviction ratio was a good idea? The moment you push for a conviction quota, it stops being about justice.

[@roguishpaladin]

At a conceptual level, it makes some sense. After all, the prosecutors' responsibility is simply to prosecute those that they feel are guilty. It's like giving a teacher a bonus for every A their students get. Without integrity, however, it turns into a bounty system.

[@m33m63]

roguishpaladin Yeah, it's exactly that, except at the end of the year the kids take a standardized test so if the math teacher acted like a gym teacher and gave the kids As just for showing up, it would show on the final and the teacher would be fired. With prosecutors this is not the case.

[@prompt000]

Because it means they're only taking cases to trial that they think they will win. A lost case for a prosecutor is a bunch of lost time and money for the taxpayers without accomplishing anything.

[@jameswhite3415]

UltimateSpinDash Laywers who realized how much money they would make

[@hewdelfewijfe]

To roguishpaladin. The big problem is the incredible unsupervised power that prosecutors have regarding monopoly of crime scene, police reports, government forensic lab reports, and other evidence, plus the incredible unsupervised power of being able to offer plea bargains plus extortion by threatening higher charges if they don't agree to plead. Historically, the solution was the grand jury, but today, the grand jury has been neutered, in large part because historically, prosecutors were generally a private person, and specifically the victim, or the attorney of the victim, and the grand jury served an important role to supervise them to prevent the plea bargain extortion shenanigan. However, when the government revoked the right of a person to press criminal charges, then all prosecutors were agents of the government, and then the "march towards efficiency" began, combined with the insidious servile authoritarian attitude of too many Americans, especially on the right, in the blind, unearned loyalty that they show the police and the government. For more information, start here: constitution.org/lrev/roots/cops.htm ARE COPS CONSTITUTIONAL? Roger Roots Seton Hall Constitutional L.J. 2001, 685

[@michelleshuart7864]

I live in a conservative house hold and last week tonight is a large part of me formimg my own thoughts and opinions about politics and the general world.

[@SorchaSublime]

so do you like the fallout games? because if you do I have an interesting video by hbomberguy to show you. and who knows once you're done maybe you might watch some of his other content...

[@02REESE]

He really exposes the truth behind a lot of things that are made to seem so black and white but are really complicated and nuanced with the proof to drive his points home.

[@SorchaSublime]

@Joshua Steele god no lol. Dont say that name in the same breath as anyone on the left in your life Josh.

[@byrongordonbeukes3934]

It's good to take in other people's perceptions and view points. I was in the same boat as you while growing up, except I did not have social media. Once in the "real world" I suddenly realised how little I knew outside the bubble I was raised in but I was open to learning. Those years were some of my fondest as I learnt to love and accept others unconditionally and to not be judgemental. In learning to love and appreciate people's unique attributes and differences, I learnt to love my own. We learn more if we are an open book.

[@SorchaSublime]

​@@byrongordonbeukes3934 I mean, exposure to conflicting arguments should be self-moderated. No one is immune to propaganda.

[@martinjrgensen8234]

“Prosecutors will decide”... sounded awfully like “resistance is futile” Borg style 😂

[@RabenFlueh]

... scarely true... The worst part? There's no Federation, Star Fleet, or Enterprise Senior Crew Members that can heroically save the day...

[@brandontherabboat4850]

I know it’s a generally accepted fact in the US, but _goddamn,_ there’s an untold number of problems in our society that need fixing.

[@sid8gerrard]

Heracross X Society in general. Trust me it's fuckitty-fucked here in the East.

[@NJ-wb1cz]

Heracross X, the main questions are, why would anyone do that, and where will you find those people, and what will you do when they die or become mentally ill or become corrupt.

[@NJ-wb1cz]

Heracross X, the usual reaction to this is to get a strongman daddy who promises he will fix everything and make everything better, and end up in authoritarian state.

[@erikreedy7134]

We live in a society

[@PerspectiveEngineer]

Did ya fix your dog? or are you one of those people...

[@jasonfischer8946]

AT&T was going to cancel this show, but they couldn't get the call through.

[@kennethchemwok9776]

Wow... Really... John Oliver threw shade at them in this episode,... Do you have the link to the News???

[@kennethchemwok9776]

John Oliver is a modern day hero...

[@ChesterTravis]

Ohhhhh, Kenneth.

[@definitelyannpc2038]

Then why was it posted on KZbin, dumbass??

[@jasonfischer8946]

Elias Vercetti What are you talking about?

[@GarrySkipPerkins]

I got screwed by this system in college. I took a $1,000 fine, not realizing that the false conviction would screw me in later life. I got a great job out of college (Cornell is awesome for getting a job, FYI), and I received another amazing job post MBA. What I did not realize was that background checks would become universal. I had over a dozen job offers rescinded after getting laid off in the financial crisis (laid off mid-2009, started real full time job in spring 2011). Since then I have have well over a dozen job offers rescinded, plus jobs that seemed like slam dunks that magically no where after I filled out full paperwork including the authorization of background checks. One of my worst was from Wipro (an Indian outsourcing firm trying to get into management/financial consulting (my world)). My first IT contact and core contact, plus my hiring manager signed off on my hire, but corporate HR killed my hire two days before my start date, after I had confirmed everything was okay, moved, and paid for half of this with credit cards! Other firms I would like to shame: CNA Insurance, Magnetar, Wells Fargo, the Chicago Fed (not the New York Fed who gave me an offer, but the Chicago Fed whose response to my reference to the New York Fed, was to have a stereotypically ditzy HR individual tell me that the problem was not that they could not hire me, as their functional employees requested, but they chose to block the hire of a potentially violent candidate. I cannot explain how not violent I am, but those I tell this story to usually laugh uncontrollably (I am a stereotypical gentle giant, who has only lost it when racist savages threatened my non-white ex-wife, or when racists threaten women or children). Our legal system is out of control, with child-rapers getting minimal sentences while poor black men selling weed getting huge sentences for not reason. Cities should stop bothering with drugs and let the DEA sort that out. They should focus on sex crimes, violent crimes, and theft targeting homeowners in order to both make our cities better amd imprison the bad guys while leaving poor kids with no other options alone. No one is forcing morons to use drugs. Let’s focus on the real bad guys (rapists, child molesters, murderers, thieves,...), while avoiding poor kids with few options.

[@amandatenney3028]

After learning the truth about the Central Park Five, I was so mad. Those teens lost everything because the system ignored the actual perpetrator. I watched the documentary for school.

[@CAPDude44]

RIP to the KZbin channel: consumer, who for 4 years has been the steady rock that gave us the side bits from Last Week Tonight. AT&T shut him down today, and the internet is a worse place without him.

[@koopatroopa187]

CAPDude44 F. He will be missed.

[@erikr3459]

F

[@roncur]

RIP

[@MrJimheeren]

CAPDude44 R.I.P.

[@mohammadzahra2238]

RIP

[@AlbanianSunN]

The only show today which is not talking 24/7 about President Orange but instead unravels the every day shit that could happen to any of us for no reason. Thank you John for taking care of us!

[@owlnemo]

AlbanianSunN Since you said President Orange I'm hearing "Hey Apple" in Trump's voice.

[@iangoodman2228]

Kinda hard not to talk about Trump when he is lying constantly and disgracing our country.

[@10superpower]

Things like this are why I want to become a lawyer. I might get shamed out of every firm I work in, but we need people who want to reform the system.

[@peterholmes6933]

"Oh I'm totally a weeder! I'm into all the weeds! I'm stoning right now! that's how potted I am!" I almost shit myself😂😂😂

[@redoredo6445]

I'm a little potted myself...

[@four_girls_in_search_of_awesom]

Is that a weed? I'm calling the police!!

[@samuelkessler4865]

@@four_girls_in_search_of_awesom no, it's a crayon--

[@HecticJojo]

I needed to scroll WAY too far to find this.

[@tairneanaich]

Tbf this wouldn‘t sound completely out of place from an actual stoner

[@AOverload]

In my 2nd semester of college, two friends and I were wrongfully accused of stealing Magic: The Gathering cards from the local Wal-Mart. The other two took plea deals after receiving an offer of 20 hours of community service. I refused to take the same deal, despite the lawyer I paid for letting me know the prosecution had a video from the security camera as evidence against me (which is obviously not possible). So the day of the hearing comes and my lawyer tells me the court's VCR wasn't working (this was the end of 2012 at this point...), and so the prosecution had delayed the trial. The day of the reschedule hearing rolls around and there's a long wait. Sure enough, my lawyer tells me that the prosecution's tape isn't working, but we will proceed regardless. My lawyer tells me "everything is taken care of". So in the courtroom, the JUDGE tells me that the prosecution and defense have reached a deal (which I had not been informed of), where the case is dropped and I'm banned from all Wal-Marts and Sam's Clubs (and can't counter-sue since it's a deal). Since this was the first time I had heard about this deal, and indeed the first time I had ever been in trouble for anything, I'm stunned; I hesitated and said "I'm sorry, what?", to which the judge sternly and loudly repeats themself. At this point I kinda jump and say "Yes" to the deal. My cowardly lawyer had made a deal with a prosecution that had ZERO evidence against me. So in addition to the prosecutor being a sleazebag, my own lawyer played along in their game, telling me after the deal was to "appease Wal-Mart" (exact words), despite me telling him from day 1 I had no intention of taking any deal. On the topic of defense lawyers, for any innocent person looking for a defense lawyer, never hire Nic B. Kuvshinoff in Maryland. He's a spineless coward (and it's not defamation if it's true; come and get me, coward). One of the few regrets I hold is not responding to the judge with "I'd like to request a brief recess while I fire my lawyer, as he is no longer working with my interests in mind."

[@Anna133199]

Is that even legal for him to make a deal behind your back and without your permission?

[@AOverload]

Once I said "Yes", I technically agreed to it. Had I afterwards tried to go after my lawyer, he would have been in the clear since I agreed to the deal he arranged on my behalf (despite me not being privy to the deal prior to hearing it in court). I would have needed a far better lawyer than Nic B. Kuvshinoff to argue that one (not saying much since he's a spineless coward, but you get my point). If I had not agreed to that deal, then I would have a case against him. Like many lawyers, he lives in that shady "unethical but not illegal" gray area.

[@mikeharris6429]

R/thathappened

[@satellitebreakfast]

@@mikeharris6429 Quick google search, and it looks like it DID happen.

[@Nihilianth]

BTW, if someone is offering their services as a business such as a private attorney, you can talk shit about said private attorney all you want. It's like any other business. You're free to talk bad about Wal-Mart, restaurants, etc.

[@LuxuryBallCollectibles]

Came here for some good jokes. Leaving here terrified of ever being on trial.

[@mihajlo961x]

To be honest, this seems to be a problem overwhelmingly relevant to (especially) poor blacks and latinos, as well as poor whites. It's merely another way to penalize people of color while also perpetuating the for-profit prison system. The next time a DA is running for office, see if there's any information about who or what organization(s) are funding their campaign. This is the work of being in a democracy, folks.

[@robertl.fallin7062]

Derium's Pokemon ... to go to trial you MUST have a lawyer. How much money do you have? Give it all to me!... Had business partner and brother-in-law who paid tens of thousands for non violent charges.

[@Makkushimu]

Michael J. Oghia You can't blame democracy for what you said though. Lots of other democracies don't have any of the things you mentioned in your post.

[@mihajlo961x]

Makkushimu fair point, though I was referencing the fact that voters need to be informed. Enabling more inclusive, informed, fair, and progressive policymaking is a completely different story, though it also requires an informed and engaged citizenry.

[@KillZallTheBeast]

My cousin became a lawyer. He claims to only defend the innocent...we all know he's a monster

[@Astraeus..]

News reporters: Prosecutors will decide whether to press charges Literally anyone who has faced criminal charges: Prosecutors will decide if you're rich enough to stay out of jail

[@theSimoneCherie]

That's not true though.... in most places, judges set bond rates & judges determine whether or not you get out... prosecutors put you there in the first place.

[@systematic101]

It's a double injustice too. While this innocent person is in prison due to a plea deal the actual perp is still out there likely committing more crime.

[@emmbeesea]

Criminal justice reform is the bread and butter of Last Week Tonight and it never fails to open our eyes to how broken America really is.

[@jackkraken3888]

And the only way to fix it is to understand that its broken in the first place.

[@eket6112]

You needed last week tonight to make you aware of issues?

[@toadjiang7626]

The American system is not broken, it has been working perfectly for the ruling donor class, all these prosecutors wrongfully putting innocent people into prison is just what their donors from private prison industry want, because how else can you find such cheap labor in America that work for few cents an hour? It's all about money like everything else in America.

[@themuffinman737]

"The American System is not broken".. we got the first one everyone! The first living in denial. Please, PLEASE never have a Job with considerble influence on People, as I'm completely certain you'll missuse it. I really don't care what you said afterwards, the first sentence gave you kinda away. And even if its "all about money", HOW THE FUCK can you claim that it is not broken speaking of an innocent life at stake?!

[@ollierkul]

The Muffin Man Did you really read his comment? He obviously meant it isn't broken in their eyes, in the eyes of those who profit.

[@nops5339]

What's sad is that I had absolutely none of this was going on. I like how John Oliver focuses on many of the less talked about topics opposed to the more trendy ones.

[@LilyGinnyBlack35]

I really like how he does that too. I also like how, even when he does cover a more trendy topic, he tends to approach the topic in a different way from others - focusing on an aspect of the topic that is less talked about and discussed.

[@hermionegardener3796]

Remember folks, if you are called for jury duty, don't avoid it. Use it to help release an innocent person from the clutches of the corrupt system.

[@LeviForWaifu]

That is literally your job.

[@leigh3659]

What prosecutors are supposed to be like: “It doesn’t matter how many underhanded tricks a person uses… The truth will always find a way to make itself known. The only thing we can do is to fight with the knowledge we hold and everything we have. Erasing the paradoxes one by one… It’s never easy… We claw and scratch for every inch. But we will always eventually reach that one single truth. This I promise you.” What prosecutors are actually like: “The guilty will always lie, to avoid being found out. There's no way to tell who is guilty and who is innocent! All that I can hope to do is get every defendant declared ‘guilty’! So I make that my policy.”

[@PanTran]

If every prosecutor was like Miles Edgeworth, the world would be a better place.

[@amandaarmstrong1212]

The punishment for withholding evidence should be equal to the consequence for the person sent to jail. 25 years off an innocent person's life in jail = 25 years in jail for withholding evidence that could have cleared that person

[@frenchhorn3048]

Amanda Armstrong I completely agree!

[@qweretyuiopas]

At the very least it should be disbarment. Not 5 days in contempt of court. Of course something on top of disbarment is best, but disbarment should be automatic. That 1 guy being the only guy who was punished even as much as staying in contempt for 5 days is just disgusting.

[@hazukichanx408]

Exactly! If the prosecutor literally knows the accused is innocent, and has evidence of it, and still prosecutes them or pressures them into a guilty plea, that prosecutor should suffer every penalty the defendant does, along with disbarment and seizure of the majority of their assets for good measure. Hit 'em in their cushy job, *and* in the money... see how many of the bastards keep doing it then.

[@lizjohnson1979]

They should be brought up on a type of perjury charge.. A stiff fine AND jail time.

[@jennyla3378]

Now that's justice!

[@PitLord777]

“It is more important that innocence be protected than it is that guilt be punished, for guilt and crimes are so frequent in this world that they cannot all be punished. But if innocence itself is brought to the bar and condemned, perhaps to die, then the citizen will say, 'whether I do good or whether I do evil is immaterial, for innocence itself is no protection,' and if such an idea as that were to take hold in the mind of the citizen that would be the end of security whatsoever.” -John Adams

[@jlindsa]

PitLord777 This should be in every police handbook, court room, law book, and more.

[@jermainerace4156]

It pretty much is. No one wakes up in the morning and says "Gee, I hope I get to arrest/convict an innocent person today."

[@catlover732]

I've been looking for these exact words for a month. It was at the crux of an argument I had made, but I didn't find the very core of it. I'm glad I found this comment. Thank you.

[@jayjones9008]

@@jermainerace4156 The video actually highlights the incentives of attorneys doing that.

[@1000wastedwords]

This should be quoted more often.

[@pleappleappleap]

That "prosecutors will decide" sound clip sounds like the Borg.

[@natesmodelsdoodles5403]

hey, someone else heard that!

[@marcelsirer]

@@natesmodelsdoodles5403 Shit too late. How many nerds are over here?

[@natesmodelsdoodles5403]

@@marcelsirer quite a few, but not enough.

[@marcelsirer]

@@natesmodelsdoodles5403 Yup, we need more.

[@Xvladin]

*Porg

[@seandavis8081]

“We are Prosecutus of borg. You will be assimilated, resistance is futile.”

[@ziljin]

The legal system is horrifying.

[@TanPale]

is it there to help or harm? seems blurred when it should be clearly defined

[@calametrocity]

And very expensive whether you're guilty or not.

[@Smartass012]

The prosecutor Behind the Cosby Case Campaigned to the majority female vote on getting Cosby and no Innocent till proven guilty that's how the Cosby Case aways was from the start. And Plea Deals so those wrongfully convicted especially in sexual assault cases ADMITTED! TO! IT! But Reading the deposition it. What was asked was it in your mind and want to sex with you gave these quaaludes to. Now question is what did quaaludes actually do

[@ThePanuccio]

Harsh penalties on prosecutors and reduced salaries should be the norm here.

[@fernandomarquez4129]

I agree with you, its freaking nuts. But you got any legislative ideas?

[@PatrickPoet]

Thank you for posting this. I once spoke to a DA in Santa Clara, California in the late eighties. I asked her directly, "If you factually knew that someone was innocent would you still prosecute them?" She said that she would if she could get a conviction. She explained that her job was to get convictions and guilt or innocence didn't come into it. She would choose to not prosecute a guilty person if she wasn't sure that she would get a convictions, and conversely, if someone was factually innocent and she _knew_ that, she _would_ prosecute if she was pretty sure she could get a conviction. Santa Clara was and is a place where people are charged tougher and do longer harsher sentences that most other places. She was definitely an example of that mindset.

[@mariahammarstrom7934]

She needs someone to explain to her that no, her job isn´t to prosecute those she thinks she can get convicted, but those for whom there is a reasonable suspicion that they have actually committed a crime. She SHOULD take guilt and innocence into account. The number of convictions don´t matter. The important thing is not for her to look tough and/or successful. The important thing is to lock up guilty people and let innocent people be free. You know, kind of how it is in a civilized society?

[@umpygoodness2369]

Oliver is HALF-BAKING IT IN THESE VIDEOS. PROSECUTORS are ALL criminals, as are ALL judges, literally. The entire system is illegally rigged in EVERY way (including fake "defense" attorneys), in violation of Due Process etc. (HELL, the Supreme Court constantly says HALF the court is LAWLESS CRIMINALS... while the OTHER half says the same thing. They are unanimous that half the court doesn't know THE LAW and are moron liar crooks.) (Chief Judge Roberts recently said the SUPREME COURT was a LAWLESS body [which it is, on ten different levels, like massive conflicts of interest], as they allowed the illegal MUSLIM BAN to continue. Roberts said the court made a CLEARLY illegal decision back in 1944 when they backed up our nazism against japanese, via internment camps. Roberts OVERTURNED the Supreme Court decision from then (!!!) and he said they CLEARLY broke the law. GAME OVER. No one can dispute the court is NOT LAWFUL. it's a political FRAUD on the public, and totally unlawful.)

[@porsche911sbs]

Well, a prosecutor's job is to get a conviction. They should try to do that since that's their job, while the defense lawyer does their job and does their best to defend their client. Then the judge and jury should do their job to determine guilt based on the evidence presented by both sides. If a prosecutor believes that the defendant _was_ actually not guilty, nothing is stopping them from working with law enforcement and other lawyers (if necessary) to overturn the conviction afterwards.

[@rafariff]

+Essess Nine, in fact, the prosecutor's job is to defend the society. When they decide to charge a guilty person and do not get a conviction, at least they did their job. If they charge an innocent person, they are not defending society, since the real guilty is free, part of society, that has nothing to do with the case, is being prosecuted, and the whole expensive system is being used with no reason.

[@yodaguy6956]

Essess Nine totally wrong, thry are NOT supposed to push wrongful prosecutions, and to claim they could help overturn it afterwards makes no sense at all, you don't cause a horrible immoral verdict on purpose so thst you can possibly overturn it later

[@spegnagmaglorious3590]

I have one question that he didn't address: DID THE DOG WIN

[@monkeyboy8569]

Which dog? Though I can tell you it was not the furry one.

[@kittykake44]

Man, now I see why Ace Attorney has so many corrupt prosecutors...

[@RealBenShapiro]

"better to have 10 guilty men free than 1 innocent man suffer" -Sir William Blackstone

[@sumitshresth]

Vladimir Puhduhduh yeah that y one got the title sir while other got home wrecked angela

[@mrmiscellaneous105]

Blackstone's formulation? Is that for "beyond all reasonable doubt"

[@toshir0m1]

@MR. Bucket I'd disagree strongly to that ^^ Two men accused of murder, Peter is innocent but convicted guilty, Brian is guilty but free of charges. Both situations are injustices potentially leading to more harm. Peter's family's lives are shattered, some may act violently on emotional response to what they know to be unjust, amongst other potential consequences (Oh he ran a business ? job loss for everyone, ...etc.) Also, Brian is free to act badly again, just with a little more experience about how not to get caught/prosecuted, experience which he might share, etc. And arithmetics are irrlevant here. "10 guilty men" has no meaning since the amounts of harm and degrees of guilt can and do vary wildly between any of them. Blackstone sounds more like an emo teen poet than like a rational judge here if I may...

[@stefankuhn7830]

@ toshir0m1 Wow! The core of your first argument relies on not understanding math and the second part is you affirming that the obvious counterargument is irrelevant and applying an ad-hominem. You seem to have been very wrong on the internet before.

[@Heycool08]

I don't think you can quantize it. Put another way, would you willingly spend the rest of your life in prison if it meant there was also a murderer in prison who would otherwise have gone uncaught? I don't think you can assume every violent crime was committed by a serial killer...... that's just silly.

[@ducheswannabe]

In today's episode of "An Enormous Problem You Didn't Even Know Existed"...

[@LouFiasco]

Indeed

[@Hal2718]

Delovely 1 This is why almost all the problems he points out persist. Most people don't know about this because they've never been criminally charged before. The better question is why would they know along with the 50 other obscure things John Oliver has shed light on?

[@sanddry738]

And it’s even more scare when your realize these are problems that are very very hard to solve unless things change which they rarely do.

[@Livingeidolon]

God, ikr?

[@purplepanda8753]

Can we petition to get the show to change its name to “An Enormous Problem You Didn’t Even Know Existed”? Because that fits what this show is about better

[@therapynotincluded9223]

8:30 The email joke hits different after Alex Jones’ lawyers emailed the other side all of his private messages.

[@perforongo9078]

I am perfectly fine with being "tough on crime", but first, a crime must have actually happened. "Guilty by default" is not "tough on crime", as non-criminals so often end up in prison- leaving actual criminals free to victimize other people.

[@coldfusionstormgaming1808]

And being wrongfully impriosned dosnt exactly give you +100 lawfull citizen it wouldnt be unimaginable for people to then bad

[@robertaclark6079]

@@coldfusionstormgaming1808 prison is a school for fledgling criminals.

[@purpl3grape]

If only the penalty for them was to serve the time that they wrongfully made an innocent man do. That or, put him in a room restrained, with the wrongfully innocent man and a suite of surgical tools, and close your eyes.

[@SsnakeBite]

I am stunned that these law people are genuinely using arguments that would sound abhorrent out of he mouth of an actual murderer defending their case. Can you imagine if somebody argued "Well, I think I'm a law-abiding citizen because after 30 years, I released the person I kidnapped, which is better than if I'd killed them or if they'd died from the inhumane treatment I inflicted on them"? Or if they went behind their accuser and whispered "stab, stab stab" in their ear? Or if they said "I'm reasonably confident that I was right that this guy was going to attack me so it's okay for me to kill him"? Well, that last one is actually a thing in Florida but, you know, can you imagine that anywhere else?

[@ladymaiden2308]

SsnakeBite ... wow. well Made point. Brilliant. add a joke at the beginning, and a joke at the end of about something else obscene or ridiculous about Florida, and this could have been written for this show.

[@ArchonCommando]

I mean the im reasonably sure he wants to Attack me so i defended myself Bit is valid. That's one of the Main basis of self defense trials Not just in america but also in Germany

[@lilydarkmoore8769]

John Oliver is a brilliant man and his staff are also brilliant. They manage to both enlighten and entertain, while leaving the viewer (or some anyway) with either a sense of existential dread or a burning desire to take action to right a dreadful wrong. Bravo to them all!

[@avedic]

Um........so where's *consumer?* The channel that would post clips from LWT that aren't on the official KZbin channel? Did he get blocked or banned? I can't even find _any_ old clips...let alone the channel itself. I'm sure there's other LWT fans who know the channel I'm referring to. Anyone know what's up?

[@belkys120]

Lily Darkmoore ; DON'T FORGET HE IS READING A PREPARE📚SCRIPT.!!!.🎃.

[@AmeshaSpentaArmaiti]

avedic That channel was violating LWTs copyright and was probably nuked. I'm suprised they got away with it for so long.

[@adamhauson1211]

He is owned by HBO man, he brings up some issue's but he is still a corporate stueg. He won't bring up trump arming neo Nazi's in Ukraine, or Trump continuesly occupying Syrian territory, or the fact Israel has way more sway than Putin. "But sure Trump's Putin's puppet, and Russia was totally wrong for showing apperantly illegal investigative reporting." Sarcasm. However I do believe Trump and Russia have shady business deal's together, both a bunch of mobsters and Russian officials went to one of Trump's hotel's over in Guatemala I think it was back in the 1990's. That's not even mentioning his connections to the mafia from his father's real estate business back in the 70's, that he met because Trump's father kept him from Vietnam. Then in the 1980s Trump went to his father to ask for an investment of 10s of million dollar's which went to known associates of mob bosses, it's believed he helped disrupt workers Union's.

[@longparsons5543]

jpgirlnews.com/hang8/277.html

[@sabaducia]

Rest in power, may memories of you serve as a blessing, our beloved RBG ❤️

[@jackharrison7613]

to his most important trial dog "please don't die; please don't die, I cannot stress enough how important it is for you to hang in there". RIP RBG and thank Dog for John Oliver's show. Laugh and learn

[@alexcook2206]

A couple years ago I was wrongly accused of a crime ( charges were eventually dropped) I remember a lot of these things happening, the prosecution holding evidence, as well as the prosecutor getting into literal verbal fights with the judge, but one of the biggest things I remember from it is that my lawyer once told me that he used to be a prosecutor and he had to quit that job because he felt like he was being told to put people he knew to be innocent in prison almost everyday

[@edinfific2576]

Prosecutor fighting with the judge? The judges are usually fully supportive of nearly anything the prosecutors request.

[@alexcook2206]

@@edinfific2576 oh no, you should have seen it this guy was agressive. i was lucky to get a judge that understood the "politics" of the courtroom and was able to hold the Prosecutor accountable for his crap. the Prosecutor didnt like it, and they got into some pretty intense arguments

[@edinfific2576]

@@alexcook2206 That's very rare that a prosecutor is held accountable at any level for anything. You were very lucky to have had a judge and an attorney like that. The prosecutor sounds like nearly all of them, conviction is the most, or the only, important thing, everything else is secondary, including the law (except where it can be used against the defendant to the fullest extent imaginable), the rules and regulations.

[@Lynch2507]

If you're a prosecutor who takes pride in sending people to the chair, you're a psycopath.

[@zeusmasterson4117]

Oisin Lynch Absolutely. My co-workers keep some macabre souvenirs of murder trials, like dental impressions of a murderers teeth with a rose clenched between them, but not a celebration of executions! Yeesh.

[@amphiptered.5355]

True, serial killers often keep trophies from their murders and some try to out do another serial killer's body count.

[@rich1051414]

Sociopaths take pride in twisting the rules to do very evil things and get away with it. Could you imagine how much joy a sociopath would get out of being a prosecutor?

[@StevenS757]

There are probably a good number that already are.

[@brandonbigsby2557]

It's literally legal murder... Oh god, is that a super dark pun? Inappropriate.

[@hannahbrennan2131]

Wow. The Ace Attorney games are a more accurate depiction of the court system than I thought.

[@ForrestFox626]

And that's the Japanese judicial system!

[@Dwarficus]

wow, I never thought I'd see a demographic less accountable than the police, but here we are.

[@kd1234543]

Does anyone ever think about the fact that with all these wrongful convictions that happen there must be so many people who literally get away with murder and are just living their life normally?

[@dimanoetske6303]

With the wrong people behind bars, railroaded by a system that wants a quick and easy conviction.

[@kaylithomson8810]

is the the we could not get the right person so we had to get somebody argument?

[@hhocking]

There's a guy in Ohio who was convicted of being a serial rapist and spent 20 years in prison. It's a long, awful story of people going out of their way to ruin his life. They eventually figured out who the real rapist was, but the statute of limitations was up, so he has never been charged with anything and just gets to go about his life.

[@amberl3305]

Kayli Thomson ala the west Memphis three

[@amberl3305]

nickel odeon there was a man on the Stern show a few years ago that had been wrongfully imprisoned for decades. During his stint in prison he became the warden's helper. He had access to a vehicle...which he decided to steal to go see his wife. Long story short...it was proven he did not commit the original crime, but they wanted to charge him with theft. They decided to drop charges....if he wouldn't sue the state for wrongfully convicting him. Crazy.

[@Starfire861]

“Prosecutors will decide” is the “Small businesses are the backbone of the American economy” of criminal justice journalism.

[@blackheartzerotheundergrou3225]

Where does _"this is extremely dangerous to our democracy"_ fit in that comparison?

[@tomsky4751]

Well at least they aren’t wielding a whip, a trained attack bird, or coffee to throw on your face once you catch them off guard

[@djdaniel4205]

Franziska von Karma, Godot and one other person. I salute you.

[@tomsky4751]

DJ Daniel blackquill

[@amogus7978]

They do have the buzz though

[@StreetFighterFan777]

I think I’d rather get mauled by Taka or have Godot huck his coffee at my face… Can’t decide when it comes to the whip though.

[@SanchoSanto]

We all need to buy personal cameras that record every minute of our lives just in case.

[@Thejordanenthusiast]

SanchoSanto and go live on social media platforms, so nothing can be edited out by the wrong hands.

[@TrickWithAKnife]

Accountability isn't a thing in America, if you are rich, famous or powerful. If there was accountability, a lot of the issues with corruption would correct themselves to some degree.

[@PilsnerGrip]

How to have a justifiable death penalty in your justice system: Step 1: Make sure your system convicts 100% without an error Step 2: Realize that is not possible Step 3: Don't have the death penalty in your justice system

[@thekwjiboo]

Madger Bole it's terrifying that the government can literally throw you on death row and have you killed despite not actually having committed a crime.

[@evannibbe9375]

Actually, the best way to do it is to only sentence someone to death for being caught on video killing or raping someone.

[@tannerwilson4843]

Another reason why our Constitution is outdated. We need a 21st century constitution that deals with issues like this a lot better.

[@mrk131324]

That‘s exactly what all Western states did, except one.

[@stanj85]

Madger Bole Exactly this. I don't think that the death penalty is never unwarranted. I just have no faith in our system to fairly or accurately adjudicate it.

[@ub9645]

My cousin was offered 10 years for pleading guilty. He went to trial instead cause there never was a law broken. The prosecutor misrepresented the law, the judge allowed it, and he ended up getting 25. And the fight goes on!!!

[@spuriouslathos2518]

I love how he lost it when the crowd groaned at his Cuba Gooding Jr. joke, right after they glossed over the prosecutor's monument to his repugnant reputation.

[@watsonwrote]

I don't understand how a prosecutor who knowingly witholds evidence for the purpose of convicting someome to death isn't responsible for Attempted Murder. And taking 30 years out of someone's life is unspeakably cruel. Depriving them of their family, their purpose, their loves and their freedom... cruelty beyond corporeal punishment. We treat people who kidnap and lock people away as monsters worthy of horror and legend but allow someone who uses our system of justice to do just that, crush these lives to fuel their perverted egos and financial gain--and then they get to simply walk our streets with a light slap on the wrist if anything... that's horror beyond words. That's evil worse than the actual criminals they face in trial.

[@bronwynelder3157]

you forgot the part about absoluely, worse than fast food, abysmal food.

[@pvip9986]

I guess it's to insure that prosecutors won't back off a case only because they have to fear being wrong and honestly, I absolutely agree to that part, although the truly powerful culprits will have other ways of threatening their prosecutor most likely. The way the system should work is by having a prosecutor ready to find every misconduct, but also a defender able to do their best defending. I think the worst part about your system is that one side has full control over the evidences brought to court as Oliver said. That's a point where prosecutors should face severe sentences for withholding evidence. Otherwise it could help not having them prepare the evidence as they like to begin with.

[@FallenPhoenix86]

PViP simple solution - prosecution and defense get access to evidence at exactly the same time - otherwise the scales of justice are atomatically tilted to one side or the other... give both sides a level playing field or true justice is impossible to achieve

[@dervakommtvonhinten517]

PViP well he didnt say punish them for beeing wrong. he said knowingly withholding evidence in order to convict someone should be a serious crime like attempted murder.

[@Sai4651]

0:32 - For those who don't know, the Central Park 5 were a group of juveniles who were wrongfully sentenced for a rape and assault case back in 1989, despite DNA evidence proving them innocent, they were still sentenced are nearly 12 years until the real culprit confessed because he was already given a life sentence for a different crime. The 5 were eventually freed and are sued NY for the injustice they got. I don't remember if they won anything.

[@r2inlalaland]

They each won around $1 mil for each year they served. The younger 4 got $6-7 mil each and the older one got like $13 mil

[@AC-gw4qu]

Also worth noting, Trump took out a full page ad in the NYT calling for their execution even after DNA evidence had proven them to be not guilty.

[@theorder7346]

@@AC-gw4qu What a fucking disgrace this orange is for a country praising itself so much all the fucking time.

[@Angry5704]

It's worth noting that I believe none of them where white.

[@Sai4651]

@@Angry5704 Yes, I believe they were all Black & Latino. There were heavy racial implications with this case

[@Gabowsk]

The Prosecutors are basically Miles Edgeworth updating the autopsy report.

[@Spacesnakes474]

That DA saying he is "reasonably confident" pissed me off so much. For starters the bar for a criminal conviction isn't "reasonably confident" it's "beyond a reasonable doubt". Just because they both have "reasonable" in them does NOT make them the same

[@B_Skizzle]

Trial by Ambush is an incredible band name by the way.

[@peterhooper3391]

YES! It's time.

[@BernadetteTeachesMusic]

It's always a good day when there's a new John Oliver episode 💛

[@scuzo471]

Aint that the truth :D

[@Chas-OTE]

Bernadette Teaches Music Oh wow! I love your music lessons and am a fan of your covers! 😄

[@walkingblueraven4088]

Bernadette Teaches Music ... AGREE

[@hansbass8119]

Last Week Tonight with John Oliver - Your weekly source of Crippling Undiagnosed Depression -

[@modestkev]

So every Sunday ?

[@rodneyroberts8753]

This was one of the most informative shows I’ve ever had the pleasure to watch and be featured in, stop wrongful convictions.

[@JonKonLGL]

Oh man, that RBG reference today of all days.... may she rest in peace, and have mercy on the rest of us in the next 45 days leading to the election.

[@TaradaPryoNINJA]

My dad was a prosecutor (he was recently forced to resign due to shouting at a officer to shut up during court) and when I was younger he would tell me about how he'd dress in all black on court days to intimidate the defendant. He was manipulative, untrustworthy, and emotionally abusive, and I blame his job as a domestic violence district attorney for how he treated my mother and I. I stopped talking to him and put some time between my past and the guilt he'd make me feel with his texts, and until recently I notice my mental health start to improve for the first time in at least a decade. I no longer fantasize about suicide or have regularly occurring nightmares where I'm forced to see him again.

[@timeaesnyx]

Killjoy Whovian I'm sorry. My childhood wasn't that severe.

[@SoundofNivi]

I'm so sorry. Hang in there

[@Outis89]

Killjoy Whovian damn... You’re like a real life episode of SVU

[@TaradaPryoNINJA]

To everyone who has replied, thank you for your kind words.

[@rekuishawt]

you got toughen up a bit man, i had a real shit childhood and horrible parents to but "uncomfortable sex jokes" "ignoring you when you spoke" it just sounds like youre amplifying your issues by misspercieving behavior. I could be wrong, but you gotta chill with the sad story if you make something bad that happened out to be worse than it really is , it doesnt make you stronger. infact it weakens you and starts a cycle of making every horrible thing in your life feel 20 times more horrible till you practically rewrite your own memories and start creating more nightmares that feel like reality

[@tristonanan]

I... I now need to google who my DA is because I'm in Washington and need to make sure it's not a dog, no matter how good a boy he may be.

[@reddishf0x237]

tristonanan stop leaving us in suspense! Who?

[@tristonanan]

Holy shit, it's the guy that ran against that dog! Apparently, voters of my county at the time were cowards and didn't want to elect a dog.

[@otakon17]

tristonanan the cowards!

[@luvvinallmusik5748]

tristonanan That's ruff.

[@dreikaand8796]

I would choose a dog

[@jolness1]

The prosecutor’s job is to get someone convicted, whether or not they are guilty. The incentives are so backward it’s heartbreaking. From personal experience, they don’t care if you did it or,if there is even good reason to believe it. They threatened to give me 20yrs in prison for more charges that were based on hearsay only and I couldn’t afford a lawyer, had an overworked (and frankly, a terribly ambivalent) public defender. I was happy to take the 3yrs of probation. Made life hard for a long time but I’m at the point now where it finally isn’t effecting my life regularly - a decade later

[@Jarethttorney]

"Our job is to find the truth no matter how painful it may be" finding the truth is more important than winning.

[@feynstein1004]

So on the one hand we have defendants who are severely underfunded and overworked, and on the other prosecutors who are out for your blood. Wow.

[@GlassesnMouthplates]

Seeing that some countries would fund way more on military rather than healthcare and hospitals, I won't be surprised if this really concludes that we, the human species, really just enjoy the destruction of human lives instead of saving them.

[@aepigeons9375]

And I don't buy for one minute that's not by design.

[@actionms8566]

Getting innocent people locked up and taking the most iportant years of their lifes is the most outrageous thing I can think of.

[@hebakhaled4573]

It should be criminalized

[@Chunkboi]

Heba Khaled it is, except the accused serves the sentence for the crimes of the prosecutor.

[@safir2241]

Idea: let’s stop doing that & make prisons rehabilitive

[@randomstuff-qu7sh]

What I find more outrageous is the lack of accountability. Our system isn't perfect and wrongful convictions will happen, even when everyone is acting in good faith. However, when people are not only failing to act in good faith, but are being rewarded for their misconduct, that's just wrong. I'm not sure its possible to remove the rewards from the system because fear of crime will keep on fueling demand for "tough on crime" policies. However, a robust system of accountability could increase both penalties for misconduct and oversight (increasing the odds of getting caught), to make those rewards less appealing.

[@howieroseman3048]

It’s happened to me and about to again! I’M PETRIFIED!

[@reynaldk6816]

To prosecutors: don’t be a Von Karma, be like Edgeworth starting from Turnabout Samurai

[@NeighborSenpai]

I'm new to the game, who is Von Karma? Is he a prosecutor? Will Phoenix Wright have a trial against him?

[@qwertyalphabet]

I fell asleep to a different episode, and woke up briefly when Harry Connick Jr was singing with his dad. This morning I had to come back and find it just to check if it was a weird dream or if it really happened

[@sebstreamsstuff1005]

Damn... Ace Attorney seems a lot more realistic now, just imagine every prosecutor as Manfred Von Karma.

[@ForrestFox626]

Better than the prosecutors of Khura'in.

[@vaevictus4637]

Where the hell is "Karma"?

[@kraevorn7483]

Carrie Reed Legal Eagle would say otherwise

[@Mike_Ka-Chowski]

Good news, I just updated the autopsy

[@ClawedAsh]

@@vaevictus4637 Manfred on Karma is a character from the Video game series Ace Attorney, where you typically play as a Defense Attorney

[@donaldhoward5213]

I graduated from law school at Miami top 15% of my class, moot court board, trial advocacy award, and an intense interest in the criminal law. I interviewed with the U.S. Attorney in Miami and during the first interview I was asked if I would always turn over exculpatory evidence to the defense. I said "yes." Never heard from them again.

[@z3toot]

Probably because you were top 15%

[@CR092888]

jesus. in canada, there is a continuing obligation to disclose everything relevant.

[@sksthrowaway2270]

Carrie Herman that requirement exists in the US too, but it’s not uncommon for prosecutors to... “forget” about it

[@Bruss813]

Chances are you just bombed the interview. Also you probably went to a lower tier school in Miami and you werent on Law Review nor going to be Clerking. All those are strikes agaisnt you.

[@westhammer81]

​@@Bruss813 I'd bet against that. DAs don't want prosecutors that might hurt their electability - and losing cases because you didn't cheat does just that.

[@willx6676]

"Please don't die"... well, she tried...

[@Pluveus]

10:40 Watching September 19, 2020 and that's a big oof right there.

[@dr.disaster6235]

How to fix it: prosecutors withholding vital evidence should suffer the very same penalty their clients did.

[@Trevin_Taylor]

Dr. Disaster what you describe is already illegal

[@dr.disaster6235]

Withholding evidance is illegal, also known as obstruction of justice. There is a reason the basic assumption of the justice system is "not guilty until proven guilty".

[@roguishpaladin]

Unfortunately, such a system would violate the 'cruel and unusual punishments' clause. We don't need vengeance, we just need them to stop being incentivized to do it!

[@dr.disaster6235]

roguishpaladin: when jailing innocent people for decades or sending them to death row is not "cruel and unusual punishment" in your book you might need a different point of view i.e. from behind bars.

[@mackb4084]

I support it

[@HiImV]

RIP consumer. You will be missed.

[@RealTalkWithSSG]

Vishnu Why did they remove the channel? Now how will we watch the shorter segments?🤦🤦🤦

[@simonklein6588]

What happened?!

[@CiaraConnollysCovers]

A tragedy

[@Sappharad]

When you google it, a reddit post about it is the first result right now. Some company in India filed copyright claims against a bunch of videos on the channel at once and the channel was suspended. The owner of the channel doesn't want to deal with the hassle of fighting back, despite the fact that HBO had been aware of the channel for years and they had agreed not to file claims as long the videos were kept under 5 minutes and not monetized. It sounds like consumer wanted a break from uploading clips every week anyway, so sadly this is probably how it ends.

[@jozz2248]

Sappharad thanks for the info. I was just wondering where his clips were at. Too bad... I hope he makes it back.

[@xamzax]

Arguably the most important John Oliver I've seen. Thank you for reminding me to keep my eyes closer to home as well as on the white house. Being too focused on Donald Trump instead of what's going on around me would be very distracting. ....

[@ItsGibsy]

I used to work in a Law Library inside a prison, and one of the main pieces of advice always given in there was "If you're ever on trial, just take the plea. Even if you're not guilty."

[@Lycius]

I've overheard prosecutors chatting amongst eachother in court when they didn't know others were listening. Zero empathy. They laugh about wrecking people's lives.

[@trishayamada807]

Josh Andersen that’s so horrible.

[@roguishpaladin]

They think they're wrecking the lives of the "bad guys" - it's all they perceive the person as. It's the simplistic nature of society - people are slotted as "good guys" or "bad guys".

[@Lycius]

True enough. "Innocent until proven guilty," is the ideal, but when their in the mode of seeing everyone and a scoff-law ne'er-do-well, for enough time, all they see is, "bad guys." My brother's a public defender. I don't know how he does it.

[@Ewyndall]

I am in no way trying to defend them but please take into account that they are making decisions that affect the lives of people every single day. It's a job with a tremendous amount of responsibility. One way to counter the inherent stress that comes with the position is humour, even if in bad taste. Think of surgeons as another example: they usually have the sickest dark humour there is and that is just a way for them to balance out the weight they carry on their shoulders. It's a self-defense mechanism. I am sure we all have made decisions in our lives that had serious ramifications and even many years later we still ponder whether or not we have made the right call at the time. Now imagine if you had to make such decisions on a daily basis. If you were to contemplate them all the time you would end up a nervous wreck in a few years.

[@Lycius]

I know. I don't blame them. I was a Navy medic for a few years. One of the things they taught us, drilled into us, was, to never apply a half-tourniquet. Navy corpsmen are compassionate, by nature. Save someone pain. What they did to me, they didn't know. I don't blame them for their lack of training, I don't blame anyone. They attached and ankle bracelet to me, it broke down about once a month, and they refit it to the indentation it had made, not the actual size. It cinched things off right where most major nerves and tendons come and go to a complex part of the body. I hadn't driven in months, because of chronic pain, the night I was pulled over, it was in the heart of winter, when the pain was at its fullest, and I was only going three blocks. "He's a threat to society." Was what the prosecutors said. I didn't have any prior record. I was treating my pain in the only way I'd found to work. Not a long-term solution, but kept me from falling into another depression episode. (not a mood, by the way. It's a physical state where you're physically incapable of having any will to live.) I didn't expect any special treatment, I didn't mention I was a war vet, because that shouldn't matter. I've been trying to fix it, been to the doctor, was referred to a specialist. I didn't say all of this, because I was trusting them when they said, "We're good at law enforcement." The defense kept trying to assure me, "This isn't your fault." They put me in the same classification as people who'd dealt drugs, robbed houses and cars, when I was licking my wounds after having taken in a homeless woman. My grandfather was a law professor at Stanford, I was a farmer, eagle scout, missionary, war vet, and professional artist and musician by the time I was 25. And they put me on an Excel sheet. My probation officer's been nice, judge Lambo's been nice. Mandatory minimums, another of John Oliver's peeve broadcasts, can shed some more light on it. The judge just all but threw his hands in the air, "This is the best I can do for you." I've been working with them, as best I can. I understand. I swore an oath to protect this country, I took that to mean even from myself, should I become broken. Gallows humor is fine. I know it, I miss the banter with my colleagues. Trained with Navy S.E.A.L's, was a member of Company 001, first Gulf War. I'm trying to deal with it as it comes, and hope they understand. I've seen what they've had to deal with. It's no disrespect. Not many have been through what I have, but some have.

[@smartluxray5054]

And here I thought Ace Attorney was unrealistic.

[@papercraftcynder5430]

It is. It's just that Manfred Von Karma is so extreme that it's easy to assume that he's part of the fantasy.

[@mayluu1699]

Yey Ace attorney fans

[@CyanMedic]

Japan's actually worse than America in this regard. Prosecutors win literally 99% of the time in Japan, as opposed to the 95% guilty pleas here.

[@JC-ky6mp]

I WAS JUST THINKING THIS! Now that game as social commentary makes sense!

[@AB-dm1wz]

"Wrong! The only thing you must do here is slam down your gavel and find the defendant guilty!"

[@asrexproductions]

Excellent video. This is why I think this show deserves every award it gets. 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾

[@AlastorDarkAngel]

Thank you for making my argument of a corrupt criminal justice system much stronger 😁

[@SynteZZZ88]

"Prosecutors will decide" is an amazing title to sci-fi/horror book.

[@tjgen34]

Sergey Chernov I'll read it......

[@Daniel_B79]

This is truly terrifying. I think it's hard for people who haven't experienced these prosecutors to understand how terrifying this issue is.

[@kingofgar101]

no i think its still very terrifying maybe the most terrifying thing i know about america

[@GreenDragon11]

Daniel' It is not hard for me! We have many problems that need fixing in this country, yet the Baby in the WH was constant attention. I hope the media finally wakes up and stops covering him constantly, especially repeating the same points!

[@kayeyeo9656]

Well if they haven’t experienced it they should play the Ace Attorney games

[@brianx04]

Simply try to fight a traffic ticket sometime. That's all it takes.

[@cameronbryant2014]

Miles Edgeworth:*Laughs in updated autopsy report*

[@naughtmouth9781]

I like when John grills the audience for their reactions.

[@VoltronKnight]

*_PROSECUTORS WILL DECIDE_*

[@robaba89]

"Beyond a Reasonable Doubt" and "Reasonably Confident" are two VERY different things...

[@BrettEns]

I live in Washington, and I can safely say that District Attorney Sprinkles has conducted himself with nothing but competence and integrity.

[@MissAngela007]

“Your next fishing trip is gonna be EXTRA QUIET!” 😂😂

[@LnPPersonified]

Anyone else notice that all the faces on that model electric chair were black?

[@Smartass012]

Pokerface maybe Kevin Steal he Campaigned entirely to female dominated majority vote on getting Cosby

[@LnPPersonified]

Username checks out.

[@ianstiehl1994]

Pokerface Really? What's smart about his assery?

[@stlkngyomom]

Pokerface 90% accurate?! It's a guess,that's 90% accurate,probably..

[@aleksandrkillianamery9409]

That electric chair thingy is the equivalent of a serial killer trophy. That racist scumbag definitely took great join in sending people to death row.

[@PassportGaming]

“Better a thousand innocent men are locked up than one guilty man roam free” - Dwight. We laughed at the absurdity of that sentence on tv but we let it happen in reality😞

[@keithbos4506]

Unfortunately if 1000 innocent men are locked up, we have 1000 guilty men roaming free.

[@dreikaand8796]

Sounds like Stalin

[@geoffbaumgartner5335]

You KNOW Dwight would love tRump all day.

[@VArsovski10]

@fatzgebum, thx, was about to say that as well.. Cultures are quite different, I suppose that's the reason behind it

[@clareswanson8744]

Watching this today and seeing the RBG dog HURTS

[@Octoberfurst]

I find it so appalling that prosecutors can get away with hiding crucial evidence from Defense Attorney's or giving it to them at the last second before trial. And when the do hide evidence that would exonerate someone they face no penalties or charges for ruining someones life! That's so outrageous! Changes are definitely needed.

[@godonlyknows13]

Supporting the death penalty means one of two things; either you have complete faith in the justice system to always find the correct people guilty, or you are saying that the government murdering innocent people by mistake is not that much of a problem for you when compared to raw vengeance.

[@JustinMoralesTheComposer]

This is the exact reason why I oppose the death penalty. It boggles the mind to imagine, “small government” conservatives, who don’t really seem to trust the state, are okay with the state having the authority to end your life.

[@godonlyknows13]

@@JustinMoralesTheComposer Exactly! So-called "small government" conservatives are usually the first people to push for the death penalty and I really just straight up do not understand the mental gymnastics that are required to make that make ANY sense at all.

[@josephcoolest1839]

@@godonlyknows13 I am a small government man and I am against the death penalty.

[@godonlyknows13]

@@josephcoolest1839 That makes logical sense to me lol. I'm not personally what one would usually consider "small government" but at least being small government and anti-death penalty tracks logically in my mind.

[@josephcoolest1839]

@@godonlyknows13 yeah you cannot support removing much of the governments power yet allow them the power to kill.

[@ziziroberts8041]

I adore you John. Never give up. On most of us. ❤️

[@philipr5758]

10:33 Dammit.

[@zxcmvbn]

Came to the comments after I saw that

[@jkasturias]

Ugh :/

[@Mysterios1989]

The US system regularly confuses me. Why is it the prosecutor's job to convit people like that, to use tactics to make sure the other side has as little defence as possible. I am a law-student in Germany, and the rules here is that the defendend has basically one and a half defenders, his own, and the prosecutor. The job of the prosecutor is to present the case from all sides, everything that stands against, but also in favour of the accused. He it the neutral one that, after seeing all evidence first hand, dicides that the person is guilty enough to go to court, but to show his position, he has to show his complete reasoning, not only the side of it that is about making the person look guilty. The fact that in the US, the prosecutor has not to present the facts as well that are in favour of the defendend is rather baffeling and seems like a open door for abuse of power.

[@jacobfoxall5633]

Mysterios1989 as much as I agree with you that they shouldn't be threaten of their choice to allow the system to take place instead of simple never have a jury to begin with, there seems to be like so much talk of over crowding of people in prison here in the US to the point that it feels like every 2 seconds 10 new people are in jail cause we like arresting people (sarcastic tone).

[@bjhale]

Mysterios1989 It's largely the product of the adversarial system in a common law system like the U.S. and the U.K., as opposed to the inquisitorial system in a civil law system like Germany. The lawyers on each side are supposed to be zealous advocates for their own sides with the judge as a neutral arbiter and, in a jury trial, the jury as the determiners of facts. Under such a system, it is easy to see how being a zealous advocate can amount to trying to lock up as many defendants as possible. That said, professional rules of conduct for prosecutors in the U.S. usually state that the prosecutor's first obligation is to justice. But "justice" can be highly subjective, and, as the story here shows, prosecutors are elected officials who can lose their jobs for being "soft on crime."

[@averyspecialclara540]

"Im Zweifel für den Angeklagten"

[@thegreatonecometh200]

Mysterios1989 well in my opinion its a racial thing cause if you didn't notice its a bunch of black men being exonerated for crimes they didn't commit!! and especially since we have a for profit prison system now that pays judges and politicians to lock up as many people as they can its easiest to lock us up on trumped up charges

[@emirefli]

What happens if a prosecutor in Germany isn't neutral?