"Presumed innocent until proven guilty"
By STOUTjodee
@STOUTjodee (3670)
United States
September 22, 2012 3:59pm CST
It use to be you were presumed innocent until proven guilty, but it seems to me that you're presumed guilty until proven innocent. My husband was stopped a while back, the police officer on the written tickets say things that are not what is shown in the police video. Then he wrote him a ticket for being intoxicated which he was not, I, on the other hand was,but I wasn't driving. He failed the sobriety field tests, one was to walk a straight line which my husband can't do because of an injury to his knee/leg. The other test was say the alphabet backwards and my husband has problems with dyslexia. Which I can't even say the alphabet backwards, unless I write it down. Then since the police officer assumed him to be guilty, they did a breath alyzer, which came out misleading. I've done research on the internet and the breath alyzer can be inaccurate if you have sugar diabetes,acid reflux and even if you chew tobacco (just some instances). So he was taken to jail... Now he has a court appointed representative and on the first meeting she has got him guilty,before finding out all of the evidence. Now, I thought that if some one is suppose to be representing you, they should treat you as if you were innocent before they have proven you guilty. Am I just prejudice because it's my husband or does anyone else feel that the justice system is not justice anymore?
2 people like this
6 responses
@bunnybon7 (50970)
• Holiday, Florida
22 Sep 12
any more? when was it ever. so many laws need changed and or readjusted its rediculous!
ive heard so much about injustice lately i cant even tell you. you are not wrong. 
@LaDeBoheme (2004)
• United States
22 Sep 12
It's a shame, but public defenders are so overburdened today, they will just rush their clients through with some plea deal. But looking at this from the outside in, the rep probably has your husband labeled as guilty because the evidence says he is. He did fail the sobriety tests. A court-appointed official is going to take the evidence as is. They won't take the time to analyze it or the circumstances, particularly in a traffic court case or misdemeanor; probably because they don't have the time or resources to do so.
If you can't afford a lawyer than your husband might be better off presenting his own case which is his right. He just needs to make sure he has all his ducks in a row and indisputable proof to back up why he failed the sobriety tests.
@mensab (4200)
• Philippines
22 Sep 12
the rules of court are very stringent and vague that lawyers and judges earn their living by merely interpreting the law in their favor. i hope your lawyer can get your husband out of the jail and out of this legal mess. legal system is skewed in favor of those who can twist the interpretation of the laws.
@cynthiann (18612)
• Jamaica
23 Sep 12
This is horrendous and so unjust. I really feel this for you. It is one thing to be accused but worse to be found guilty as it were, before the case is heard. Your husband must feel so terrible about it. And what gives with the court representative? Are they so busy that they just rush things through without caring for their clients? No, you are not prejudiced because it is your husband as this is not justice
@obe212003 (2299)
• Philippines
23 Sep 12
Here in our country, I think it is the other way around, the concept of guilt unless proven innocent. The legal system adheres to this, and I think this is one of the reasons that led to cause an increase in population of inmates in prisons.
@koopharper (7599)
• Canada
22 Sep 12
That sounds really unfair. My experiences with police is a mix of good and bad. Depends a great deal on the attitude of the officer at the time. I actually been quite impressed with the RCMP here in New Brunswick. My experiences with the Surete de Quebec when we lived there were also good. The Ontario Provincial Police were a different story. I found them to be aggressive and arrogant.
On a side note I considered starting a discussion about steriod use by police but I can't copy and paste yet and the articles I read on the subject would pretty much have required I have that capability. I just can't copy exactly a whole bunch of random characters without making mistakes. This is a growing problem. The articles I read involved the Niagara Regional Police who have had several other issues that I know about from the past. They also mentioned the Peel Regional Police who have their own reputation.
Your husband probably needs a good lawyer unless he can adequately represent himself which someone here mentioned. Otherwise I don't think he is going to get a fair hearing.
