http://www2.kyw1060.com/news_story_detail.cfm?newsitemid=5376

-- I'mSo (lame@prepped.com), February 28, 2000

Answers

I'mSo,

Thanks for posting this, I felt so bad for the mom, she woke up to find her baby not there, calls the police in a panic, as any mother would, and finds herself being "arrested", huh? Very Strange, I was truly hoping for a good ending here.

-- Michael (michaelteever@buffalo.com), February 28, 2000.

Thank you for the post I'mSo.

-- Dee (T1Colt556@aol.com), February 28, 2000.

Thanks, I'mso, I heard it on the news on my way home from work and was going to post it myself. Hearing is actually Wednesday; she still faces criminal charges for being asleep in bed at night after putting her child to bed.

-- Markus Archus (apxov@mail.com), February 28, 2000.

If they do anything at the hearing other than to say, "Well, kids will be kids; keep the best eye on her you can, and have a good day, Mr and Mrs Small," they are idiots. If there are no other circumstances here, I'd tell Mrs Small not to waste 10 cents on an attorney. The prosecution here is foolish for even pretending they have to pursue this. Regardless of what you read on this board, by and large common sense prevails in our courts. Only the boneheads manage to make the news.

-- ImSo (lame@prepped.com), February 28, 2000.

Courts ruled by common sense? Then why the movement nationwide for reform in the system? Sorry. People who work in the Court system are just like the rest of us. They depend on the approval of their peers to survive. I've worked a long time in the court system and in areas associated with law enforcement. Justice is frequently subordinated to expediency, although in a pro-forma sort of manner. This is called whoring the law, and we are becoming masters at pimping.

-- another government hack (keepwatching_2000@yahoo.com), February 28, 2000.

Common sense? I'm an attorney--I even practiced in a former life-- you CAN'T use common sense and survive. You must use "strategy". A good friend from law school just quit practicing to teach and she put it very well I thought-"I could be good at this. I'm smart enough and I can work hard--BUT-- I don't want to be the kind of person it would take to be good at this!"

-- Bordergirl (Bordergirl@nottooquick.iguess), February 28, 2000.

The question is, how do you deal with a heterogeneous, goofy population? (I'm not implying Mrs Small is goofy)

No question expediency is high on the list of priorities; I wouldn't disagree with that. And I would never choose to be an attorney--in an adversarial system, you are expected to represent the client and not the truth. That's called whoring YOURSELF--not whoring the law. But on average, practicality and common sense do prevail in the day- to-day junk that comes through. I can't think of a different country's court system I'd trade ours for--at least in any country with so diverse a population, which really complicates things.

In any case, I was not stunned to find out the kid was sent back. I would not be stunned to find out the judge is an ass, either, but I'll wait to make that judgment, and wouldn't pay an attorney to represent me if the facts are plain and the facts support me.

-- I'mSo (lame@prepped.com), February 29, 2000.

The question is, how do you deal with a heterogeneous, goofy population?

How about leave it the hell alone?

George

-- George Valentine (georgevalentine@usa.net), February 29, 2000.

Imso, it is obvious you are not educated on some of the truly horrifying and objectionable injustices being served through our modern court system...there are plenty of examples out there to shake your faith in what you consider to be the best system on the planet.

Try reading Rodney Stich's account of his travails with the court system. "Defrauding America" can probably be found at your local library.

Then there's Reed Irvine (former Federal Reserve board member) and his nasty opinion of the court system, most especially the Justice Department which is not much more than a joke these days.

Accuracy In Media

And one of the most disgusting accounts of judicial fraud, collusion and injustice can be found by familiarizing oneself with the Yogurt Shop Murders and the Texas attorney who found himself right in the middle of a huge coverup involving millions of dollars, murder and lots of collaborators in high places.

Link

That ought help put a dent in your belief system. It did mine. There are many many other examples....too many to post.

-- OR (orwelliator@biosys.net), February 29, 2000.

Thanks, George and OR

I more or less agree with some of the outlying outrageousness--OJ getting off, for instance.

The denominator of ordinary stuff ordinarily handled is huge, however, and I'm not convinced our system is worth than others. There is a lot of the world worse off than we in terms of a court system.

Nevertheless, I won't go to bat more than I have above for our system, and your point that many abuses have occurred is accepted by me.

-- ImSo (lame@prepped.com), February 29, 2000.

Imso, thanks for the reasoned response.

I suppose I feel that being able to beat a parking ticket or a DUI is not the most crucial part of our court system. When it falters at it's deepest levels, it is just a matter of time before the whole thing crumbles. The above referenced links do justice to the concept that we are experiencing more and more corruption in the form of bought off judges, district attorneys, police officials at ever higher levels.

It is not just something to be disgusted about. It is something to be afraid of and to be angry over. A cause worthy of being proactive in raising awareness.

The system is sick within and will resemble the Columbian judicial system (or any other overtly corrupted system) very soon if we don't wake up and stop it.

Our opinions differ in that I think it is far more serious and widespread than you do. At least that is my take on it.

-- OR (orwelliator@biosys.net), March 01, 2000.

I've seen abuse on both sides of this issue, but the child protection folks are tasked with a job which affords little if any lasting gratification and provides more than its share of contention and misery. It's one of most stressful and thankless jobs around. Many of these workers burn out seriously after only a short time.

If a four-year-old is found wandering outside alone and lost at any hour -- and particularly in the middle of the night -- it's my opinion it's the duty of the police and cpi agencies to investigate and take custody when necessary until it's established that the home is fit and secure and that the episode is indeed isolated and accidental. The incident cited isn't in the same category as a kid straying away at a department store or in a parade crowd and winding up with a security guard or a street cop.

A couple years ago I read about the case of the man who left his infant in a closed automobile for several hours on one of the hottest days of the summer. The adult went into a business he owned or operated, intending to stay only for a few minutes, and got caught up in the supervisory activities of the day. The child died, of course. The adult's excuse: he forgot. I have almost no doubt that he did.

There are parents who neglect and abuse (and sometimes kill) their children. Does anyone here doubt this to be a reality? When offered a chance to explain themselves, these adults -- many of whom were also neglected and abused as children, and who are very ill themselves as a consequence -- will almost always say they were not aware of the problem, or that it was the fault of another, or that it was an accid

-- panjandrum (panjandrum@samfoote.net), March 01, 2000.

or that it was an accident.

pan

-- panjandrum (panjandrum@samfoote.net), March 01, 2000.

I have to agree with pan's concept. We are now a society of people who refuse to take personal responsibility for our actions. Fortunately and perhaps painfully, we will leave this cycle for another soon enough.

-- OR (orwelliator@biosys.net), March 01, 2000.