I would love to say that I wrote this article about some of the worst prosecutors of the year. Instead Radley Balko wrote this excellent and tragic article detailing some of the most egregious prosecutorial misconduct of the year.
Check out this list of bad prosecutors and vote here!
Of course those listed are not alone. Every day, prosecutors around the country destroy the lives of innocent people in order to assure themselves another election victory as the "100% conviction rate" candidate. That is not to suggest that there aren't fine people out there in the job doing good work. There are. But the bad so over shadows the good that the "incarcerate for cash" system that we have threatens to make us a nation of convicts.
Historically 2% of the population of any country is either currently or previously in some form of incarceration. The US figures are inching up on 20%. That is 20% of the population left unable to get most jobs, avoid welfare, vote, get educational benefits, etc etc. This dooms not only the person tossed in jail for increasingly minor offenses, it dooms their entire family to a life of poverty.
Justice reform is on it's way to being a major issue as people are increasingly touched by bad prosecution, jailing for cash scandals, and increasingly oppressive laws. The economy takes center stage today, but as conservatives, historically "law and order" voters are waking up to the realities of "justice" in their own back yard, the tide is turning with calls to prosecute those who use their power for evil.
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