But, as I stated in a previous Pravda.Ru article entitled Vote For Me (April 8, 2008), many states do not have laws to compensate the wrongfully convicted. In these states the wrongfully convicted, to obtain compensation, have to accomplish the almost impossible task of proving they were prosecuted “in bad faith.”
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| Informants often manipulate their status for personal gain |
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Unfortunately even the prospect of paying financial compensation may not be enough to dissuade zealous or corrupt prosecutors from misusing informants. From a purely cost/benefit perspective, some government officials probably felt it was worth paying a few million dollars to silence “Geronimo” Pratt behind prison walls, to murder Hampton and Clark, and to put a “snitch jacket” on Albertson. After all, do monetary damages really have any deterrence value when the government has the entire United States Treasury, and all the taxpayers, at its disposal?
Still, as demonstrated by the plethora of wrongful convictions, the leadership vacuum that led to the formation of the Crips, the suicide of William O’Neal, and the murder of Anna Mae Aquash, the direct and indirect social costs for misusing informants can be staggering.
Everyday, whether they want to acknowledge it or not, Americans walk on eggshells. Their money, their homes, their freedom, their very lives can be lost in an instant because of dishonest informants and corrupt members of a legal “system” who believe “sending messages” or “winning” is more important than truth.
David R. Hoffman, Legal Editor of Pravda.Ru
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