> Getting the retribution you think is just and deserved means giving the state the power to inflict that retribution on anyone it wants. Not giving that autho

> Getting the retribution you think is just and deserved means giving the state the power to inflict that retribution on anyone it wants. Not giving that authority to the State means that it is retained by the People. The whole point of a justice system is to give the State a monopoly on violence: in return for giving up their right to vendetta, the People expect that the State will be scrupulous and fair in its prosecution of criminals. Indeed, this is the foundation of the legitimacy of the State, and it is why a State which refuses to execute justice will eventually lose legitimacy in the eyes of its People.