4 ms·
"Since we can never know anything for sure, it is simply not worth searching for certainty; but it is well worth searching for truth; and we do this chiefly by
by DataWorker 9y ago
"Since we can never know anything for sure, it is simply not worth searching for certainty; but it is well worth searching for truth; and we do this chiefly by searching for mistakes, so that we have to correct them."
The injustices done by a jury of peers who are certain beyond reasonable doubt can be seen from Christ's trial under Pilot clear through the Salem witch trials and into the present day. What's newer is the incentivized nature of the American criminal justice system. Until people are educated enough to be aware of their own fallibility and psychological biases, and the fallacies inherent in human cognition more generally such instances of state sponsored injustice will continue. I shudder when I hear calls to always believe the victim, not because victims do not deserve justice, but because injustice done by the state, legitimized by a jury of peers, is nothing more than tyranny.
- AznHisoka 9y agoso should we make it mandatory for jurors to undergo training? maybe make it a career?
- Clubber 9y agoI would definitely say make jurors go through training and pay them more; a lot more. The more expensive for the state to prosecute someone, the better.
- PeanutCurry 9y agoWhy would it be better for it to be more expensive to prosecute someone? The point of laws is that we'd like to see them enforced. If the people don't like the laws they should change them not try to cripple their government's ability to do its job.
- Clubber 9y ago"That it is better 100 guilty Persons should escape than that one innocent Person should suffer, is a Maxim that has been long and generally approved." -Franklin
- sjg007 9y agoWe should remove mandatory sentences and give judges discretion
- p49k 9y agoDoesn't work as long as judges remain an elected position, because any judge who doles out reasonable sentences will be constantly attacked for being "soft on crime." https://www.economist.com/news/united-states/21613276-theyre-not-politicians-so-they-shouldnt-act-them-trouble-electing-judges https://www.economist.com/news/united-states/21613276-theyre...
- rdtsc 9y agoServing on a jury showed me how racist and hateful fellow peers are. Maybe I just got stuck with a strange group. And it wasn't even coming from people we've been taught about as being racist. I live in a state were juries also decide on the amount and type of monetary damages. It seems nothing ignites the stereotypes and prejudices as much as having money in the mix.
- bonniemuffin 9y agoI felt the same way. I served on a jury for a nonviolent drug case, and felt like I heard a lot of thinly veiled racism during jury deliberations. It made me sad how eager most of my fellow jurors were to throw the book at the defendant as if her doing time was going to make the world a better place.