Do you think our "justice" system is based on how wealthy you are?
350059
Very much so, yes.  Public Defenders offices are woefully underfunded and overworked.
1074846
Cant be done....the justice system will always be tilted toward those who can afford better representation and can afford expert witness's. the government provides legal counsel for those who cannot afford it but the competence of such is usually woefully lacking...Justice is tilted toward the wealthy as is everything else in a capitalist society...he who has the gold makes the rules...I have considered this many times and there are no clear cut answers to making the system better...I suppose there could be limits set to what the government was going to spend to prosecute a case thereby granting limits to what the accused could spend but I'm not sure this is just if a man is defending his life shouldn't he be allowed to defend himself with all that he has?..then perhaps a limit to what the government can spend....ehhh...not an easy problem to solve.
1103662
The question should be "How much justice can you afford?"  Many innocent people are in jail and many more guilty are free.
646086
Just an idea, but might it have something to do with the fact that for centuries your political system has been based on the criminal exploitation of the poor and uneducated?
302280
When you ask that question, I think of the US court system. It's complex and independent, but necessary.
882688
for me, anyone guilty of murder should be able to earn, but all their money should then be allocated to his/her victims.... a permanent indenture if you like.\nbut i agree with you, people like oj should be condemn to end their lifes in a morass of anonymity... who wants that kind of bloke for a role model to our children
114641
Good question. It probably depends on how rich your parents are.
444183
Nope, I'm not rich and I don't plan on being rich. Money is the root of all that is evil and wrong with the world.
957334
What more do you need? You were born rich.
818472
Nope!   But there are so many of us working, and making ends meet, and pay for that privilege in more way s then one.   It does not encourage you to work and help yourself does it.\n\nWell never mind mate, at least we can live with our consciences\ncant we  !        ;0)
233135
My personal opinion is that our justice system is even a bigger joke than our congress. How can anyone call it justice when a guy with money can pretty much buy his way out of nearly anything. On the other hand, how can you call it justice when criminals with multiple convictions receive suspended sentences, or persons with multiple drunk driving convictions are turned loose to commit further offences. And on and on. The whole thing is a sham to keep lawyers, judges, and police officers from becoming unemployed.
561936
I'd rather be happy than rich.  Of course I think I am rich - not monetarily but in LIFE!
648737
Generally, people are concerned more about THEMSELVES than they are about anything else. That means until you are sure the rent is paid, there's food on the table and the kids are okay, you don't pay much attention to anything else. \n\nThe rich obviously have money and with money comes power. The rich use their money to influence political agendas that benefit them, with little thought of the "everyman"\n\nAs far as WHY we entrust them, I don't believe we do.  It's just that most of us don't know how, or are too lazy or self-interested to make ourselves and our opinions heard...
862220
Another one of the posters had it right when they sprinkled their answers with dollar signs. It is absolutely about how much money you have and how high priced of an attorney you can afford to hire. For example, there was that real estate tycoon (can't remember his name) who killed either 1-2 people. He hired that famous Wyoming lawyer and got off. Do you think a guy from the hood, only being able to afford a public defender, is going to get the same justice?\n\nHaving seen the criminal justice system in action  this is what I see: The person commits the offense, the DA piles the charges, knowing that all those charges won't stick, but they want to get it down to the offense in which the person did commit will stick. The plea bargain goes into play in which the defendant, facing months or years more in jail than they deserve, pleas to the offense and gets the appropriate punishment.\n\nEveryone is so against plea bargaining, but if it were banned and all defendants went through a jury trial, the criminal justice system would absolutely ground to a halt! There is no way the system could handle that many cases. The system wants plea bargains, because it makes the job easier. It's also enormously expensive to run jury trials for every single case presented before the court. \n\nObviously, there have been innocent people convicted. The Innocence Project has freed nearly 150 people jailed by eyewitness identification or police interrogation, only to prove usually years later through DNA that the person isn't guilty. There are undoubtedly many more people in prison for crimes they didn't commit..\n\nThere are also undoubtedly people in prison for crimes they pled guilty to, but are actually not guilty of the crime in which they pled guilty. (I know of one such person, although they are out of prison now.) Here is how this is played out - the defendant must rely on a public defender, the DA piles charges, they negotiate down, take a guilty plea with the promise of much reduced sentences, but life if found guilty at trial by jury. The person tries to cut their losses by pleading guilty so they're not stuck in prison for life.
1146078
I agree that the road you've laid out is definitly the path we are on, however no, I don't think anyone particularly wants that.  Good think I live close to the moutains, so I can just go and hide when the time comes..... Seeing how we live in a society where the rich get richer and poor get poorer, how can we not be headed down that path???
467943
it would never work. If we had all the same, no one would collect the trash or do similar jobs, why should they.\nBut I do think that could be a better balance, if the Rich gave more. I ask I much money does one need to be happy, how much is enough, a million, 2 million where does it stop.\nI'm not poor or rich and still I help and give to the ones worse off them me, so if the rich help more this would be better world.
623352
Gentically we are 99 percent the same. I have met some people born without limbs, born blind or born with CP, they had no choice in the matter. \n\nSo socially we are not equal true, high class people by your account means money... \n\n1) rich people want money poor poeple want money \n2) rich people want love, poor poeple want love\n3) rich people make families, poor people make families.\nect ect \n\nso you've been socially conditioned to need to feel better than someone else. other groups..that do this...and no you are not one of these.....\n\n\nRacist.\nSexist.\n\n\nyou by your stament are a Classist...your point is we are not equal...maybe under the law, society, community ect....\n\nthat it is ignorant...maybe...but it is a better option than having the conditioning of either a classist, racist, or sexist. not that you are those last too, its just under the same catagory of thinking.