Many people think that hundreds of years of evolution, trained jurists and legal professionals have made the legal systems infallible. However, the reality is far from it. Every year there are thousands of wrong things, which happen in our legal systems.
From justice being denied to people being wrongfully convicted, there are plenty of starting facts, which characterize our legal systems.
In the past few years, many reputed organizations, social service groups, and NGOs have been compiling facts and figures regarding our legal systems.
In this article, we talk to a leading criminal attorney and ask him to point out the five most startling facts about the criminal justice system, which is sure to blow your mind.
List of 5 Startling Facts about the Criminal Legal System
- You cannot Trust DNA Evidence all the time-
You might have heard about how DNA evidence is the most telling factual evidence, which immediately and automatically points towards justice. However, several non-profits on closer inspection of wrongful convictions have proven otherwise.
They have shown how the medical experts helming the DNA evidence have not followed proper procedures in many cases. In other words, science was not proven, yet the judge and jury believed the testimony of the scientist falsely proving an innocent to become guilty.
- Forced Confessions are a Real Thing-
In 2020, there is an awareness about police custody being fair, tortures not taking place, and legal manipulations not being exercised. However, all these things are as much a reality today like they were five decades back.
Many innocents who do not have proper backing and recourse to legal support are targeted by much more powerful entities. They are forced to record confessions and made part of bad deals. Many people feel that saying yes to what the police say can help them get justice.
- Wrongful Convictions are more common than you think-
According to the Innocence Project, one out of twenty-five Americans has been wrongly placed under imprisonment. This is a huge question mark for legal systems. If you take into number this data, there would be nearly 50000 innocent people behind bars in America alone.
Experts suggest that people can be wrongfully convicted in the event of serious and non-serious crimes alike. This is why it is important that you work with good legal help to ensure that someone does not pull out all the tricks to save their clients by falsely implicating you.
- Poor Mental Health Defense can rarely save you-
There are many people who use the insanity alibi to try to save their clients from crimes. However, data shows that this strategy, even though it looks promising, does not yield positive results all the time.
According to data, the insanity defense has been just used a little over 1% in all recorded cases. In that one percent, the strategy has been only successful in about one-fourth times. This means that if you are working on a strategy like this, you should have an immediate rethink.
- Witness Testimonies do not always work all the time-
Contrary to popular belief that eyewitness testimonies are written in stone, a closer examination of facts reveals otherwise. The courts have themselves ruled that otherwise well-intentioned people can also end up making mistakes when called upon to be an eyewitness.
In recent years, judges and courts have been stringent in cross-examination of eye-witnesses. Police coercion for statements, the eyesight of the witness, the available light at the time of the incident, etc. are some considerations, which are being paid attention to.
The Final Word
We are sure that most of you reading the article, were unaware of at least some of the points mentioned above. Getting justice even when you are truly innocent can be a herculean task to prove in a court of law or in front of a jury. By working with the best legal experts and building your case, you can ensure that you are never at the receiving end of a wrongful conviction.