With the U.S. Attorney General promoting the use of hearsay evidence, withholding classified evidence from the accused and the introduction of coerced testimony America takes a giant step back into its past. Reminiscent of the Witch Trials, innocent people could easily be convicted using these methods.
While vacationing recently I read of Virginia’s pardoning of the Witch of Pungo. Hearsay evidence pointed to her being a witch as crops failed and violent storms pelted the area. Her testimony was coerced by repeated dunkings in the Lynnhaven River which proved beyond a shadow of a doubt this person to be a witch. After all she did float when a good Christian woman would have sunk.
It took 300 years for the poor witch to be legally pardoned for the State’s mistake. How might people in the future look back at the federal government’s foot dragging and endless machinations to keep bad people behind bars, no matter the price to America’s values?
Hearsay, coerced testimony, withholding evidence? Any one of us could end up behind bars under such a scenario. For money some people will do just about anything. However those with a lot of it seem to have a more friendly justice system.
Just ask Sam and Charles Wyly, walking around free despite ripping off Uncle Sam with illegal offshore financial transactions. Their nefarious schemes occupy nearly 300 pages of a 400 page Senate report on the super rich bailing on taxes due the federal government. It helps to be tight with President Bush.
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