[lbo-talk] The Death of the American Trial

Bill Bartlett billbartlett at aapt.net.au
Tue Oct 16 15:13:06 PDT 2012


Maybe this is an example of the chickens are coming home to roost?

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-10-17/uk-hacker-wins-fight-against-extradition/4317168

reading the story, it seems this hacker faced 60 years imprisonment if he was tried and sentenced in the us courts. A classic example of how the US system blackmails people into pleading guilty, by threatening them with barbaric penalties that are out of proportion to the crime, unless they agree to give up their "right" to a trial.

The British government seems to be saying that this amounts to torture, and they are absolutely right. I think it is routine to use such torture to get people to plead guilty. So routine that Americans don't even notice it.

Accouring to the news article, the Brits are planning to change the law so their judges can bar extradition where it is possible to try people in Britain instead.

Bill Bartlett Bracknell Tas

At 2:17 AM -0700 10/10/12, Ismail Lagardien wrote:


>Not sure if anyone has read this - just sharing.



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