The Readers: Why Compensate Crotzer?

Two dissenting views on my position that Alan Crotzer should be compensated for 24 years of wrongful imprisonment:

Was Mr. Crotzer denied a jury trial? Was he denied access to a competent attorney? Was he maltreated in custody? Remedies for those issues already exist in the system and don’t require a public thrashing in the pages of the bay area’s newspapers. Conceiving and implementing a perfect legal system is another story. -- Jim Parker, Tampa

I'd start with the judge who issued the sentence. Hand him the bill. If he objects and passes the responsibility (I was only doing my job - where have I heard that before?) to the jury; let them share the cost. If the jury objects and passes the responsibility on to the prosecutor for making a strong case, then by all means let the prosecutor share in the bill, and so on to the detectives, investigators, witnesses, etc. ... but good grief, Howard don't hang that yoke around my neck. -- Mortimer Brown

Comments

[James B. Johnson]

I'm on record for advocating that judges, attorneys, and detectives have an interest in getting the trial outcome right the first time. As it is, none of these groups have anything to lose if they botch their part of it. Too many get brownie points and gold stars for convictions, and nothing for justice.

[Don Mott]

Might I remind Mr. Parker that many times in these cases if not all of them the prosecutors and the police have; stretched the truth, hidden evidence from the defense, or flat out lied to the jury. They sometimes use witnesses with much to gain, i.e. reduced sentences, by lying and or making up facts to sway the jury in their favor. I could go on but the point is sometimes the state breaks the law to get an arrest and or conviction and that is fact. If you've never been there you cannot know of the tactics they will use to get convictions. Sometimes law and order is lawfulness and disorder in the judicial system and anyone who believes otherwise is either ignorant of the facts or has their head in the sand. Mr. Johnsons comment was right on! Just look at the case against the Duke University lacrosse players if you want a perfect example of that which I speak!

[Ron]

These arguments are just patently ridiculous. It doesn't matter if he had a competent attorney or was treated properly in custody. These are all meaningless.
The state made a mistake when they arrested the wrong man. The state made a mistake when they prosecuted the wrong man. The state made a mistake when they convicted the wrong man. The state has a resonsibility to do something to correct the mistakes they made. It doesn't matter id they were honest mistakes, they were still mistakes.
I would not, however, just hand him a check. He needs job training and placement, plus money to live on until he is able to support himself.