Mark W. Bennett Quotes
[The decisions made by the prosecutors were] stunningly arbitrary. These decisions are shrouded in such complete secrecy that they make the proceedings of the former English Court of Star Chamber appear to be a model of criminal justice transparency. We as judges can and should do more [to change the situation.]
This was an unusual public chastisement of federal prosecutors by a Senior Federal Judge in a criminal trial. Federal prosecutors meet very high standards to be appointed, but the position of prosecutor has often been a stepping stone to advancement in politics, and sometime the desire to win at almost any cost impinges on the fairness and justice of a case. Of interest in this quote also is the fact that the Judge urged his colleagues to do more publicly to deter these practices.
Opinion, 2013
Sourced by: Eigen's Political and Historical Quotations
It is unfortunately too common that people have been convicted and jailed because of misconduct of the police or prosecutors. Most criminal justice agencies in recent years have examined their methods and procedures and reforms are in progress. But there is still a human problem. For an example see Quote
The Judge’s reference was to the Justice Department behavior at the trial of a group of radicals in Boston.
Because of the discretion and lack of transparency of prosecutors, she argues that the prosecutors are the weak link in the criminal justice system. Others believe that the weak link is the judges who are the most protected. See {631729}.
It is surprising that these ideas would come from one of the most autocratic powerful monarch in the world at the time. However there were many very liberal influences on her from Europe. This set of proposals she even sent to Voltaire to get his feedback and criticism.
This document was a type of Magna Carta but far earlier.
- Born: June 4, 1950
- Nationality: American
- Profession: Federal Judge
