Quote:
Originally Posted by noonereal
"We have the best legal system in the world"
I have heard this at least 15 times since I woke up about an hour ago.
Can anyone quantify or qualify this?
We lead the world in incarcerations, is that what theyl mean?
We dump our jails with mostly minorities and poor, is that what they mean?
I won't even post the raw truth on what happened last night.
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It means that our legal system sets an extremely high standard for the prosecution to prove their case. IMHO, that's a good thing.
On the other hand, minimum sentencing guidelines are a function of the legislative branch, not the judicial branch. The US has the highest incarceration rate in the world not because it has higher crime rates, but because it imprisons more types of criminal offenders, including non-violent and drug offenders, and keeps them in prison longer. Again, not a function of the judicial system, but of the legislative branch. Its also the executive branch enforcing things like the war on drugs (whether or not that's a good thing is open to question).