this post was submitted on 21 Dec 2024
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politics

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Summary

Trust in the U.S. judicial system has hit a record low, with only 35% of Americans expressing confidence, according to Gallup.

Criticism centers on the Supreme Court’s conservative majority, accused of advancing right-wing agendas, eroding rights like abortion access, and lacking accountability.

This judicial capture, orchestrated by conservative groups like the Federalist Society, ensures Republican dominance in key policies for decades, regardless of future elections.

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[–] captainlezbian@lemmy.world 1 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

That seems high

Listen, citizens united was really bad. And cops engage in highway robbery

[–] xmunk@sh.itjust.works 128 points 5 days ago (5 children)

Luigi Mangione has a higher favorability than the US justice system.

That's where we're fucking at.

[–] Bakkoda@sh.itjust.works 60 points 5 days ago (1 children)

Number of executives held accountable in 2024: 1

[–] Taleya@aussie.zone 16 points 5 days ago

Do better in '25

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[–] Bonesince1997@lemmy.world 163 points 5 days ago (1 children)

Blatant corruption, even in the highest court, will do that. Get Thomas out of there. Make Trump pay for his crimes. Otherwise, I guess it's plumbing time.

[–] zephorah@lemm.ee 65 points 5 days ago (1 children)

It’s not just Thomas, it’s Kavanaugh. Men who behave like rabid dogs around women are not emotionally, mentally, and societally stable enough to hold that position. Or shouldn’t be considered as such, but here we are.

Replace them with republicans if you must, either way, treating half the population as less should disqualify you. But it doesn’t, the fact that Trump ran and won on it proves as much.

It’s difficult to avoid states of learned helplessness, I think, when this is our system. I think that’s another piece of the Luigi effect. Breaking that mentality on a large scale. (That’s not an endorsement, it’s a recognition of the psychological impact of that day.)

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[–] uberdroog@lemmy.world 130 points 5 days ago (1 children)

Dylan Roof kills 9 black people to start a race war. Luigi popped a CEO who was in charge or a system that killed thousands. Which one gets the terrorism charge and why? To send a message, so the serfs don't get uppity. Why would we trust the system? We all know the resources exist, but we still suffer and starve. Fuck the system and fuck the elites.

[–] AngryCommieKender@lemmy.world 32 points 5 days ago (3 children)

Dylan didn't have to be charged with terrorism to get the death penalty in SC. NY State law requires the terrorism charge to be able to sentence Luigi to the death penalty. It's precisely because Luigi didn't kill a bunch of people that they have to tack on the terrorism charge, but them being so bloodthirsty is very likely to backfire. They could have gotten the 2nd degree murder charge and life in prison, but it's gonna be damn near impossible to find 12 people that will convict beyond a reasonable doubt on terrorism.

Sure it highlights how bloodthirsty these ghouls at the top are, but it may not work for them the way they want it to.

Dylan is currently on death row. Waste of taxpayer money if you ask me. Life in prison with no chance of parole is cheaper by multiple factors.

[–] Makeitstop@lemmy.world 25 points 5 days ago (1 children)

The terrorism charge also brings his motivation front and center. If it was a 2nd degree murder only, they might have been able to suppress a lot of discussion about UnitedHealth for being irrelevant and prejudicial. But now they not only have to discuss it, but they have to allow the defense to respond to it. If they aren't careful, this could easily open the door to a jury nullification strategy.

[–] Nollij@sopuli.xyz 18 points 5 days ago (6 children)

Jury nullification isn't an official path to be taken. Many judges will slam on the brakes the moment anyone, anyone at all, even hints at it.

Officially, juries are finders of fact. Did he do the actions needed for each charge? If so, then the verdict must be guilty. They are not finders of law; that's for the judges or legislators.

That said, much like determining which degree of a murder charge, whether "he had it coming/he started it" could play a big part in evidence and testimony.

[–] Makeitstop@lemmy.world 14 points 5 days ago

It's not an official strategy, and the defense can't do anything to overtly encourage it. But they are going to try to make the defendant sympathetic, and given the chance, they will try to get the jury thinking about just how unsympathetic the victim is.

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[–] Revan343@lemmy.ca 11 points 5 days ago (1 children)

NY State law requires the terrorism charge to be able to sentence Luigi to the death penalty

Life imprisonment; NY State does not have the death penalty

[–] AngryCommieKender@lemmy.world 11 points 5 days ago (1 children)

Yeah I just watched a Legal Eagle video on it, apparently the death penalty is coming from the federal charges

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[–] foggy@lemmy.world 93 points 5 days ago

Won't trust it until Trump is in a cell.

There's two justice systems. There's two classes. Until this bullshit ends, it's the same as it ever was.

[–] Bronzebeard@lemm.ee 68 points 5 days ago (1 children)

The US justice system has gone out of its way to make itself not trustworthy. It's surprising it's that high.

[–] LifeInMultipleChoice@lemmy.world 22 points 5 days ago (4 children)

Well 3 of 9 judges supported putting in codified ethics I believe. So that means I'd think 33% of them were trustworthy. Throw in 2% for the people who answered, yes I trust them.. because they trust them to act in their own best interests, and we got to 35% haha

[–] ByteOnBikes@slrpnk.net 19 points 5 days ago (4 children)

This guy cried about liking beer and he's in charge of the law of the land.

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[–] Cypher@lemmy.world 71 points 5 days ago (1 children)

When you have judges accepting cash for kids 35% seems outrageously high.

[–] JDPoZ@lemmy.world 29 points 5 days ago (2 children)
[–] eugenevdebs@lemmy.dbzer0.com 25 points 5 days ago (3 children)

Pardons this dude, but refuses to pardon people like Snowden who broke laws for the public good.

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[–] lemonskate@lemmy.world 15 points 5 days ago (1 children)

yo what the fuck, that is bullshit

[–] agamemnonymous@sh.itjust.works 11 points 5 days ago (6 children)

From what I read Biden didn't seek that judge to pardon, he was just one person affected by some big mass pardons. In this case I think he was one of like 1500 people who were moved to house arrest for non-violent crimes during Covid, who Biden pardoned all at once.

Still not great, the administration should've reviewed the details of those cases first, but it's not like he deliberately sought the guy out.

[–] AnarchistArtificer@slrpnk.net 10 points 5 days ago (3 children)

The mass wave of pardons has really highlighted to me how broken the justice system is, but for complicated reasons. I can't remember which case it was, but I read of one of the controversial pardons and felt outraged. Then someone, much like yourself, pointed out that this was due to the COVID house arrest stuff, and I conceded that it probably made sense. But then I felt conflicted, because if I didn't want them to be back in prison, why did I still feel so angry?

The unfortunate answer is that prison doesn't give us justice. I have been a victim of crimes that I haven't reported because I have seen how traumatising that process is for victims. When the trial is over and the perpetrator is behind bars, the person most affected by the crime must then struggle to heal from both the trauma of the original incident, and the additional, separate trauma of interacting with the justice system. Seeing someone punished might soothe the sting a little, but it doesn't help one to heal.

Reading about restorative justice approaches makes me feel hopeful, though it's a radical enough approach that we haven't had many chances to see it in action. Even if the cultural consciousness moved away from its retributive understanding of justice, widespread implementation of restorative approaches wouldn't be a straightforward task. However, I feel that for a huge amount of cases, it would be better than we have now.

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Why would I trust a branch of government who, amoung other things, said; president's rule like kings; money is speech; rulings from the 1600s supercede any modern day interpretation of law.

I wouldn't invite a person like this into my house non the less let them rule a branch of government.

[–] geneva_convenience@lemmy.ml 47 points 5 days ago (1 children)
[–] ByteOnBikes@slrpnk.net 16 points 5 days ago (1 children)

I still meet people who trust a police officer to have their best interests in mind.

[–] DarkDarkHouse@lemmy.sdf.org 19 points 5 days ago (1 children)
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[–] Granite@midwest.social 37 points 5 days ago

Well, it’s kinda like they’ve given us every reason not to…

[–] HootinNHollerin@slrpnk.net 59 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago)

The Supreme Court is corrupted, so every court in the country is corrupted

[–] sarcasticsunrise@lemmy.world 43 points 5 days ago (2 children)

For the life of me I'm baffled that's it's as high as 35%

[–] GladiusB@lemmy.world 16 points 5 days ago (1 children)

Did you see the popular vote?

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[–] kreskin@lemmy.world 30 points 5 days ago (1 children)

Trust in law enforcement has been plummeting for a long time too. Prosecutors are going to have a much harder time convincing a jury of much of anything.

Hence the popularity (on the corporate side, at least) of binding arbitration.

[–] jordanlund@lemmy.world 43 points 5 days ago (3 children)

30% lost faith when we prosecuted Trump.

35% lost faith when Trump walked.

Seems to track to me!

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[–] perestroika@lemm.ee 24 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago) (2 children)

That sounds bad indeed.

Comparison: over here in Estonia, out of the general population, 71% trust the courts (an increase from 55% as measured back in 2013). Out of lawyers, 88% trust the courts here. A bit north of here, in Finland, 83% of the population "think that the courts are independent or very independent" (I failed to find a direct question about trust).

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[–] CharlesDarwin@lemmy.world 19 points 5 days ago

Maybe catastrophic for democratic norms. But it's perrrrrrfect for fascists and their schemes.

[–] sumguyonline@lemmy.world 10 points 4 days ago

Democrats just pardoned a judge selling kids to jails for cash. I understand he was old, but he should have died in jail from covid, those kids had their lives sold like slaves, we fought a war over people owning slaves for just cash - prison is a form of slavery, but theoretically it should only be used as punishment for guilty, so innocents going to prison is literally an unregulated slave trade. This isn't a "Republican" issue. This is Democrats too. When was the last time you heard about a rich kid getting the same treatment as a poor kid? Or when was the last time you heard about any judge selling warrants to innocent peoples homes, lives, and existences, in order to have the police/feds go searching for illegal material they HOPE is maybe there. If you haven't yet, you will. Pay real close attention to the ethics of judges over the next 5yrs, they are poised to anchor themselves as an unelected ruling class, not just stuffy bastards that don't have touch with the real world, let alone can get their heads far enough out of their ass their nose might get cold. If AI is good for one thing, its replacing judges. End of story. Then, if AI is programmed with hundreds of years of precedent, and each law is coded in to be applied equally, then and only then can we hope the rich bastard drunk driving gets the same as Jo Bob. An that the courts aren't just a playground for the 1% to pay a fee for their crime, while we face cold hard reality. You want us in prison? You rich fucks will be standing right next to us, wearing the same pink jumper, and we hungry. If all the feds can do is investigate you hoping harrasment will get you to commit a crime, they already lost, they just haven't had their asses kicked on the side of the highway to prove it yet. Their 1% masters will be next.

[–] snekerpimp@lemmy.world 38 points 5 days ago

Hard to trust something that is not set up or built to work for or protect you.

[–] allo@sh.itjust.works 23 points 5 days ago

i trust them to not have our best interest at heart

[–] henfredemars@infosec.pub 26 points 5 days ago (1 children)

Where have those 35% been? It’s been demonstrated rather publicly and blatantly that only power and money matters.

[–] Ensign_Crab@lemmy.world 12 points 5 days ago (1 children)

You know how Lincoln said you can fool some of the people all of the time? We now know what percentage.

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[–] imsufferableninja@sh.itjust.works 28 points 5 days ago (1 children)

Only? I'm shocked that it's that high

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[–] makeshiftreaper@lemmy.world 28 points 5 days ago

I know this is all about optics, but I'm sure for all the people who have had to deal with the criminal justice system they also know how shitty it is. 91% of cases result in a guilty plea, 7% end up in some sort of dismissal and only 2% actually go to trial. The system is built to make being guilty the easiest choice, and your lawyer will do everything in their power to get you to take it

[–] cabron_offsets@lemmy.world 26 points 5 days ago (2 children)

I’ll trust the system a bit more after Luigi is acquitted.

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[–] billwashere@lemmy.world 16 points 5 days ago

Now split this data out by income and you’ll get a much different set of data.

[–] llamatron@lemmy.world 15 points 5 days ago

Supreme Court.

Trump.

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