Trial By Facebook

There was a time when I thought the “law” was fair, impartial, and just. Then I had my eleventh birthday.

A glance at yesterday’s newspaper is an interesting study in the contrasts of how the “law” works. Some laws are ignored by District Attorneys (see an article on violation of public meeting notifications in the DFW Metroplex), people on probation are routinely ignored by probation officers except for collection of fees (see the article on new probation procedures in Tarrant Country), and “somebody ought to do something” because “a murderer has gone free,” or so goes the Facebook version of a murder trial which has made national headlines.

Maybe we just need to let Facebook become “judge and jury” in criminal, and civil I suppose, cases. Put the facts, or the reputed facts, or the “hearsay” and “suppositions” on the site and let all the interested parties vote. If you win the vote, you go free. If not, it’s off to jail with you. And, you would have to stay there until your case could be reviewed by popular demand and you could win a “parole” or “pardon” vote.

Our legal system is a mess – a nightmare really. “Justice” is dispensed in direct proportion to the amount of money spent. Some folks find it appalling that the State is required to “prove, beyond any reasonable doubt” that a person is guilty of a crime. A lesser standard, which is often the outcome of multitude of trials, is what ought to be distressing.

Facebook – the new standard of right and wrong. Yeah, right!