Lawsuit Launched Over Secret Jailhouse Informant Program
Orange County prosecutors and sheriff's have been accused of running a secret jailhouse informant program for years.
And despite the frequent denial, it's alleged that there is such a program and that it has been used to obtain confessions from many criminal defendants.
The majority of the cases in the United States that involve criminal convictions are said to have been secured thanks to a guilty plea. Many individuals will end up pleading guilty and this then waives their right to a trial.
It's alleged that the sheriff's department in Orange County had been using this informant program for 30+ years to help them secure guilty verdicts.
Defendants were allegedly threatened with violence if they didn't confess to committing the crime they had been charged with. And others allegedly had been told that they'd been placed on a ”hit list”, with their only option of survival being that they confess.
The state allegedly paid those informants hundreds of thousands of dollars in return for their services; ultimately coming from the pocket of taxpayers.
The lawsuit is also drawing attention to allegations that the sheriff's department had frequently denied and lied about the existence of the program.
For example, in one circumstance it's alleged that two informants with the program had secured information about one 14-year old inmate who they found out was innocent of the crime that they were currently behind bars for. Another inmate who was also charged with that same crime and who was also behind bars, those informants suggest, was the only true guilty party that was responsible for the crime. However, rather than share that information with the lawyer of the 14 year old inmate, so that they could possibly be let out of jail, the state had allegedly refused to share that information with the inmate's lawyer, because it would have exposed the informant program.
The informant program has fueled quite the scandal for the Orange County's Sheriff's Department and DA's office, upended a great deal of criminal cases and prompted state and federal investigations, as well as this new civil lawsuit.
The lawsuit is ultimately seeking to prove that these agencies effectively violated Constitutional rights with a secret jailhouse informant network.
Pics:
pixabay
Sources:
http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-jailhouse-informant-grand-jury-20170613-story.html
https://www.ocregister.com/2017/06/14/new-testimony-appears-to-contradict-o-c-grand-jury-report-on-jailhouse-informants/
https://www.ocregister.com/2017/06/13/grand-jury-no-systemic-cheating-from-orange-county-d-a-sheriff-in-using-jailhouse-informants/
https://theoutline.com/post/2066/most-criminal-cases-end-in-plea-bargains-not-trials?zd=1&zi=5w7xt4ea
https://www.thedailybeast.com/orange-county-prosecutors-used-jailhouse-informants-to-illegally-coerce-confessions-aclu-charges
http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-aclu-jailhouse-informants-20180404-story.html
http://ktla.com/2018/04/04/aclu-to-file-lawsuit-over-orange-county-jailhouse-informant-scandal/
http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-hutchens-testimony-20170705-story.html
http://www.boomdocfilm.com/434440946
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Oh, very nice. The beauty of this is that eventually we can just eliminate the criminal court system entirely, save a bunch of tax dollars and live in a much safer society because everyone will be safely behind bars. No need to worry about stupid things like the "presumption of innocence" that has to be deconstructed through a process of analyzing facts and proof in the light of day in order to determine actual guilt. Onward to our distopian future!
It really doesn't surprise me anymore all the crap that goes on ! thanks for sharing @doitvoluntarily ! upped earlier , now resteemed !👍👍👍
i'm with ya there! 👍
Thanks !👍👍👍
This just makes me sick. I wonder if just punishment will be meted out to them. I hope so. This is beyond grotesque. A level of criminality that put savages to shame.
Thanks for the info. Great work.
thanks for checking it out 👍👍
There is no need to thank me. It is I who should be thanking you for posting this stuff. Serious issues tend to get lost in the dung heap of a news cycle that is preoccupied with who is sleeping with who in Washington and Hollywood or wherever or whatever they can find to take focus off the issues that are worth talking about.
Hi doitvoluntarily,
Reading your valued content, makes me think about the corrupt jail convection system that puts suffering to some innocent people.
Scary part is that in this jail house, even if one had the best criminal lawyer, most likely, one could not have won against such corrupt criminal justice system backed by the corrupt sheriff.
What is the better solution to our criminal legal system?
nice post
i appreciate with you...
thanks for sharing a important news
keep it on....best of luck.......
This really a nice idea launching a secret hail house, I think right now theft is gonna be a minute thing now cos it will reduce it...
Kudos to those who programed this, they've really done at least something to the society reducing they and other bad stuff.
dear boss,
very good post.Thanks for share.
Hello dear friend very great and good your information
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