Re: What is the "Presumption of Innocence"

"neepy" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote in message
news:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> Christene Herr <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote in message
news:<[EMAIL PROTECTED]>...
> > The idea of innocent until proven guilty is one of the things that sets
> > America apart.
>
> Really?  Maybe you could provide a list of countries that don't adopt
> this assumption in criminal trials?
>

In the West aren't there two main legal schools of thought, one holding true
to Roman law and the other influenced by the "English Common Law" tradition
or what we call case law? In countries that opt for the prior have a nasty
reputation as concerns suspects? Whereas in the later we evolve the truth we
can find from an accumulation of similar cases. This later case instead of
iron principle inflexible and rigid.

> > It means that they are given a fair trial.
>
> Why?  You can have a "fair" or "unfair" trial under any set of
> assumptions... it is how the trial is conducted, rules of evidence,
> etc (not the assumption of innocence) that determines whether it is
> fair or not.
>
> > But most
> > of all it means that we as Americans believe in the decency and goodness
> > of human nature.  We hope that they didn't commit the crime, instead of
> > just assuming that they should.
>
> Keep taking the meds.