Shot in the Dark

Sandbagged?

Joe Doakes from Como Park emails:

You figure that if you are forced to shoot somebody and you’re up-front with the cops, the prosecutor will see that you’re a Good Guy and will drop the charges, right?   You can’t imagine the prosecutor will twist your words and play dirty tricks to cheat you out of your rights, all in a blind effort to appease a mob.  That wouldn’t happen in Minnesota, right?

“In the hour-long interview with Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) investigators, Yanez repeatedly used the pronoun “it” instead of “gun” or “firearm.” Prosecutors told jurors that the language proves Yanez never saw a gun. However, prosecutors never played the video during its case, thinking it more strategic to introduce the footage last Friday during the defense’s case. It is common practice to play a defendant’s interview with investigators during the state’s case.

“The rules of evidence clearly allow for the statement’s admission into evidence during cross examination,” said a written statement issued … by the Ramsey County attorney’s office. “Strategically, we felt the statement would be best used for impeachment purposes on cross examination when the defendant took the stand in his own defense.”

But the move backfired [at trial] when Ramsey County District Judge William H. Leary III criticized the prosecution’s timing and refused to allow the video. Defense attorney Thomas Kelly objected to the prosecution’s effort, calling it an “improper impeachment” of Yanez and asserting that the state allegedly withheld the video in order to compel Yanez’s testimony.”

Twisting words.  Dirty tricks.  Mob waiting outside.

Here’s the really fascinating question: is this merely local politicians and bureacrats doing their best to achieve justice, but their best isn’t very good?   Or is this part of a concerted effort at all levels to make gun ownership not only onerous, but even dangerous, for law-abiding citizens?  Defend yourself and we’ll bury you, to make sure nobody else defends themselves.

Joe Doakes

That’s the problem; when people stop trusting the “Justice” system, every manner of conspiracy becomes perfectly plausible.

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6 responses to “Sandbagged?”

  1. Alt-Good Swiftee Avatar
    Alt-Good Swiftee

    You can’t imagine the prosecutor will twist your words and play dirty tricks to cheat you out of your rights, all in a blind effort to appease a mob.

    The purpose of the modern justice system in America, from stem to stern, is to put your ass in prison. From the cops to the turnkey, people in the law enforcement \ justice \ incarceration business know their careers rely on keeping their pipelines full.

    Now, many people work hard to get themselves into that pipeline, and deserve everything they get; make no doubt. But the law abiding citizen is in great peril every time they have contact of any kind with a member of the LEJI community.

    I have shared this with many people, many have found it a life lesson worth it’s weight in bacon. Keep in mind; everything Duane says about how the coppers operate, goes double for prosecutors. There are two parts, watch them both.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i8z7NC5sgik

  2. justplainangry Avatar
    justplainangry

    Look up Alva Braziel case. About as clear as anyone can imagine with all supporting evidence intact. Yet, the officers had to endure a second grand jury because the family of the deceased was not properly advised of the first. And, even after the second acquittal and a mountain of supporting evidence, guess what, they maintain it was unjustified.

  3. bikebubba Avatar
    bikebubba

    One of the most difficult things to do is to self-police. That’s why reputable organizations have external auditors.

  4. Loren Avatar
    Loren

    I have suspected that the prosecution did less than the full-court press on this case. After all, they have to work with police departments throughout Ramsey county every day and don’t want to sour that relationship. In all cop prosecutions, either an independent prosecutor should be appointed, or the Attorney General’s office should prosecute the case.

  5. nerdbert Avatar
    nerdbert

    “Justice” system? In my best Inigo Montoya voice, “I do not think that word means what you think it means.” We have an incarceration system these days, not a justice system. The whole thing is designed to make poor folks accused of a crime plead to something lesser just to avoid the probable catastrophic consequences of them going to trial against the overwhelming money and might of the state. You’ll notice that folks with money routinely get deals that poor folks could never hope to get, or in the case of folks like Hillary they get charges dropped just because of who they are.

    Or, as J. Edgar Hoover put it, “Justice is merely incidental to law and order.” We’ve elected for the later and not the former.

    Yeah, in this case the prosecution tried to be clever and got caught on it. As you note, they tried to change from standard operating procedure because the case was so politically charged, the judge slapped them down, and they possibly hurt their case significantly. The right question now is will voters hold them accountable? My cynical mind says no, they are loyal Democrats who will argue they did their best to get a conviction when in fact they were incompetent. Incompetence is something Democrats ignore when they feel the person’s heart is in the right place.

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