Let’s Put an End to Prosecutorial Immunity (2018)

Re:Let’s Put an End to Prosecutorial Immunity (2018) by throwawayboise on Sunday October 24, 2021 @09:04PM (#28983482)

This is a common misconception with technical people. Laws are not computer code. What they mean is not just what they literally say, but what the words means in legal context, and considering precident, and the intent of the legislation.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Let’s Put an End to Prosecutorial Immunity (2018) by RHSeeger on Sunday October 24, 2021 @10:44PM (#28984014)

> What they mean is not just what they literally say, but what the words means in legal context, and considering precident, and the intent of the legislation.

You say that, but... no. Laws are used all the time in ways that clearly weren't the intent of those laws and make no sense. Many prosecutors and cops care about convictions, not "making sense" or "doing the right thing". For example, this one...

> A 17-year-old boy could go to prison for 10 years after being charged as an adult for 'sexting' his girlfriend with explicit photos of himself.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/north-caro...

It gets even worse when you consider prosecutors effectively blackmailing people into accepting plea deals (sometimes for things they didn't even do) by laying out 20 "other" charges they plan on leveling at them; charges that clearly were not the "intent of the legislation", but technically can be applied.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Let’s Put an End to Prosecutorial Immunity (2018) by FpUser on Sunday October 24, 2021 @10:04PM (#28983794)

>"and the intent of the legislation" - and where is this intent codified may I ask?

[ Parent | on HN ]