Justice In America: A Tale Of Two Crimes

By now we’ve all read example after example of what can only be referred to very simply as a two-tier justice system in America. One system for “them”; and another system for “us”.

However, this latest example made me physically ill.

Consider Paul Allen, 55, a former mortgage CEO who defrauded lenders of over $3 billion. This week, prosecutors celebrated the fact they got him a 40-month prison sentence. Consider Roy Brown, 54, a hungry homeless man who robbed a Louisiana bank of $100 - the teller gave him more but he handed the rest back. He felt bad the next day and surrendered to police. He got 15 years. Justice in America has a ways to go.

Justice In America: A Tale Of Two Crimes

Ex-CEO sentenced, a rare case of justice done

The definition of a "two-tiered justice system"

So, we have a former CEO caught red-handed in defrauding people to the tune of $3 billion. He receives a 40-month prison (country club?) sentence and the prosecutors are high-fiving and chest bumping each other. Oh happy day!

(Anyone care to set odds on his chances of being released much earlier for “good behavior”?)

On the other hand we have a desperate homeless man, with all options played out, that in desperation commits a robbery. This man even refuses to take all the money the cashier offered him. He just takes one $100 bill and leaves the rest so he can secure shelter and food for another day. The very next day he voluntarily turns himself in out of a guilty conscience telling authorities his mother didn’t raise him like that.

His sentence? Fifteen years! (Bet he won’t be staying in a minimum-security facility.)

I fully realize that Roy Brown’s offense occurred in 2007, but do you really believe anything has changed, or that the outcome would be any different?

...And that's to say nothing of the brutal and excessive tactics used by our increasingly militarized police state (Digby's writing on the use of tasers is indispensable) and the inhumane conditions that characterize our highly profitable prison state.

Under all circumstances, arguing that high political officials should be immunized from prosecution when they commit felonies such as illegal eavesdropping and torture would be both destructive and wrong [not to mention, in the case of the latter crimes, a clear violation of a treaty which the U.S. (under Ronald Reagan) signed and thereafter ratified]. But what makes it so much worse, so much more corrupted, is the fact that this "ignore-the-past-and-forget-retribution" rationale is invoked by our media elites only for a tiny, special class of people -- our political leaders -- while the exact opposite rationale ("ignore their lame excuses, lock them up and throw away the key") is applied to everyone else. That, by definition, is what a "two-tiered system of justice" means and that, more than anything else, is what characterizes (and sustains) deeply corrupt political systems. That's the two-tiered system which, for obvious reasons, our political and media elites are now vehemently arguing must be preserved.

This style of justice grows more absurd every year it seems. Where will it all lead to eventually?

How much longer can this system continue before this house of cards comes tumbling down?

On a final note, I urge you to read the entire article “The definition of a two-tiered justice system” linked above. It’s a very short and easy read that gives many excellent examples of how messed up our justice system and its priorities have become. It's also very interesting that it was written in January 2009. Proof of things getting worse since then can be seen in the complete lack of any justice towards the *ssholes on Wall Street who have not only skated, but seem to have come out of the economic meltdown in better shape than before.

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Peace.

Good post, OP. Starred and Flagged for later review of the article. I will comment once I have done so.

GREAT find!

America has the best "justice" system money can buy. I think Chris Rock said it best...

"If OJ drove a bus he'd be known as Orenthal the double murdering bus driver".

The entire banking system (Federal Reserve) is a gigantic continuous theft... but you steal even a crumb from under the table of the bankers and there is no saving you.

I suppose that depends on the judge.

Madoff will be in prison until he dies.