When a defense attorney is not a defense attorney!

This is one of my first submissions to this forum, so I hope I chose well. It seems to fit the classic definition of a general conspiracy though and a particularly rank one at that.

This is a story to warn others of how insane things can become and how no one can truly be trusted these days when it's a criminal matter with law enforcement working hard to get 'their man'. In this case, the court approved and long standing practices of deception in criminal investigation are taken to heights I've never heard of before. Let's see what they did, shall we? You won't believe it.

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (CN) - Tennessee sheriff's deputies impersonated a jailed murder suspect's defense attorneys, and coerced witnesses to give false testimony against him, jailing him for four years, the man claims in court.

John Edward Dawson Jr. claims the deputies submitted false evidence to a grand jury to get him indicted. He claims the sheriff knew what they were doing and let them do it.

Now how much lower can you go?? Would you ever suspect this if a man came, credibly offering himself as part of the defense team trying to help your friend, relative or others in your life? I might not accept that on face value, but I admit, it would never cross my mind that they could be law enforcement, running a game. Not using THAT particular lie.

"As part of this scheme, the defendants represented themselves as licensed attorneys who were representing John Edward Dawson Jr. on his pending criminal charges and pretended to handle parts of his case, interfered with Dawson's right to counsel, fabricated evidence, coerced witnesses to provide testimony against John Edward Dawson Jr. that the defendants knew to be false, and omitted relevant evidence and presented perjured testimony to the grand jury in order to secure an indictment for which probable cause did not otherwise exist. The individual defendants initiated a prosecution of John Edward Dawson Jr. without probable cause which resulted in Dawson being incarcerated and deprived of his freedom."

(Source: Courthouse News)

This was a murder case. I understand the need to investigate such cases with all energy and options available. If I place myself in the position of a relative or friend to the victim? I'd demand no less. However, we must have standards and basic levels of faith that our system will uphold them. If we don't have that, where is the Justice, in the Criminal Justice System?

Many would suggest there never has been real Justice involved. I'd take issue with that though. I believe we've had a flawed system but a workable one. Actions like this, left unchecked, destroy the last bits of faith to what remains though. Thoughts?

Our criminal justice system is a joke. This is what happens when you give too much power to the prosecutors and police.