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Comment by Puts | Hacker News Reader

I don't honestly understand how the Clearview thing would make any difference. The burden of proof is on the prosecutor right? So in court they would need to present proof that he was in the front seat, and if he wasn't there wouldn't be any such proof? Or has the US justice system become so dysfunctional that people actively must prove their innocence?

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https://innocenceproject.org/

It is, yes. The specific mechanism is that most cases don't go to trial; accused are offered plea deals with the threat that they will receive a much, much harsher sentence if they push for a trial. This threat is often made good too: police testimony is usually enough to get a guilty verdict and police say what prosecutors want them to.

Basically if they want you they've got you. To get out you have to have a very specific alignment of resources, sympathy and luck, and the risk if it doesn't work out is massive even then.

To add to this... Rikers Island is known as "Torture Island" colloquially and is mostly people awaiting trial, many of whom end up making plea deals

Yup guantanamo north I've heard it called. Like 30 people have died in houston jail while awaiting trial in the last two years alone. It's endemic to the point of being basically intentional now.

The purpose of a system is what it does

This is what the story should have been about! Not about glorifying more surveillance.

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