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Thermal Thursday: Rich Versus Poor Justice Edition [1]

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Date: 2023-05-11

Today’s Topic: I have been thinking a lot about justice: What would the ideal justice system look like, for rich and poor? For the poor, we know that we need a much more humane system. But what about the rich?

The criminal $Rump (I won’t give him the satisfaction of treating even his name seriously), as everyone here knows, seems to wallow in criminality and never faces serious consequences. For example, this week in a civil suit by E. Jean Carroll, he was found guilty of sexual abuse and defamation. He was ordered to pay $5 million.

Has justice been served? Welp, aside from the fact that money will not make Ms. Carroll whole and criminal prosecution has failed in this case, $Rump will appeal and likely be able to hold off paying a dime until after all appeals have failed, which can take years. But let’s assume that at some point he loses all appeals — not a given, although observers say the judge in the case bent over backward to be fair. Then will $Rump face poverty? Not exactly:

In addition to his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, Trump owns the Trump National Doral Miami and a dozen other golf courses in the U.S., Scotland and Ireland. Trump could not use campaign funds to pay, but he could seek to crowdfund it from supporters who believe his claims that the case was a hoax orchestrated by political opponents. Trump supporters have eagerly donated to his causes in the past. During his presidency, they gave more than $25 million to a crowdfunding campaign organized by former Trump advisor Steve Bannon to support the construction of a wall on the Mexican border.

The grift never ends with this guy. Unless and until even his most ardent followers decide they have had enough.

Sigh.

There seems to be a valuable textbook out on these issues:

The Rich Get Richer and the Poor Get Prison — Ideology, Class, and Criminal Justice: In an attempt to understand the failure of the American criminal justice system in its war against crime, this study focuses on the dimensions, causes, and moral implications of an ideological failure:

The current criminal justice system is shaped by economic bias — crimes unique to the wealthy are either ignored or treated lightly, while the so-called common crimes of the poor lead to arrest, charges, conviction, and imprisonment. The three propositions that support this statement are that: (1) Society fails to protect people from crimes they fear (homicide, burglary, assault) by refusing to alleviate the poverty that breeds them; (2) The criminal justice system fails to protect people from the most serious dangers by failing to define as crimes the dangerous acts of those who are well off (white collar crime, pollution, occupational hazards) and to prosecute accordingly; and (3) By virtue of these and other failures, the criminal justice system succeeds in creating the image that crime is almost exclusively the work of the poor, an image that serves the interests of the powerful. -snip- At the base of unequal justice is the unequal distribution of wealth and income. A criminal justice system cannot hold individuals guilty of the injustice of breaking the law if the law itself supports and defends an unjust social order. To counteract this failure, steps must be taken toward domestic disarmament; criminalization of white-collar crimes; creation of a correctional system that promotes human dignity and gives ex-offenders a real opportunity to go straight; a more reasonable exercise of power by police officers, prosecutors, and judges; and equal access to high-quality legal expertise for all individuals accused of crime.

here, if you’d like a copy. Wow, that really lays it all out and shows deep understanding! And it’s being used as a textbook in criminology courses! Maybe that will finally make a difference. The 2023 edition is, if you’d like a copy. It was first published in 1979. Oh. Hmm. It seems to be taking a little while to make that difference. So what do we do? Please discuss below.

And finally as always, let’s elevate our Community Cred and repost The Needs List! From Aashirs nani (with permission) on Helping Humpday!

PLEASE NOTE:

When sending via PayPal, be sure to select “Send to family/friend” to avoid fees on either end. Be aware, both donor and recipient, that GFM not only charges fees, but also money received through that platform is treated as taxable income. If you are requesting help through GFM, also be aware that there can be delays in accessing the money.

COMMUNITY NEEDS LIST AS OF 5/10/23:

Please note also that Chef Bobby Neary, “@nuevopioneer,” has passed away. We will continue to post his favourite charity to honour him — please consider a donation to the Satos, the street pets of Puerto Rico! Bobby adopted his own Sato, Missilu, as well as raised funds for PR’s Satos.

I’m in for a mickle each week toward a variety of DKos members on the Needs List. I hope you’ll join me. Always glad to see the needed amounts gradually decreasing!

If helping financially isn’t the right choice for you at this time, you can still help. Tip and rec the diary so it stays visible. Share on social media: Twitter, Facebook, whatever platform you use, to bring the attention of others outside our daily readers. And offer words of encouragement to people who are struggling. It can be scary to be struggling, and it can feel lonely. Let them know we understand and are here to help.

If you have time, please visit the diaries above and leave comments for their authors. Those words of encouragement are vital!

If you don’t like fundraisers, please just move along. They are a longstanding tradition at DKos — Until we vote in enough progressives to create a much stronger social safety net! (Maybe in 2024!.)

And finally, please note : I am sole caregiver for my Mom, so sometimes get interrupted to take care of her. Otherwise, I will be here to engage in Comments. Meanwhilst, please chat amongst yourselves, take a coffee break, post aminal photos, food/drink and tunes, spread the word and invite your friends, etc.! Thanks to all!

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[1] Url: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2023/5/11/2168796/-Thermal-Thursday-Rich-Versus-Poor-Justice-Edition

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