No, not all men.
12 Likes
Ah.
In that case, I would have tailored my vehement reply to that lawyer and the profession itself; probably noting that many are soulless immoral scumbags.
“Just you.”
That works as well.
24 Likes
Just abusive assholes and the pathetic shitstains who work for them. Or their estates.
12 Likes
This quack neurotogist managed to produce a FLAWLESS example of victim-blaming.
10/10; no notes.
9 Likes
Isn’t Iowa a stand your ground state? If stand your ground can’t apply here, it shouldn’t apply anywhere.
1 Like
Stand your ground laws have never actually been about the right to self-defense. It is always applied in a way that ensures white men get off, and everyone else gets convicted.
23 Likes
Can she counter sue for the damages of being raped and sold? I doubt anybody is offering her the support needed to do so, but is a legally even possible?
3 Likes
@Mindysan33 is absolutely correct, although in this specific case, the girl stabbed her rapist the morning following the most recent time he raped her (he raped her multiple times over several weeks). Stand your ground, or even self defense for that matter, only applies when you are actually being attacked or reasonably believe an attack is imminent. Please know that I am in no way defending the prosecution of this poor girl, I’m just explaining the bullshit that is the current applicable law. My guess is that had this been a white girl from a middle class family, and all the other circumstances identical, no charges would have ever been filed, and so no self defense or stand your ground claim would have been necessary.
Almost everything about our justice system sucks, and this case is a perfect example. This poor girl was trafficked, raped multiple times, and then when she finally was able to do something to stop it, she’s victimized by the system all over again. To accuse a girl of being responsible for her own trafficking is … I don’t even have the words. Unconscionable seems insufficient. And I don’t like blaming things on evil, but it is evil. Fuck.
23 Likes
The law doesn’t address these cases adequately. This isn’t an ordinary case of self-defense, but an abuse victim killing their abuser when their abuser had their guard down. Self defense requires an immediate threat.
In cases like this it clearly results in a miscarriage of justice, but writing a law that doesn’t have problems isn’t easy.
2 Likes
sentencing requirements that mandated $150,000 blood money for Brooks’ kinfolk after Lewis pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter.
I looked and looked to see what country this was in as it had not been mentioned and sounded a bit like the sort of thing a non-USian, non-Western ‘honour’ (yeah, right) based justice system might impose, but …
WTF? The US has actual ‘blood money’ reparations as part of its judicial sentencing system?
2 Likes
Donors to a GoFundMe appeal have raised enough money to pay the $150,000 restitution
Plus the $4k owed to the state.
15 Likes
Not in practice.
In January, a judge in Miami tossed out a second-degree murder charge against Greyston Garcia after he chased a suspected burglar for more than a block and stabbed him to death. The judge decided the stabbing was justified because the burglar had swung a bag of stolen car radios at Garcia – an object that a medical examiner at a hearing testified could cause “serious harm or death.” The judge found Garcia was “well within his rights to pursue the victim and demand the return of his property.
I guess when you are the property, you have less leeway.
ETA: See also, Trayvon Martin. Zimmerman followed a kid who was minding his own business, caused an altercation, then shot him in “self defense” and got away with it.
But, sure, that’s more in line with the law than a victim who’d been raped multiple times and had no reason to think her captor/aggressor was going to stop anytime soon. 
17 Likes
Yeah, please note that I said I was just explaining the bullshit law, and that if the girl had been white and middle class, I’m sure she wouldn’t have been charged. I’m well aware the law isn’t being applied to same for all defendants. That was, in fact, my whole point.
4 Likes
Can the time she spent on the stabbing count toward her community service?
14 Likes
In addition - laws are almost always selectively applied by the DA. They made a choice to prosecute this young lady defending herself in a horrific situation.
We need to stop pretending like this stuff isn’t almost entirely driven by misogyny and racism. Because this entire case was driven by misogyny and racism.
27 Likes
There is. It was around $120k when I donated this morning and now it’s well over $220k so far and growing. That will cover all of her restitution fees and is now in the territory of supporting her after her probation ends to pursue secondary education (because she already got her ged in juvie!) or her own business interests.
Oh, and it was set up by one of her teachers. Which just makes me want to cry.
Edited to correct that brutally tortured sentence.
23 Likes
I am curious whether this is true. Doesn’t the state have to choose to prosecute a child as an adult in the first place? And if so, isn’t that choice what caused her to be subject to these sentencing requirements?
If the system really is this inflexible, then I hope judges and prosecutors aren’t making more than minimum wage, because it sounds like a Python script could do the job.
6 Likes
15 Likes
You have a right to a jury trial but not really anymore… Procedures have replaced Justice. Most judges have never been jury trial lawyers. You have to be wealthy to have a jury trial. Otherwise otherwise you have to plead to whatever they give you you are you are now in Kazakhstan or might is well be.
1 Like
The prosecutor is the problem.
8 Likes
