Thursday 24 March 2016

Not guilty, and other thoughts...

So today, Jian Ghomeshi was found not guilty by a judge in an Ontario court on several counts of sexual assault and one count of choking.

The charges stemmed from three complainants who claim he slapped, punched and/or choked them during sexual encounters going back more than 10 years.

I'm not going to rehash all the nitty gritty details of the case here. For that, I will recommend watching Diana Davison's videos on the Ghomeshi trial, where she lays it all out for everyone to see. The problems with the case, the problems with the complainants, the problems with media coverage, the problems with the Crown's apparent new policy to #ListenandBelieve rather than thoroughly vet complaints of sexual assault.

I was watching live coverage by Global News Toronto this morning of the verdict, where they had a legal expert discussing the case and the live tweets emerging from the courtroom as the judge read his decision. Unlike in the Gregory Alan Elliott case, the judge in this case made everyone wait until his entire decision was read before declaring his verdict of not guilty on all counts. Because of this, there was plenty of ACTUAL discussion of the legal issues at hand, rather than bloviating on how the verdict might impact survivors of sexual assault.

The crux of the matter before the judge, in the absence of Ghomeshi presenting any affirmative defence (that is, Ghomeshi's counsel at no point said, "here's what REALLY happened", or even "here's what MIGHT have really happened") was the credibility of the complainants. This was not a prosecution based on "he said she said". He, being Ghomeshi, and his counsel, said nothing at all about what happened. It was constructed entirely on the basis of "she said"...

And what "she said" on the stand and to police and the Crown involved a lot of lying under oath. Like, a LOT of lying under oath.

The complainants were exposed as perjurers by defence counsel, and it was demonstrated that two of them were involved in months of collusion before and after their complaints to police were filed.

In a case where he offered no defence of himself, these complainants still managed to sabotage their own cases through their repeated and extensive lying outright, lying by omission and improper collusion with each other.

These women were hoist with their own petards. He offered no affirmative defence, no alternate account of events that conflicted with theirs, no evidence in his defence. All he had to do was let them destroy their own credibility as witnesses. And they could not have done a better job if they'd tried.

I have no idea whether Ghomeshi is actually guilty of what they claim he did. I DO know that the verdict was entirely proper. Any other verdict in light of the evidence would be a miscarriage of justice. As the judge said in his decision, every criminal case MUST begin with the presumption of innocence, and it must end with either certainty of what is true and what is not beyond a reasonable doubt, or a not guilty verdict. How can a judge decide that any witness is telling the truth about anything when they are shown to have repeatedly lied under oath? About relevant details?

The appropriate feminist hashtag for this trial should not be #IBelieveSurvivors, but #IBelieveLiars.

One thing the legal expert for Global News Toronto said on their livestream of the verdict was that victim advocates, while they will undoubtedly be upset about this verdict, should learn a lesson from this. They need to learn what actually goes on in a courtroom, and how the criminal law actually works. And they absolutely do need to do that.

If they spent more time figuring out how the law works and why it works the way it does, and less time bitching about how difficult that makes things for victims, maybe more victims would win their cases.

If the three complainants in this case had disclosed their interactions with Ghomeshi after the assaults, rather than lying about them, their credibility--what the entire case hinged on, in the opinion of the judge--might not have been demolished so exquisitely and systematically on the stand.

As I tweeted earlier today, something I rarely do: I don't know if Ghomeshi is guilty or not. I DO know that the complainants were all perjurers.

I am not willing to send someone to prison on the basis of the testimony of three individuals who are willing to repeatedly and persistently lie under oath. I'm sorry, but I'm just not.

So if there's one lesson a victim advocate could learn from this case, it's probably this: tell your victim that lying to police, prosecutors and the court about details relevant to her case is the most dumbfuck and counterproductive thing she could possibly do.

It is not the job of the court to decide what might have happened, or even what probably happened. It is the job of the court, based on values expressed in the Magna Carta that exist to curtail the ability of the state to become an agent of oppression, to prove beyond any reasonable doubt that the accused is guilty of the crime.

Stop telling victims that they should not be expected to prove their cases. Stop bitching that the rules, which have already been reformed beyond recognition, are still unfair and should be changed even more. Just learn what they are, and learn to live with them. Give victims sound legal advice, rather than a feminism-inspired pity party.

I will repeat. The presumption of innocence and due process of law exist not to allow rapists to get away with it. They don't even exist to keep any given innocent person out of prison. They exist primarily to prevent the state from becoming an agent of oppression. They exist to curtail the power of governments to persecute their citizens--all their citizens.

This necessarily means that some rapists will get away with it, just like some car thieves will, and some murderers will, and some child abusers will. But it also means that we are smart enough to hold our governments to a higher standard of fairness and justice than we do our rapists, car thieves, murderers and child abusers, because our governments have greater power and wherewithal to do harm to us than any one criminal does.

Stop fucking bitching and just do your jobs. Stop "reforming the system" and reform instead how you do your jobs. You'd probably find you win more cases.





27 comments:

  1. This needs to have a far wider audience than it will get here.

    Bravo, Ms. Straughan.

    ReplyDelete
  2. https://youtu.be/GlTOvTNcRtU

    ReplyDelete
  3. Good on you! It's time people stood up and faced facts. If you're going to accuse someone of something, you have to be able to reasonably prove it.

    Ps, rough sex is not illegal, and as the courts saw, the women all went back for more. Sounds like extortiin

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Exact even if events were exactly as these women said they were, none of it is sexual assault. In fact most of the accusations did invovle sex at all, only consentual making out, the making out they admit was consentual, with a rough twist.

      So many people freaking out think Ghomeshi raped someone, but he was never accused of raping or even having intercourse with any of their vaginas. Only one invovled oral sex. For a sex assault trial its oddly sex free.

      Delete
    2. I am not so sure I agree with that. But if I grant it, it would reinforce my original impression: that, under pressure of recent campaigns, the police and the prosecution are simply shifting responsibility to the justice system rather than doing their due diligence. How in the world can the prosecution fail to vet further contact with the accused after the incident? How in the world can they not expect the defense to ask those questions?

      For the sake of democracy, justice, and my own sanity, I hope that the accounts I have read have been widely exaggerated. I am going to bed now.

      Delete
    3. Given the fact that it is being portrayed as yet another reason to erode due process in rape trials who says they wanted due diligence in the first place.

      I know tin-foil hat time but i do not trust these people and they have made being a professional victim into a art form.

      Delete
    4. 1) implement "listen and believe" investigatory guidelines that prevent proper vetting of claims
      2) wait for claims to fail in court
      3) leading to an inevitable increase in prosecutions and a decrease in convictions
      4) argue that the conviction rate is decreasing and problem is the trial process itself, rather than lax investigatory standards
      5) demand "listen and believe" be expanded to the trial process
      *feminist victory dance!

      Delete
    5. There is at least one thing from moving quickly through steps 1-5 ... lawyers for men can make money $$$ defending the presumption of innocence.

      Delete
  4. Good on you! It's time people stood up and faced facts. If you're going to accuse someone of something, you have to be able to reasonably prove it.

    Ps, rough sex is not illegal, and as the courts saw, the women all went back for more. Sounds like extortiin

    ReplyDelete
  5. "If they three lie, then he must free fly!!"

    In Memory of the inimitable Johnny Chocran, RIP.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Although I have no sympathy for the accused in this case, I am amazed this case even went to trial the way it did. Could it really be true that the prosecution went so far in its verve to believe victims that it did not even check the basics and prepare for such a basic defense strategy? The upshot is, quite probably, a freed rapist. Not because of misogyny, but because everyone was trying to hard to do the right thing.

    In the articles I read, many bemoan the inherent power imbalance in favor of famous, well-heeled people like the accused. That may be true, though I balk at the comparison between counsels for the accuser and the defense (the prosecution IS the counsel for the accuser). But here the issue is not an overstaffed defense, but a policy of believing that backfired big time.

    Finally, I am amazed at how these kinds of cases can get such publicity. I am convinced that the vast majority of rapes go unreported (yes, in particular if the victims were non-traditional), and I am convinced there are miscarriages of justice in both directions. But this is not a proof of a problem in either direction. The guy is innocent. Or the prosecution screwed up. Or both. But the system worked the way it should. Perhaps we should be something akin to happy about that.

    ReplyDelete
  7. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  8. The plaintiffs should all be charged with perjury. Who would have to initiate that charge? Why do you think it hasn't already been issued?

    ReplyDelete
  9. I am Lucy Brown from USA,my boyfriend left me for the past 3 years,i try all my best to get him,my effort was in vine.we both love our self.my best friend Vivian was very jealous because we both love each other.she contacted a white witch.and she make me to be very seek.during the period that i was sick,she snatch my loving boy friend from me,when i had that she have snatch my lovely boy i became more sick and i almost lost my life,not knowing that she also bewitch my lovely guy(Micheal)so i read a magazine on how Dr ATIAFO help people to cure their sickness and help to unite relationship as well,i contacted him immediately,and told him my sickness and about my boyfriend,shortly he right to me and told me my girlfriend was behind all my problems,that she contacted a black magic .to snatch my guy and make me to be sick,he cure my sickness within a week and he also cast a spell that bring back my lovely boyfriend.and broke away the black magic .The only thing he as me to do is to share my testimony to the world.now i am so comfortable with my relationship.Dr ATIAFO was godsend to me and he also make my dreams comes true,we are happily married with a bouncing baby boy.thinks to the great Dr ATIAFO, his email is: atitafospelltemple@yahoo.com .he is 100% real and ready to solve any problem you encounter.magic is real,believe it.

    ReplyDelete
  10. How I Was Rescued By A God Fearing Lender (Lexieloancompany@yahoo.com)

    Hello, I am Andrew Thompson currently living in CT USA, God has bless me with two kids and a lovely Wife, I promise to share this Testimony because of God favor in my life, 2days ago I was in desperate need of money so I thought of having a loan then I ran into wrong hands who claimed to be loan lender not knowing he was a scam. he collected 1,500.00 USD from me and refuse to email me since then I was confuse, but God came to my rescue, one faithful day I went to church after the service I share idea with a friend and she introduce me to LEXIE LOAN COMPANY, she said she was given 98,000.00 USD by MR LEXIE , THE MANAGING DIRECTOR OF LEXIE LOAN COMPANY. So I collected his email Address , he told me the rules and regulation and I followed, then after processing of the Documents, he gave me my loan of 55,000.00 USD... So if you are interested in a loan you can as well contact him on this Email: lexieloancompany@yahoo.com or text +1(406) 946-0675 thanks, I am sure he will also help you.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Are you a business man or woman? Do you need funds to start up your own business? Do you need loan to settle your debt or pay off your bills or start a nice business? Do you need funds to finance your project? We Offers guaranteed loan services of any amount and to any part of the world for (Individuals, Companies, Realtor and Corporate Bodies) at our superb interest rate of 3%. For application and more information send replies to the following E-mail address: quickcashinvestment2933@gmail.com

    Thanks,
    Mr. Anthony Cruz

    ReplyDelete
  12. Are you a business man or woman? Do you need funds to start up your own business? Do you need loan to settle your debt or pay off your bills or start a nice business? Do you need funds to finance your project? We Offers guaranteed loan services of any amount and to any part of the world for (Individuals, Companies, Realtor and Corporate Bodies) at our superb interest rate of 3%. For application and more information send replies to the following E-mail address: quickcashinvestment2933@gmail.com

    Thanks,
    Mr. Anthony Cruz

    ReplyDelete
  13. I am Dr Ogudugu a Traditional healer, herbalist and spell caster. I use real magical powers to fight demons, evil spirits and super villains. Are you suffering in silence? does everything in your life seems to be going wrong no matter how hard you try to make things better? have Questions about love, or career let me help you am a born gifted traditional healer and master psychic. I 've experience in exploration of the past, present and future. I can help you with any of those problems that are making your life difficult and miserable,do you have many enemies some enemies that you are not even aware of? are you having many obstacles in your life? Is your love,relationship,marriage life falling apart? is your life facing financial ruin ? i specialize in reuniting.Email me about your problems and i'll be of great help to you on my personal email address: GREATOGUDUGU@GMAIL.COM or Call +2348142250751

    ReplyDelete
  14. Hello Everybody,
    My name is Mrs Sharon Sim. I live in Singapore and i am a happy woman today? and i told my self that any lender that rescue my family from our poor situation, i will refer any person that is looking for loan to him, he gave me happiness to me and my family, i was in need of a loan of S$250,000.00 to start my life all over as i am a single mother with 3 kids I met this honest and GOD fearing man loan lender that help me with a loan of S$250,000.00 SG. Dollar, he is a GOD fearing man, if you are in need of loan and you will pay back the loan please contact him tell him that is Mrs Sharon, that refer you to him. contact Dr Purva Pius,via email:(urgentloan22@gmail.com) Thank you.

    BORROWERS APPLICATION DETAILS


    1. Name Of Applicant in Full:……..
    2. Telephone Numbers:……….
    3. Address and Location:…….
    4. Amount in request………..
    5. Repayment Period:………..
    6. Purpose Of Loan………….
    7. country…………………
    8. phone…………………..
    9. occupation………………
    10.age/sex…………………
    11.Monthly Income…………..
    12.Email……………..

    Regards.
    Managements
    Email Kindly Contact: urgentloan22@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  15. I just want to thank you for the work you do.
    gclub
    gclub casino online

    ReplyDelete
  16. ติดต่อ isc888 สอบถามพนันงาน 24 ชม. โปรโมชั่น ฟรีเครดิต 2,000 บาท
    ISC888 แทงบอล สมัครไลน์
    เว็บคาสิโฯออนไลน์ ฟรีเครดิต

    ReplyDelete
  17. Pao Ying Chub, Koi head, Koi lottery, the past installment, check other Malaysian lottery, which choosing to bet on your lottery is easy, not busy, wants not complicated because our website will have All Thai language channels are already making the lottery betting fresh more comfortable. Or if you do not understand in the lottery betting You can inquire more with our call center team 24 hours a day or add Line to LINE ID: @ IMIWIN9.

    ทางเข้าts911

    ทางเข้าts911

    IMIWIN

    ReplyDelete
  18. เล่นเกมยิงปลา

    บริษัทเกมที่มีบริการให้เล่นเกมยิงปลาออนไลน์ หากว่าพวกเราต้องการสมัครเกมออนไลน์ได้เงินจริง ควรต้องเล่นผ่านเว็บไซต์สล็อตออนไลน์ เนื่องจากว่ายอดเยี่ยมในบริการของบริการตู้ Slot ซึ่งธรรมดาพวกเราจะพบว่า เกมจะเปิดให้เล่นอยู่ในบ่อนพนัน แม้กระนั้นในช่วงเวลานี้ระบบเกมทั้งสิ้น ถูกนำไปอยู่ในระบบออนไลน์ ก็เลยเป็นหลักฐานการบริการที่ค่ายสล็อต หรือผู้ให้บริการพนันออนไลน์ นำเกมตู้ มาบรรจุอยู่ไหนระบบ มีผลโดยตรงต่อผู้รับบริการ เนื่องจากว่าจะเล่นตอนไหนก็ได้โปรโมชั่น ได้โอกาสบันเทิงใจกับเกมในแบบที่ถูกใจ ดังนั้น พวกเรามาตรวจข้อมูลกันเลยดีกว่าว่าสล็อตค่ายไหนบ้าง ที่จะได้โอกาสได้บันเทิงใจกับเกม ที่เล่นง่ายได้เงินมาก

    ReplyDelete




  19. ลิ้งค์ทาง เข้า เล่น slotxo มีไว้เพราะเหตุไร?
    สำหรับทาง เข้า เล่น slotxo จะมีลิ้งค์ต่างๆเยอะแยะ สำหรับล็อกอินเข้าไปพนัน ผ่านเว็บ slotxo369 ในทุกวันคณะทำงานจะกระทำการวิเคราะห์ว่าลิ้งค์ไหนที่มีปัญหาเข้ามิได้บ้าง แม้ว่าเสีย ก็จะทำสร้างปากทางเข้าให้ใหม่ เพื่อนักการพนันทุกคน สามารถร่วมเล่นพนันผ่านลิ้งค์โดยตรงได้โดยทันที

    บางบุคคลไม่สามารถที่จะเข้าเล่นพนันได้ไพเราะลิ้งค์มีปัญหา บางบุคคลพบว่าทาง เข้า เล่น slotxo โดนบล็อกจากกระทรวงไอซีหนไปแล้ว แต่ไม่ต้องวิตกกังวลจิตใจไป ถ้าเกิดลิ้งค์เดิมเสีย คุณก็แค่แปลงลิ้งค์ใหม่ โดยมีลิ้งค์มากให้ท่านเลือกใช้งาน จาก slotxo369 ที่สร้างปากทางเข้าพนันไว้ให้ท่านไม่น้อยเลยทีเดียวสมาชิกทุกท่านก็เลยไม่ต้องวิตกกังวลว่าจะไม่สามารถที่จะเข้าเล่นสล็อตออนไลน์หรือเกมส์พนันอื่นๆได้

    จุดเด่นของการที่มีทาง เข้า เล่น slotxo เยอะมากๆ
    เมื่อมีทาง เข้า เล่น slotxo เยอะมากๆมันก็มีผลดีหลายแบบมากมายๆเพราะเหตุว่าปากทางเข้านั้นสำคัญไม่แพ้สิ่งอื่นใด เพราะเหตุว่ามันเป็นวิถีทางที่จะพาสมาชิกทุกท่านเข้าไปถึงหน้าเว็บเพื่อเล่นพนันได้ และก็จุดเด่นพวกนั้นก็มีดังตั้งแต่นี้ต่อไปทางเข้าts911

    ทางเข้าts911

    IMIWIN

    ReplyDelete

  20. KING MAKER
    3. spadegamnig
    ต่อกันที่ สเปดีเกมมิ่ง (spadegamnig) แม้ว่าจะเปิดให้บริการแค่เพียง 7 แต่ว่ายืนยันว่าเด็ดทั้งสอง แต่ว่าพวกเราขอพุดถึง2 เกมที่เด่นที่สุดมาเล่าให้แก่คุณฟัง ซึ่งก็คือ เกมส์ FISH GOD หรือ FISH WAR ถือได้ว่า เกมยิงปลายอดนิยม แล้วก็มีการีทิวทัศน์พร้อมแจกสูตรเยอะที่สุด ก็เลยรับรองได้ว่าจับจุดยิงปลาได้เมื่อใดค่ายนี้ทดแทนคุ้มสุดๆ

    ลักษณะเด่นของ ค่ายเกมสล็อต spadegamnig ห้ามพลาดเลย ด้วยเหตุว่าค่ายนี้ เป็นเกมที่มีฟังก์ชั่นสำหรับเพื่อการเล่นครบถ้วนทั้งยัง ระบบ ยิงปลาออโต้ แล้วก็ การล็อคจุดมุ่งหมาย พร้อมระบบสุ่มปืนเยอะมาก บอส ยิงแตกง่าย พึงพอใจสมัครเลยจ้าขา

    IMIWIN
    ทางเข้าimiwin
    IMI WIN

    ReplyDelete



  21. BetUS คาสิโน สวิตซ์ แบล็คแจ็ค

    ทว่ากฎสำหรับเกมออนไลน์มักจะดีกว่าที่คุณพบในคาสิโนทางบก ซึ่งจะช่วยลดความได้เปรียบของบ้านและทำให้ผู้เล่นใช้กลยุทธ์พื้นฐานมีแนวโน้มที่จะออกมาข้างหน้า



    3 – Craps ออนไลน์ให้ประโยชน์ทั้งหมดที่ทำให้เกมน่าทึ่ง
    ถามผู้มีประสบการณ์ในการเล่นลูกเต๋าชนิดหนึ่งที่เชี่ยวชาญ แล้วพวกเขาจะบอกคุณว่ากุญแจสำคัญในการชนะคือการเดิมพันอัตราต่อรอง คาสิโนเสนอการเดิมพันอัตราต่อรองบนเส้นผ่านและไม่ผ่านหลังจากสร้างจุด

    เนื่องจากทุกม้วนมีความเป็นอิสระ คาสิโนจึงไม่มีความได้เปรียบในการเดิมพันเหล่านี้ อัตราต่อรองเหล่านี้มักจะสูงถึง 5x เงินเดิมพันเริ่มต้นของคุณที่คาสิโนอิฐและปูนทั่วไป

    โคลสอัพของโต๊ะคาสิโน Crapsทางเข้าts911
    ts911

    ReplyDelete
  22. เว็บไซต์สล็อตแตกง่ายที่สุด จำเป็นต้องฝากขั้นตำ่เยอะแค่ไหนถึงจะเล่นได้?
    สำหรับเว็บสล็อตแตกง่ายของเรานั้นถือได้ว่าเป็นเว็บที่ดีเยี่ยมที่สุดเลยก็ว่าได้ ทางเราไม่จำกัดวงเงินในการฝาก สามารถฝาก 1 บาทเพื่อมาเบิกบานกับเกมสล็อตแตกง่ายของเราเพื่อลุ้นรับเงินรางวัลที่แจกสูงที่สุด

    ทางเข้าts911
    ts911

    ReplyDelete

Commenting policy:

All comments are welcome here. I refuse to censor points of view that differ from my own.

I recognize that I may be challenging the deep-seated beliefs of some people, and perhaps stirring up emotions in others. However, I would ask:

- if you care to respond to anything that I have said, please do not simply link to or quote some statistic. Do not simply regurgitate things you have been told are true. Think about what I am saying. Respond with an argument. Offer something from your personal observations, and explain to me how you feel your statistic is connected to your experience.

- If you wish to be part of a discussion, try not to dismiss what I or a another commenter says out of hand. Yes, that means that some lines of thought or ideologies may not stand up to scrutiny (perhaps even my own).

- Remember, ad hominem attacks diminish everyone involved. If you want to criticize anything, do so passionately and directly - but debate is about attacking ideas, not people.

Have at you!