D'kian Posted October 3, 2008 Report Share Posted October 3, 2008 English jurist William Blackstone said "Better that ten guilty persons escape than that one innocent suffer." In Mexico the Federal government is trying to ennact laws that turn Blackstone's dictum around, and then some. In response to mass protests concernign the terrible state of crime and insecurity in the country, the three main political parties have made all sorts of proposals to address the situation. One such, by the PRI (the party that ruled uninterrupted for 70+ years) has propposed a law allowing the government to seize property and assets used by criminals. In itself that sounds reasonable enough, except the propposal does not limit itself to proerty or assets owned by someone found guilty of a major felony, but to properties a criminal may have used in the commission of a crime. Specifically the proposed law states if Juan rents a house from Pedro, and Juan is suspected of kidnapping, then Pedro's house can be seized, unless Pedro can prove he dind't know Juan was using his property for illegal purposes. Now, how is Pedro supposed to prove that? A different version even states the property owner has to prove he couldn't know his tenant would make illegal use of his property. In other words, better to make ten innocents suffer than to convict one guilty person. In related news, a radiologist was arrested earlier in the week when a kidnap suspect escaped from custody after being taken into the hospital for X rays. Now, the doctor in question was not responsible for the suspect, there were three federal agents assigned that responsibility. Furhter, the government does not claim the doctor helped the prisoner escape. Ah, but the suspect escaped while the radiologist was processing the X rays, so therefore... Well, I can't follow that kind of reasoning, but the doctor has been detained and charged with allowing a criminal suspect to escape. What the prosecutors or police hope to accomlish by punishing the innocent escapes me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maximus Posted October 3, 2008 Report Share Posted October 3, 2008 They have simply taken a page out of US siezure laws. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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