“Better that ten guilty persons escape, than that one innocent suffer,” said English jurist William Blackstone. The ratio 10:1, now known as the “Blackstone ratio,” expresses the classic Anglo-American ideas of the presumption of innocence and (insofar as the statement speaks of “guilt,” “conviction,” “imprisonment,” and the like) the burden of proof “beyond a reasonable doubt” that prevails in criminal law. This is our system, and it works. It is not perfect. No system is. But it is the best the world has to offer. If some people would have their way, by the responses to the Zimmerman trial, they would reverse that ratio. Remember, the system works for all, and you could be on the other end of that someday. Be careful what you wish for.
Posted on: Wed, 17 Jul 2013 15:56:29 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015