Viewing a single comment thread. View all comments

pasnow t1_jamebcg wrote

Reply to comment by ragnaROCKER in Philly mayoral candidates are discussing gun violence tonight. Here are some key policies likely to come up by PhillyPanda

LOE. Lack of evidence. The surveillance video of it & basically showing their faces, I was told, likely wouldn't get submitted for a 'preliminary' hearing. No clothes were brought/shown they were wearing the night of, the gun was reported to have been recovered (i think in the news article), wasn't brought or fingerprints etc.

I got to face the one (other was 17 & juvey court), which helped bring closure. His Mom & family (sisters?) were there, so it brought closure to do it & speak. I wasn't angry or hateful, some old 1950s redneck down south saying hang em or anything. Honestly, I knew going in they'd either make an example out of em, and throw the book at them to prove they're 'tough on crime' (since they caught them), or it'd just get lost in the machine.

ADA was in touch with me alot (looking back its probably done more in a grief couselor role), but the night before I got a call at 8:30 from a Texas phone number, and the guy had a major Texas accent, whoa.. I thought, did they just fly in some big time lawyer for this?! He asked me a few basic questions about the night, and whats gonna happen in the courtroom (roll call, cattle call of cases etc). Then, once I got there, I just knew I was one of about 30 other cases in that courtroom alone, just a cog in the machine.

3

ragnaROCKER t1_jan0g44 wrote

That really sucks, my condolences. Serious question though, would the prints and clothes thing fall under the police or is that a da thing?

1

pasnow t1_jan2bhx wrote

That's a good question. Probably sorta a two way street. I would guess DAO could reach out to the PPD to get it in their posession. Probably (both) are overworked. ADA told me he has 100 carjacking cases going on at any given time, but he treated me well & returned my calls, kept me posted on things.

TBH, looking back I found him more of a grief counselor role, bracing me for a soft landing in stupidity, that's they'd let these two walk. By the end I realized how jaded I was to it all, I just made my own peace with it, hope those 2 fix themselves & get jobs. THat's what pisses me off tbh, there's jobs out there. And they pay $12-$15 bucks an hour easy. When I was 19-20 I worked for $4 bucks an hour, its crazy. Granted I went to college and mostly summer stuff, but again, work at Shop Rite stocking shelves of a year or two, they'll get paid.

Anyway, I'll just say, someone else posted somewhere there's a reason alot of these criminals have lengthy rap sheets. In the years of Lyn Abraham myb these 2 would've done 3 years time, I dunno. I consider myself pretty liberal but jeez give them 3-6 months at least. (The 20yo did about 30 days in holding custody I'd guess, probably close enough to real prison where he may have been scared straight so to speak. Getting a glimpse of 'real prison' (CFCF) up in the northeast.

3

ragnaROCKER t1_jan2yus wrote

If it makes you feel any better, holding jail is often much worse than real prison.

Sorry you had to go through that, something similar happened when my house was robbed.

2

ragnaROCKER t1_jan33vf wrote

Thank you for sharing your story.

1

pasnow t1_jan4hv5 wrote

Thanks, I appreciate it. I cannot tell you how much you think 'it ends now' when someones got a gun pointed to your chest. It also is infuriating ppl thinking Krasners DAO is this well run, only prosecute surefire criminals, yet let the innocent ones or difficult to prove ones go.

Just sitting there, hearing the cases before me. One cop clearly witness a pretty large ($300?) heroin deal in a vacant land next to a bodega type place. Defense asked 'Did you use surveillance video' cop said no we don't use that on a daily basis. Defense asked 'Did you use your cell phone' Cop said he doesn't use his personal phone for work. Things like that, you could tell the cops knew the deal. One was a car theft, undercover cop caught him, guy had numerous priors over just the last 3 or 4 years.

3

ragnaROCKER t1_janqc8h wrote

true, but we don't know the cops history. could be on the "no trust" list.

i feel yoiu about the "it ends now" thing. it is terrifying.

1

pasnow t1_jaoammb wrote

>could be on the "no trust" list.

It doesn't go that deep. The questioning lasts about 3-5 minutes and the defense attorney seems like they hadn't even looked at the case prior to the day. They'd speak with the accused for a minute or two before the judge starts.

Honestly, seems like the defense just churns thru them, then clocks out at the end of the shift. Almost like an assembly line working cases. There's no Law & Order and such to it, just a bunch of paperwork on their desk (ie. shuffling papers, 'Ok, which case is next? Hmmm, let's see what its about') Then just shouts out far fetched theories and possibilities. It was deflating.

1