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[Hoje0308]

Yep read them both like 3 times and didn't see it till I read the third article. Probably would not have made the thread had I noticed that since it will probably go in another direction now.

I mean, the guy was still wrongly accused and convicted, regardless of what he did previously. It's easy to champion justice for those we can identify with, but that often isn't the case when someone has such a gross crime on their record.

 

[linsivvi]

Wasn't my point. He was responding to someone that quoted another person about showing him sympathy, implying that he was wrong to point out that he was already a convicted rapist. As I said in my original post above, wrongful convictions suck, but the dude was a rapist, he already had a lot of problems that he's caused for himself and others before being wrongfully convicted of more rape. Times like these you should save the outrage and crocodile tears for some wrongfully convicted individuals that didn't rape anyone prior.

Wow. No redemption possible huh?

He served his time. What is your evidence that he did not repent and wasn't working towards becoming a better person?

Your last sentence is mind boggling. You are essentially saying after he committed his crime, no matter what he does afterwards, there's no possible way for redemption and people should not have sympathy or feel outraged when injustice occurs to him.

Scary.

 

[CountAntonius]

I mean, the guy was still wrongly accused and convicted, regardless of what he did previously. It's easy to champion justice for those we can identify with, but that often isn't the case when someone has such a gross crime on their record.

Absolutely so my original post and thread title still stand I just wouldn't have bother because of the inevitable arguments that are gonna probably take place because of his past.

 

[Nephtis]

I am pretty sure he will get a few million dollars. Isn't it always like this ?

Unfortunately, no. If he is lucky and is given the maximum allowed, he will at most get half a million. In some states, you get like, nothing.

 

[SliceSabre]

I'm surprised the district attorney stood with them. Most of them always seem to go "Nope we weren't wrong and he totally still did it even if there is proof he didn't!":

 

[KyleCross]

I have to laugh at all the "Yeah but he was totally a rapist before" comments. What a completely draconian thought to let occupy your mind...

My original post on the matter was along the lines of "Oh, he actually did rape someone? Yeah, I have no compassion for what he went through." He served his time for the actual rape he committed and didn't deserve the time he was wrongfully convicted to serve, but I don't feel sorry that it happened to him due to his previous actions.

 

[Shuggananas]

So he was an actual rapist anyway but he got 16 years for rapes he didn't commit ? I don't know if I can feel too bad for him, in the end he's a rapist nonetheless. Weird case.

 

[Hoje0308]

Absolutely so my original post and thread title still stand I just wouldn't have bother because of the inevitable arguments that are gonna probably take place because of his past.

I think it makes the whole thing more interesting. Free speech isn't a controversial issue until the KKK decides they want to rally in your town. It's the same thing with reforms in the justice system. If this guy hadn't had so much as a ticket for jaywalking, it'd be easy to sympathise. Now we get to see the limits of people's interest in reforms that benefit those we likely wouldn't want to share a space with, much less a drink and conversation.

 

[Dot Matrix]

Vargas, 46, is not a free man yet because of his immigration status. He's going into federal custody until his green card can be restored.

Unless that custody is in a 5 star hotel with room service and hookers on tap, that's some bullshit!

 

[Kenzodielocke]

Unfortunately, no. If he is lucky and is given the maximum allowed, he will at most get half a million. In some states, you get like, nothing.

Well, there are other cases where they received a few million dollars.

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/nat...-65-million-27-years-prison-article-1.2440849

http://financialjuneteenth.com/man-...l-conviction-prison-rape-and-contracting-hiv/

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/wor...ned-for-25-years-gets-6.25m-compensation.html

 

[GrotesqueBeauty]

I wasn't implying this was "justice", I was saying the man doesn't deserve sympathy for his plight because he's a convicted rapist because you responded to someone pointing out he was a rapist in response to someone asking for us to show him sympathy. He served his time (and then some, from the wrongful conviction), but he's still a rapist.That doesn't excuse what he did prior.

No shit it doesn't absolve his former crime. Sounds like he was convicted and met the requirements for release. That's how the justice system is supposed to work. You know, justly.

The idea that someone doesn't deserve sympathy for serving 16 years for an act they didn't commit because they were previously convicted of a similar crime is idiocy. It completely overlooks why sentencing follows certain guidelines and the entire concept of rehabilitation and release. Do you think people who commit crimes are subhuman? Guess what, people can err, yes, even rape, serve time, and reenter society. Whether a person can be rehabilitated depends on a number of factors. I have personally met rehabilitated murderers with genuine remorse, and after hearing their stories in depth I have an incredible amount of sympathy for them. You know it's possible to have compassion for both criminals and victims as human beings without condoning the crime committed, right?

I don't know how old you are, or what path you've been on in your life up until now, but maybe you should pause and reflect a little before you judge someone else's undue suffering from a few blurbs. You might find yourself in circumstances at some point that humble you, and I doubt you'd find comfort in the garbage you're spewing now if someone else took such a cavalier attitude towards your life even if you had committed some sort of transgression along the way and paid your debt to society.

 

[jorma]

3 different witnesses pointed at the wrong man, eh.

My guess is:

Police were talking to these witnesses being all "we know it's him and he's raped before so unless you are prepared to testify that this is the man you saw that night, he's gonna walk and when he rapes more people it will be YOUR FAULT".

witness: "eh, ok. it was him i saw"

 

[Vagabundo]

No shit it doesn't absolve his former crime. Sounds like he was convicted and met the requirements for release. That's how the justice system is supposed to work. You know, justly.

The idea that someone doesn't deserve sympathy for serving 16 years for an act they didn't commit because they were previously convicted of a similar crime is idiocy. It completely overlooks why sentencing follows certain guidelines and the entire concept of rehabilitation and release. Do you think people who commit crimes are subhuman? Guess what, people can err, yes, even rape, serve time, and reenter society. Whether a person can be rehabilitated depends on a number of factors. I have personally met rehabilitated murderers with genuine remorse, and after hearing their stories in depth I have an incredible amount of sympathy for them. You know it's possible to have compassion for both criminals and victims as living breathing human beings without condoning the crime committed, right?

I don't know how old you are, or what path you're on in this life up until now, but maybe you should pause and reflect a little before you judge someone else's undue suffering from a few blurbs. You might find yourself in circumstances at some point that humble you, and I doubt you'd find comfort if someone else took such a cavalier attitude towards your life even if you had made some sort of transgression along the way and paid your debt to society.

Good post and I agree completely.

The black and white notions of Justice on GAF make me despair sometimes.

3 different witnesses pointed at the wrong man, eh.

My guess is:

Police were talking to these witnesses being all "we know it's him and he's raped before so unless you are prepared to testify that this is the man you saw that night, he's gonna walk and when he rapes more people it will be YOUR FAULT".

witness: "eh, ok. it was him i saw"

Good point. I hope they do a follow up with the witnesses to see if there was coercion.

 

[Hoje0308]

3 different witnesses pointed at the wrong man, eh.

My guess is:

Police were talking to these witnesses being all "we know it's him and he's raped before so unless you are prepared to testify that this is the man you saw that night, he's gonna walk and when he rapes more people it will be YOUR FAULT".

witness: "eh, ok. it was him i saw"

Yeah, my guess is that the witnesses were told a story that their minds then created memories for.

 

[Demoskinos]

I mean that's great news but also...fuck. 16 years of your life taken from you. That's goddamn brutal especially missing your kid growing up.

 

[Yoshi]

No shit it doesn't absolve his former crime. Sounds like he was convicted and met the requirements for release. That's how the justice system is supposed to work. You know, justly.

The idea that someone doesn't deserve sympathy for serving 16 years for an act they didn't commit because they were previously convicted of a similar crime is idiocy. It completely overlooks why sentencing follows certain guidelines and the entire concept of rehabilitation and release. Do you think people who commit crimes are subhuman? Guess what, people can err, yes, even rape, serve time, and reenter society. Whether a person can be rehabilitated depends on a number of factors. I have personally met rehabilitated murderers with genuine remorse, and after hearing their stories in depth I have an incredible amount of sympathy for them. You know it's possible to have compassion for both criminals and victims as human beings without condoning the crime committed, right?

I don't know how old you are, or what path you've been on in your life up until now, but maybe you should pause and reflect a little before you judge someone else's undue suffering from a few blurbs. You might find yourself in circumstances at some point that humble you, and I doubt you'd find comfort in the garbage you're spewing now if someone else took such a cavalier attitude towards your life even if you had committed some sort of transgression along the way and paid your debt to society.

Full agreement. In fact, positions like these (not yours, but the ones you react to) make it indrecibly hard for people to rehabilitate.

 

[Nugg]

"I think it's him but I'm not sure maybe?"
"Don't worry ma'am, he's already a rapist so whatever"

The guy is clearly not a saint, but if you commit a crime, you pay for that crime and that's it, you don't pay for four.