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One of the key points in our legal system is the concept of innocent until proven guilty. Sadly, this concept has been degraded not only in our legal system but also in society as a whole.
For example, how many of you remember the Duke Lacrosse players? Those three men were considered guilty because of an accusation made against them. Even with contradictory evidence and a jury verdict of not guilty, many still treated these men as racist sex offenders. Now that their accuser has confirmed she lied, will those three men get back those years and their reputations?
What about those who have their status of guilt or innocence hidden by President Biden’s grants of immunity? I know people keep calling them pardons, but unless they are mitigating sentences after conviction, these are grants of immunity. It not only means some guilty parties may not be punished, but it also means that all of them will have an asterisk on their reputations.
Innocence until proven guilty is for more than just court cases. How many people have jumped to conclusions about the FBI involvement on January 6 or the drones flying over East Coast cities? A lack of evidence to the contrary is not evidence of guilt. We should apply the concept of innocent until proven guilty to our judgments on the acts of others just as vigorously as we would want it applied to ourselves.
The Constitution Study with Paul Engel on America Out Loud Talk Radio can be heard on weekdays at 4 pm ET. Listen on iHeart Radio, our world-class media player, or our free Apple, Android, or Alexa apps. Listen to other episodes of The Constitution Study, which are available on podcasts.
Image: AP composite
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