Public Defenders: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO)
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 28 ก.ย. 2024
- The Miranda warning includes the right to a public defender. It doesn’t include the fact that public defenders are highly overworked and grossly underpaid.
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I pled guilty to a crime I didn't commit because my PD refused any other course. He is now in prison in MI for hiring a hitman to kill another lawyer. He scheduled my hearing in a middle school auditorium full of kids, parents and teachers. I was accused of buying beer for minors, which I had not done. He he said "I am not going to defend you on THAT charge in front of THIS audience. The only way to avoid jail is to plead guilty. " He could have had the hearing in a court room but chose the school because he was running for prosecutor. A farce, that's on my record forever. Thanks for talking about this issue.
Konig Corvus That's really fucked up. I'm sorry to hear what happened to you. I hope that dude lost his job.
Konig Corvus sounds like you should get a real lawyer and now and fight your charge... sounds like your constitutional rights were infringed upon... assuming your not lying or exaggerating
Hiring a pricey or private lawyer doesn't always work, Bob.... lawyers aren't going to go out on a limb and piss off district attorneys. Do you know why? Because district attorneys will then only offer shitty plea bargains for a lawyer's clients. The lawyer will get a reputation for not getting clients "good results." Thus, lawyers are going to do what is in their best interests FIRST -- even if it means throwing a client under a bus by pressuring them to take a plea. Besides, I know plenty of people that have hired lawyers that cost them a pretty penny and the lawyers would actually get pissed off for having to put some effort into cases. Never mind that they charged thousands for a plem. hearing upfront. They have a quick initial meeting of half an hour... charge thousands then maybe give your a quick couple of 5 minute phone calls before the hearing. Ask you to show up 10 to 15 minutes before the hearing to go over stuff. That's the effort for thousands of dollars. The system is corrupt, terrible, etc.
Konig Corvus That's disgusting. Will they not erase that from your record, given what he did? The guy practically had "Corrupt" tattooed on his forehead. I'm sorry you went through that, either way. I don't know what I'd do in such a situation.
@@aaronmarks9366 Well, he did get arrested.
"of course it was florida, how could it not be florida?!"
as someone who's spent most of their life in florida, i'd just naturally assumed that's where the fight happened, but it's nice to have some confirmation.
Best line in the whole sketch. It is delivered perfectly, too, like it is straight out of a cop show.
I've got a theory, do you know what Florida man is
@@lllllllll5171 Florida Man is like Spider-Man. It's not just one person, it's an idea. Anyone can put on the mask.
Before I even watch this, I already know how fucked up the public defender situation is in this country. Even still, I expect a few horrifying surprises.
Please don't stop doing good work, Mr. Oliver.
+Matt Goodwin ...aaaand yep, my rage is at an all-new level. Thanks for the coronary, Murica
+Matt Goodwin No matter how bad we think it is, it's always worse. And Florida...What the hell is going on down in Florida???
+Lisa DuPre It's ALWAYS in Florida
+Matt Goodwin I always knew there were serious systemic issues in America....but ever since Oliver started doing these long segments, I've come to the realization that quite literally *_everything_* we do is unintelligent unethical backwards and the polar opposite of an actual solution. It's honestly shocking just how broken _everything_ is. We get everything wrong...in every way possible. It's absolutely ridiculous how systemically fucked everything is. And he hasn't even done a segment on the Drug War yet....
+avedic Where Bolivia which solved 60% of it's drug problem by throwing out the US based DEA and handling it by itself, now is being investigated by DEA which in it's own turf solved 0% of it's drug problems but solved 100% of the slave labor shortage problem which some of the most influential intellectuals today consider it's main reason for being created. Go figure...
Someone (that I know) stole my I.D. a few years back and then got busted with marijuana possession in Westminster Colorado. When the cops picked him up, he used my I.D. got ticketed in my name and released. Then when no one showed up to the court date a warrant was put out for my arrest. I spent 2 weeks in jail, went before a judge, and got a public defender. The public defender did everything he could to try and convince me to take a plea deal. When I told the public defender that it wasn't me, he started telling me stuff like "look, if you take a plea deal, I can probably get you released today. You'll serve 1 month incarcerated at the most." I told him again it wasn't me, he responded, "If you fight this, you're looking at up to 2 years. Do you want to spend 2 years in jail?" I told him again it wasn't me, but at that point I was so scared of doing 2 years in jail, I almost took the plea. I was shaking and so afraid that if there was any kind of mixup or if anything went wrong I would be locked up for 2 years for something I didn't do. I was afraid, but I told him again, "look man! It wasn't me. I wasn't there. Someone stole my identity!" and he said "Well, ok, if this is how you want to proceed then..." and had an attitude like "your funeral kid". He walked up to the judge, they opened up the case file, and right there on the front page was the mugshot of the person they had charged. OBVIOUSLY being not fucking me, they dropped the charges then and there on the spot and I was released within 24 hours. This happened to me in Westminster Colorado in about 2007. Out of everything that had happened, to this day, I will never forget how hard that public defender was pushing and trying to scare me into pleading guilty. So much so that I almost pleaded guilty to a crime that I KNEW I hadn't committed because I was afraid of going to jail for 2 years.
Any attorney regardless if they are a PD or private attorney has to communicate any plea offer and has to advise you of the potential maximum penalty that could be imposed after a potential conviction following trial. To not do so would be to render ineffective assistance of counsel. After receiving this information it up to the Defendant as how to proceed whether by trial or guilty plea. No attorney or Judge can force a person to plead guilty. The attorney is allowed to render an opinion on the likely hood of success at trial based upon their experience but the client does not have to accept that advice and can simply state they want the case listed for a jury trial date.
@@michaeldaly322 I guess you'd have to be there to truly understand how much he was trying to sway me into pleading guilty. It wasn't a matter of the information I was being given, it was a matter of the pressure he was putting on me to plead guilty, and the approach he was taking to scare me into doing it.
@@TenthElementGraphics True. That's fucked up. At the end of the day it should be your decision no matter what. After all, it's your life on the line. Theyre not doing the time.
@@michaeldaly322 basically, he was supposed to be defending me. and his whole attitude was like "c'mon. plead guilty. do it. plead guilty. I swear you'll regret it if you don't. I'm tellin ya kid. Plead guilty, don't make this any bigger of a mess than it already is." when I told him I wasn't even there he seemed annoyed, like I was making a horrible decision despite the direction he was trying to point me in. I swear, it seems like most "public defenders" make a living of just going in everyday and saying "you should take the plea bargain."
@@TenthElementGraphics I know this post is old but I'm going thru something similar but with a paid lawyer. I had my house searched illegally and I'm asking him to file a motion to suppress. He's like "no, because..." and then his billion excuses and I'm like but the officer searched me illegally "yeah, but you see" so I fired him !!!! He wanted me to plea instead of filing a motion to suppress. Wtf!
Why are there so many dumb legal issues here in America where we pretty much fine poor people for being poor? It's disgusting and needs to stop ASAP.
well that's maybe cause America isn't a county
+Phantomhive Because it's easier to keep people down when they can barely feed themselves.
+Phantomhive *Conservative voice* "Poor people are in their position because of entitlement. They don't want to work so they assume they can mooch off the government and be lazy. If they worked half as hard as I do, and were perfectly fine working 3 jobs to scrounge a living together, they'd have nothing to complain about."
*Brought to you by*: Can't-those-peasants-shut-up-already?
+Phantomhive A lot of places try their hardest to make being poor or homeless as illegal as they can. I wouldn't be surprised if there is an actual law in a city or state that is blatant about it by going "it's illegal to be homeless". Most places try to be more 'sneaky' about it by anti-loitering laws, among other stuff.
+MrCazador123 oh. he missed an r. that's not hard to do with autocorrect. (sarcasm heavily implied.
I WAS TRYING TO SLEEP, LAST WEEK TONIGHT.
omg same
+Fraust byte I was trying to find some positions to fill myself.
high five! 😢😴
Same here! Welp, time to watch, I guess.
+Fraust byte Our main story tonight, sleep deprivation. How the internet is killing you.
Holy shit. That judge beating up a public defender, how can someone be still in charge for his job after that? Like seriously?
Welcome to America, my friend!
+Wade Wilson (Deadpool) Florida's Supreme Court did eventually have him fired from his job, but it took them over a year to make that happen.
Krebons1200 Good to hear that he eventually got fired. Because thats the least he deserved. Thank you very much for the update.
+Wade Wilson
What he deserved:
Be fired
Be charged to assault
Put on trial
Be forced to have a public defender instead of one he hired himself.
@Krebons1200 They fired him because of the media attention. They probably wouldn't have done anything otherwise..
I am a law student and was assigned to watch this video for one of my classes!
same
Good
That is fucking awesome.
Quality education
69 likes confirmed
XD
I really wish that attorney had kicked that judge's ass.
He might have gotten a few good punches in, it could be that the level of beat you need to be to go home early is higher for judges than attorneys.
While that was completely inappropriate for that situation, I honestly DID hope the attorney won that
That judge should be kicked out of office.
Barry Sabahat ikr
The judge was a retired us army reserve colonel who was part of special operations in Iraq and received the both the bronze star and several other medals so the odds where stacked against the attorney. As well the supreme court did overrule the previous court order and fired him and he is currently attending a mental health and anger management program for dealing PTSD he had been dealing with previously and currently.
Despite it being incredibly unlawful and insane behavior, I was kinda hoping that public defender kicked the judge's ass...
"Of course it was Florida, how could it not be Florida?!?"
TakavaNirhii (near-eye) xD lmfao
Alfredo Lopez Who is running for Senate and has a good chance of being the GOP candidate.
gets me every time X'D
"Is that constitutional...?" - "It's constitutional as F__K!! ...You piece of SHIT!!" xD
@@hazukichanx408 spoken like a true American.
It's truly sad just how true this story is! I knew that there was information in a statement that a witness supposedly said, but that I knew for a fact that she NEVER said. I told my public pretender this fact, and he STILL refused to call her, or anybody else, whereas, had he called her, he would have found out that the entire statement was fabricated by either the cop, or prosecutor that typed it up. He refused to contact or speak with any witnesses. The only 2 people that he was interested in contacting were the district attorney to get a new plea bargain, and me to try and sell me on how good the current offer was. THEN, my attorney was too good to come to a hearing, so he sent an underling to my hearing. At that hearing, the district attorney offered an even better deal than my attorney had tried selling me on, which was a DPA (deferred prosecution agreement), that I was willing to accept, and MY "lawyer" said no, that I couldn't accept that deal, because she already had the paperwork filled out for the worse deal that she told me (and this is absolutely no joke), "You either accept this deal, or you will be found guilty, and go to jail," even though she knew next to nothing about my actual case. That was when we proceeded into the courtroom, where the district attorney offered me the better deal (the DPA), and I said I would accept that deal, and MY public pretender actually said no, I could not accept that deal, because she already had the paperwork filled out for the much worse deal, to which I responded, "Then, redo the paperwork," to which she simply said, "No!"
A friend of mine was in the hospital, and her husband at the time couldn't be bothered to get his kids off to school for 3 straight days, and SHE got charged with child neglect, because she should have been able to stop him from being so lazy. She was charged with child neglect, and her public pretender demanded that she take a plea deal, even though she found out later that because she was physically unable to care for herself with the debilitating illness she had (MRSA that had progressed to the point that the hospital told her that if she didn't get to the hospital within the next 48 hours, she would be dead), she could not legally be held responsible for caring for her children. Unfortunately, the public pretender that was assigned to her case wasn't willing to make that same argument, but instead, just wanted her to plea to something, to close that case and move onto the next.
As a Public Defender, my life is miserable. I feel awful seeing my clients not get the representation they deserve. There's nothing more I can do because I have so many cases. I'm paid pennies for six-figure work. I'm proud that I am helping the defenseless, but I"m not sure how much longer I can do this.
+EmisoraRadioPatio Your job is very apreciated.
Thank you for doing what you do because I know you do t get paid enough or thanked often as you should be. I salute you sir (/)0m0)
+EmisoraRadioPatio You have to strike a difficult balance between doing good and being "miserable." I don't think anyone should expect you to sacrifice your life (and probably part of the lives of those close to you) with just a inadequate salary and a somewhat cynical congratulations in return. I think you should be paid what you are truly worth, and would also give you credit for moving on when you must.
Motivate those lawyers around you to eventually take your place when you've done your share of this work. Tell them this story you've given here. I think it's heartbreaking*/motivational enough
+EmisoraRadioPatio Amen to that - I am a public defender in Pennsylvania. It is overwhelming sometimes. I am paid hourly and work far more than the 35 hours I get paid for. But it can certainly be rewarding sometimes.
"Basically... you're f*cked"
***** so it appears.
+DH Shawon Who was that?
+talesin- god of the internet I see you completely missed the point of this episode. Guilty until proven innocent wins the day.
+Chris Mack Dennis Quaid
+talesin- god of the internet
Good luck with that. With all the federal and local statutes on the books, you're probably committing a crime right now without even knowing it.
Ignorance of the law is no excuse though, thankfully, right?
The United States is a horrible place to live if you're poor. The judicial system that is supposed to serve the public isn't even working. What kind of freedom is this?
+KillerInstinct69 All western countries are horrible places to live if you're poor. Trust me on this one.
+KillerInstinct69 Freedom?? what has freedom to do with the land of the fees, and home of the caged?
Ian Stevenson I just ignored him. Clearly he has no idea how or what with developed European countries.
Plus i have no idea what he means with "horrible"
Horrible could mean not having the brand stuff and perhaps a small house with 2-3 bedrooms that isnt near the city center and not the fastest internet and possible having to go to the food bank weekly to make sure you have enough food to even trow some out. (Dutch poor)
Dean A. I'm from Australia. And to me, europeans are a bunch of racist and megalomaniacs assholes. So yeah, horrible places.
+Ignacio Salas
The hilarity of a Aussie calling anyone or anything racist.
And the more you keep saying, "Europe is..." the more you proof you know nothing.
I’m so thankful John Oliver and his crew at HBO produce these, because more people need to know about these problems.
It’s also heartbreaking to learn there is yet another problem I can’t fix, and that most people do not care about-and most assuredly don’t want to know about.
OBJECTION! I have no problems, I just felt like saying that.
+Sam Geuvenen Sustained.
+Sam Geuvenen Ready, FIGHT!
,
+Sam Geuvenen Phoenix Wright would be honored.
Ninja07Keaton
I thought we got rid of debtor's prisons, but they keep coming back as a different name.
It can only be killed with fire. Or it will keep coming back.
They got out of style, but they were never banned federally. Many states still have it on the books and some still have debtors prisons.
For people who champion science and frequently cite it as evidence of global warming, you guys can be pretty dense about what's in front of you. If you apply your scientific principles to this observation, you'd conclude that debtor's prison is just a law of the universe. Why fight it?
No Burton, it's not a law of the universe. It's an effect of human action, much like the aforementioned Global Warming. And we fight it for the same reasons we fight Global Warming, because indifference to what is wrong in the world will only lead to what is wrong growing strong, spreading wider, and becoming more accepted as normal. It won't be the downfall of civilisation, it'll be much worse. Civilization will become evil.
It would be nice to round them up and burn them
I hope when your kid grows up you show them this and you both get a chuckle. It's crazy how our view of kids change when they are our own. Stay safe
Of course it was Florida! How could it not be Florida!!
>Lives in Florida!!
BEEN TRYING TO GET OUT FOR AWHILE NOW!! HELP!!
Cause that's the solution to every problem!
Just stop while you're behind.
animeman1000 SIT DOWN!!!! Im the judge!!! WHAT you wanna go out back so I can beat the fuck outta you!!! LMFAO
Buddy im joking. Calm down.
I am calm sir. I just don't agree with you "joke" that's all. Take care.
animeman1000 oh well. Just trying to cheer you up. You will feel better when you leave that crap hole Florida. Take care little buddy.
+animeman1000 Just run,run and dont stop till you hit its border.
2:37 John Oliver confirmed for gay furry.
+Lutranereis I was expecting at least one member from Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem.
+Lutranereis John Oliver has my vote.
+Queen Chrysalis not even "night court" or whatever it was called, was that weired/ freakish.
msjanegrey
the fuck are you talking about?
+Queen Chrysalis sorry touchscreen, the comment was ment for the one next to your, by the time I saw, too late, with this phone I don't know how to delete comment, you'll excuse ;)
THIS IS HOW THE US WORKS: Any time the govt cuts costs, all the budgets helping the poorest, most helpless people are the ones cut FIRST!
Trump may he rest in peace.
KORREKT.
My family was comfortable and middle-class like yours just a decade or so ago. Then my employer of 25 years began "accelerating attrition." Laid off. My discretionary income declined steadily. Now we rely on a local food bank and charities for many of groceries and clothed. I'm not alone and I don't see that things will get better. Prepare yourselves.
And the worst part is that those budget cuts are usually made to accommodate tax breaks for corporations and the ultra wealthy. It's like a reverse Robinhood.
Got billed for the public defender AND the cost of keeping me in jail for the three days up to the hearing in MN, can confirm.
Had absolutely no income, but was expected to pay 100$ for being incarcerated, 128$ for the "if you cannot afford an attorney, one will be appointed to you" and was expected to pay 500$ bail to not sit in jail for the next few months until ANOTHER hearing was scheduled for the plea bargain.
Got a bike light violation recently for not riding with a light on my bike at night. Heres the bill break down;STATE COSTS: $35COURT COST: $20COURT TECH: $10COP TRAINING: $10PUBLIC DEFENDERS OFFICE: $10 (didn't use a public defender still had to pay)DOMESTIC VIOLENCE PREVENTION: $10 (not sure why Im paying that)and because I talked with the city prosecutor they tacked on an additional $20 for 1 min of talking bringing my total bill to:$115 for not riding with a bike light at night.... Merica the best country in the world.
+SoCoolScienceShow You did in fact not ride with a bike light though, right?
+John Smith What's your point? Someone who is poor could actually wind up in jail for a month for not having the money to pay those small fines.. Which then add up to huge fines. John Oliver has done plenty on this subject; were you sleeping?
Is that the god damn goal, month long Jail for something trivial, while murderous drivers with money get out instantly and get off with nothing, because they got a hot shit lawyer with loads of time. Like those.
+SoCoolScienceShow Domestic violence prevention fee? LOL
Domestic violence prevention fee. I'd talk to a lawyer cuz there's no way that should be real. Hell I'd try and sue the city.
+Keira Desbiens You judged him, which is bad enough, without first making sure you understood him correctly. His question could in fact be a sarcastic jab at the system, implying they're so corrupt they could have fined him for something he didn't do.
Edit: never mind, you understood him correctly.
Every time I see you're show, it's universally awesome. Thanks John.
* your show (silly autocorrect)
+Julia Smith autocorrect can't correct word choice in a grammatical situation. But, also right, it IS GIGO
+Jon Masters Why didn't you just edit your original comment?
+Young Frankenstein chill?
The True Antlers Nope, she started out with "shut up", so she deserves no mercy. Fuck her and the three people standing closest to her.
They should legalize drugs, then they wouldn`t have so many people to defend.
+OPEN MIND Wieso findet man dich überall?
+OPEN MIND Decriminalize, more like.
Vesania At first.
Baby steps.
+OPEN MIND But private prisons need more prisoners for money.
+Garrick Groover and that's the next step, get rid of private prisons. When they are private then incentive is to get more prisoners because you're paid by the head, when they are government the incentive is to have less because the pay comes out of pocket.
I was a paralegal for a public defender in Minnesota. There is much truth to this. We barely had time to plea deal for each client.
As a second year law student right now, John Oliver is spot on. While the legal community is almost unanimous in wanting more public workers, the fact is that there is no money in public defense and the attorneys can barely sustain themselves - let alone pay law school loans. My dad is a public defender and the government is 3 months behind paying him...But few governments will ever allocate more money for "those struggling/overworked lawyers".
"... any person ... who is too poor to get surgery, cannot be assured to stay alive unless a hospital is provided for him."
a 1000 cases a year? thats how you end up being Saul Goodman..
That's Fresno County/Tulare County justice for ya. Lots of Saul Goodmans running around..
....is it weird that this is making me think about being a public defender?
+Scorpia161 like really, i can hunt bugs, fight judges in hallways, and address systematic inequality from the front lines. too bad i hate college and don't want to pay for law school.
I was like if there's really a high demand for them they must get paid well
+dcoetzee I know a couple of people who started to study law out of very idealistic principles. One of them told me that literally the first thing they heard during the welcome lecture was "Welcome! No one of you will make the world a better place, but, if you make smart choices, there is a lot of money ahead of you." Everyone in this profession whom I know has a story like that to tell.
If you are wondering why the system is that corrupt, sit in on a couple of law lectures if you get the chance. I did some courses in media law both undergrad and grad and was honestly horrified. Law is unscientific as fuck (pardon my french), it doesn't care about reason or rationality and holds as close as possible to rules so vaguely formulated, that three different courts in the same country can reach three different results (as it happens often in Germany) and you really have to get the right court for your case. For example, almost all cases for media piracy are done in Hamburg, because the court there is known for its draconic stance on the issue. If you get sued for the same thing in front of any other court, you are MUCH more likely to get off easy, especially as a first time offender. But not in Hamburg, oh no... The system couldn't be more arbitrary if it tried.
So as a law student, you have to somehow hold up your principles while being confronted with a system that often appears like Lewis Carroll came up with it, sometimes bordering on insanity, sometimes being outright insane. Or you surrender, accept that 2+2 can equal 5 if the circumstances demand it, forget about principles and ethics and all that abstract hippy nonsense and not only does your by then chronic headache recede, your pockets also start to fill up quickly.
+k3nny111 i understand your frustration and I must admit that I'm not familiar with the civil law system; so I can't adequately respond to your claim about different courts reach different opinions in Germany. However, in the common law system, there is this doctrine called stare decisis where cases which were decided in the higher courts are binding on the lower courts. That's why you have to do research on case law when making your arguments. Otherwise, it would just be like charming the judge into deciding the case for you, in which case, you really don't need to go to lawschool and destroy your youth to be a lawyer.
Anyway, as a soon-to-be lawyer in a common law country, i just wanna respond to your claims abt law being unscientific and vague. The law is expected to be predictable; and hence the rules have to be relatively fixed. But every case is factually different, to whatever extent. So how do you construct legal rules which are able to deal with different and evolving factual issues while remaining relatively unchanged? You need flexibility and hence some degree of vagueness in your legal rules! Remember, it's about striking a fine balance here. There is a great deal of complex legal theories on this; you can check it out if you're interested.
P/S: you might discredit me for the fact that lawyers rejoice in the ambiguity of the law and hence my argument is biased. But it's the truth LOL
Hoang Trang I appreciate your response.
In Germany, there is no case law. Two identical charges put in front of two different judges can be decided differently (and often are). Only decisions done by the "Bundesverfassungsgericht" (closes thing to your Supreme Court) have weight outside of their inidivual case. But even those aren't binding; other courts just recognize them out of convenience. If a smaller court ignores a decision of the Bundesverfassungsgericht, then the plaintiff or defendant, whoever is unhappy with the outcome, can just go up through the various courts until reaching the Bundesverfassungsgericht, which itself is very consistent in its interpretation of the law. However, this level of security only exists if the Bundersverfassungsgericht already decided on an issue. For every other case, you'd be rolling the dice going up that high, and a very expensive dice at that. So the vast majority of cases is, obviously, decided by lower courts and you honestly just have to get lucky which court you end up in. It's the same with my example in Hamburg: their court is extremely friendly to plaintiffs who sue because of digital piracy and copyright infringement. So everyone going to court over this, no matter where he lives or his company is based, immediately sues in Hamburg. The handfull of cases in front of other courts on the same issue have VASTLY different outcomes. We had an example of two nearly identical charges for illegal distribution of music via torrent by minors, where in Hamburg the parents were charged with a six figure penalty, while another court on the same level, just in a different city, ruled that the parents can't be held responsible for this, as long as they told their kids not to do any illegal sharing/downloading. This is not predictable at all.
Another issue which really crushed me was in Urheberrecht (our equivalent to copyright law). One of the main questions in german Urheberrecht is whether or not something is a "Werk" (there is no perfect translation, closest thing would be "creation"). A "Werk" needs to have "Schaffenshöhe", which means a level of quality that qualifies it for protection under Urheberrecht. What exactly gives "Schaffenshöhe" to a "Werk" is nowhere clearly defined, so whenever the issue comes up you have lawyers argue out whether or not something basically is ART. It is completely ridiculous. I've read court decisions where it went on for multiple paragraphs over the quality of brush strokes and color palette, or whether or not the artistic capturing of natural light is itself an artistic act.
I understand that law has to be formulated vaguely for flexibility, but without case law, there is almost no predictibility. Of US law I know very little, so maybe your system is a little bit more sane. (Never thought I ever write that under one of Johns lovely videos.)
My academic training was both in art and science and when I discovered what goes for "Rechtswissenschaft" (Science of law) in Germany, my mind was blown. Of course, maybe other countries have systems which do actually make sense.
That Florida judge is really fucked up. I hope someone gets rid of him soon...
trial by combat....there would be no issues all around
That's awesome, dam, no wonder my jujitsu instructor is a lawyer
+Xuanming Lu "You wanna head out back?" Yeah, I'd love to, do you want to?
ordeal is the way to go lmao
+Kel-chan
Yeah, then you can just fight for your freedom. And if you can't fight yourself, you always have the right to a champion, and those are free!
*****
And they would work better at their jobs than public defenders =D
A public defender tried to get me to plea to driving without a license when my origional ticket was for driving on a suspended license. Long story short, my license shouldnt have been suspended in the first place, and thankfully the DA dropped the charge.
Leave it to Florida to overcharge people who can't pay and spend even more money arresting them for not being able to pay. Meanwhile the raccoons aren't getting the help they need...
+bobolob P.S. Props on the A List celebrities!
Damn it, where's Phoenix Wright when you need him?
+Dreigonix In Japan using the Bench Trial system.
+TornadoADV :(
Dreigonix Which frankly, I think would be awesome, because I could totally see Phoenix winning a fight with a judge.
+Dreigonix Working 2000 cases a year b/c he can't do this shit alone! In other words, he's one more year from becoming Phoenix Wright to Phoenix Wrong.
+Dreigonix Currently in the Kingdom of Kurain. I'm SO HYPED for Ace Attorney 6.
How am I supposed to go another week without your show, John? And just how many holidays do you need to take? The world needs you John!!! You're show should be Monday to Friday, two hours a night! That should be your life, John! That should be your life!
"C'mon, guess!"
"Florida?"
"Of course it was Florida! How could it not be Florida?"
Thankfully that judge is no longer on the bench.
That public defender is a HERO!
To be honest, Its Florida. Crazy shit always happens there.
+They Told Me I Could Become Anything, So I became an Eggplant You know the reason we see so many crazy headlines from Florida is because police arrests and reports are public record.
The only info that I lead off about Florida (because I'm an aussie) is from Florida Man.
+PKLuver944 There's always some Florida man or woman doing some fucked up shit in Florida
Its florida. It only does crazy shit.
No, Florida just has a law where all criminal and civil records have to be made public after conviction, and the media seems to pick the funniest ones.
Literally he makes the most boring news actually funny
I'd argue that major social issues, destroyed lives and brutal scandals aren't exactly boring. Exhausting or complicated might work here.
Boring is what I'd call my list of favourite chocolates and the process of watching me think about them.
How is going through a list of basically everything a country is supposed to mean and represent and finding out each and every item on that list is fucked up beyond all recognition "the most boring news"?
What, you think the shit he talks about couldn't happen to you?
Land of the corrupt, home of the greedy
Alfredo Lopez or you know, any socialist or communist country ever.
Sharks 'n Shanks Every country.
Bozo Clown excuses for what? I don't understand your point here.
Bozo Clown Ok so if you are going to say that quote "our shit stinks", how exactly?
Bozo Clown I just don't understand where you are going with the argument. America has corruption, obviously. But a much smaller amount than almost any other country in the world. Are you saying that because it exists it's on the same level as other corruption? Because that is demonstratively false.
Another horrific insight in the judicial system in the U.S. And yet some people still claim America is the best country in the world.
I'm facing the same viscous cycle in Texas and little do people know you are not eligible for a public defender in class C misdemeanor cases. So if I can't come up with $400.00 in 60 days I will be held in contempt. Since I have been diagnosed with a terminal condition I try not to think about it because the stress alone progresses my condition. The system is not broken, its set up just as planned. Threats, intimidation, and extortion.
Every time I even think about our judicial system my blood starts boiling. From law enforcement to courtrooms to prisons, everything is a complete disaster and a disgrace.
Government logic: Spend $10,000 to collect a $100 fine.
This country is totally shameful. Why do we needlessly criminalize and abuse the poor? I dont understand this lack of compassion... It hurts my heart to see this lack of justice for these victims. At the same time, I'm afraid about myself and what might happen to me since I cant afford an lawyer.... Canada, please let me in!
Every episode should end with: "dont go to america"
And...... all actual money is going into stadiums. Priorities America, ya need some priorities.
3:30 this is true whether you have a PD or not. Often people pay a ddfense attorney $2000 to stand next to them while they plead guilty. The PD would have told them the same thing.
I am absolutely livid that that judge didn't get any repercussions for that. The irony of injustice in a courthouse is staggering.
He was eventually fired in december last year for that incident. But it took the florida supreme court overturning the florida judicial qualificaions comission ruling to get to that decision. They tried giving him a fine/suspension/anger management initially, but the video evidence is too damning. The public defender in that fight even resigned in protest over their decision to keep him on the bench. The fact it took this much time and effort to serve justice for what should have been a straight forward case is really screwed up. Cant help but wonder if John Oliver's video had any influence on the final decision...
+Matt Hebbard That's ridiculous, but I feel a fair bit better knowing he suffered the consequences eventually. That prosecutor deserves reparations, but I wonder how many other times this has happened undocumented. What was his name? I'd love to read up on it
I’ve watched about twenty of these and he still makes me laugh out loud-and good info!
Sad, just depressing as this stuff is... John still manages to make me laugh -laugh at the insanity that is where I live. I just want to go out and punch a judge or something!!
+perpetualjon That last case mentioned... I actually facepalmed at how asinine the case became!
+perpetualjon murica fuck yeah!
So... it seems like the racoon bit is a recurring theme... I approve of this running gag.
That judge should be fired immediately....omg just how????? !!! Fighting a public defender....
The more I watch John Oliver show, the more I realise how fucked up America is...
I don't live in USA so please inform me, is Florida really THAT fucked up. Are they competing with Texas or something?
+Zetsubou Risuikun Those guys definitely have some strange cases if that's any indication of what to expect.
+Zetsubou Risuikun Yep. Try a Google search for Florida man.
Yeah, Florida is where the crazy as shit stuff goes down
+Zetsubou risuikun No Florida has past Texas a long time ago
I know because i actually live in Florida
John Oliver! You are my hero. Thank you for doing this segment. More!
In America poor people don't have rights, and aren't really human. Those at the top don't have to even worry about breaking laws! They usually buy politicians and have special exemptions written (e.g. tax loopholes, deregulation for pollution or poisoning people, ignoring financial regulations, etc.) . And when they do commit a crime they post whatever *bail* is required. Then hire lawyers to get them off, or file appeal after appeal. And anyone who thinks that's an exaggeration is an idiot. Though an occasional patsy will be thrown under the bus to foster the illusion of fairness.
Anyone else stuck in a last week tonight loop? Just..... can't........ stop.................
clicking
Dear Mr. Oliver.
I have a friend who is now into multi level marketing (Amway) which to me nothing but a legal pyramid scheme. It's really troubling too as he is so convinced that it will make him so much money that he is putting his degree second. I think it is an industry ripe for a Last Week Tonight investigation.
John Oliver to Stephen Hawking: "Is there the universe where I am smarter than you?"
Stephen Hawking: "Yes... And also there is the universe where you are funny" :D:D:D
This is why we need people in power who LEGITIMATELY care about doing the right thing.
Guys it ok we just have to do trial by rap battle
+RainTalonX Eminem is most popular attorney
you know it
RainTalonX it's*
@@ellievampmtf Your honor, I heard your name was Clarence...
Right to public defender only applies when it is a serious criminal case - not civil or misdemeanor cases.
+8jb65 That is untrue in NY. Civil cases have legal aid and criminal (even misdemeanor) cases have public defenders.
In any case, it is state law, not constitutional law, that requires those kinds of right to public defenders. Constitution only requires it when you are charged with a serious crime.
I am a public defender in a state that has a pretty decent (but still chronically underfunded) public defender system. Ask me questions!
+CubaLibre How was your job hunting experience after Law School? Was public defending the first job you got out of law school, and if not what did you do previously?
I ask as a prospective law student, I wanna know what I might be getting myself into.
+jackpyro I went to law school specifically to be a public defender. I took every class I could related to criminal law and litigation and oriented all my internships and clinical experience toward it. I clerked for judges in the jurisdiction where I wanted to practice. After applying, it took 8 months for me to get the job.
Competition is fierce for all law jobs, but especially public interest jobs. There's lots of interest in the federal loan forgiveness program, but not much funding (the point of this video) and therefore not many spots.
Law school isn't college. It isn't a place to get a liberal education or "find yourself." It's a vocational school, and you should have a good idea of what you want to do with it from the beginning. If you don't, you risk being out-interviewed by those who do.
+CubaLibre Set up a Reddit AMA. It will go smoother
+Daniel Johnson From the almost identical Reddit AMA-question style I could have sworn he already knew about that.
+CubaLibre What could stop this problem with the system?
John Oliver should just run for president and fix everything.
So, in America it is literally a crime to be poor.
+fruityyyyyy Or ya know, a crime to commit a felony.
At 8:20 im impressed by the synchronized sitting people adjusting themselves.
Well I guess I'm not going to bed for the next 15 minutes 😀
90-95% of the cases end in plea bargains because in the vast, vast majority of these cases it's really fucking obvious the person did it.
Well yeah. Not all pleas are a result of guilt but rather due to socioeconomic circumstances in the area and household, but nearly all of them are. If the cops have HD footage of you robbing a gas station, you're not going to try and defend yourself against that. It's just not gonna work.
+TheBabadook1 Fuck you for reminding me of the Babadook...
+TheBabadook1 True...even if you hired a good lawyer, and you are guilty, odds are you make a plea deal as well. In fact, if you are guilty and you don't hire a lawyer you get completely screwed over on your sentence. Thats' one of the biggest ways that poor people get fucked by the court system. Paid attorneys will get damn near ANY charge lowered to a lesser offense than a public defender will. Keep you out of jail for a non-violent crime, get you a much lower sentence, and even get charges lowered from felonies to misdemeanors.
Cops actually overcharge a lot of people because of the plea deals. So not only do you get fucked with a public defender from a good defense, but since they don't fight for a better deal for you the overcharges the cops threw on you make it so you get convicted of a more serious crime as well.
I don't like the 90% guilty plea number being thrown at us with no context. It seems to imply that the ideal number of guilty pleas is zero, and that a higher number is worse. I know we don't want innocent people being pressured to plead guilty, as he showed was the case, but what if (for example) 89% of people taken to court actually were guilty? Would that make 90% guilty pleas a rather nice number? And if 95% of defendants were guilty, would 90% guilty pleas be a low number?
+Tyrfing42 these are plea bargains not pleas as in court pleas . they plead guilty just to get out of court thats the main reason and motive behind pleas . pleas bargains are not really a good thing they should not exist in the first place ( if its criminal court you should have a trial and if its a civil court ... well thats just a scam as the other side is the same entity as the court itself. )
+romeoneverdies Our courts are overrun. Plea bargains help with that. If you want to pay the bill for all those court cases, be my guest lol.
TheFightingRebel
well maybe if we didn't make everybody a criminal maybe just maybe courts would not be overrun. also if you are a criminal you should be trialled . most court case are from non incidental cases where they only one affected is a government body or an entity that is just as crooked as the person being led to court.that and the "sue me" culture... ( in the US)
I was two years in Florida and they really don't like poor people...
That final montage should've ended with a "Welcome to the fuck barrel", would've been a great reference to another amazing J.O. piece about issues regarding criminal justice
In case you haven't noticed the trend in attitudes in American culture: if you are poor you are a criminal, a leech on society, sub-human who should leave the country. If you are rich it's because you deserve it and everyone should listen to you and thank you all the time for being so great...
where is this week's one?
Florida of course how could it not be Florida.
I'm in New Zealand and we have the same "Miranda" rights as the USA. The cases are stacked up on them, but my lawyer had enough time to meet me twice and be in court with me. I didn't have to pay anything. We have a diversion scheme that if your first crime as an adult is small, it won't go on your record so it won't show up in police checks. I was arrested for possession of class B and possession of stolen drugs (long story) I got diversion and had to do drug and alcohol counseling which helped me so much Im actually so happy I got arrested. It's crazy. I'm so sorry your systems do messed up and if you've been screwed over by it, you have my sympathy 💜💜
being poor in murica seems to be very expensive...
ah the irony...
No 21 Jump Street Miranda speech? I'm disappointed
Wouldn't it cost the state more to arrest, detain, have a hearing in front of a judge and incarcerate a person for a period of time than the $200 they owe in previous fees? If so, why not just write it off or just add it as a footnote in the person's permanent record, but not act upon collecting it until they have a job that allows for a reasonable disposable income to pay the fine? Wouldn't it be more cost effective?
My aunt and uncle are public defenders.
In Florida.
God bless them. Is it hard?
Of course its hard. Telling people to take plead deals all day difficult.
Jon Doe Actually, they get the majority of their clients acquitted.
I love that they have all these kickass actors form things I love in the skit!!!!
Judges get pissed when public defenders have the nerve slow down the process by actually defending their clients.
How dare the poor have a chance to plead not guilty to crimes that never committed
the American legal system, where your just Guilty
+Rene Villalon Jr if you can't afford defense. If you have money, you can kill full families and get off on affluenza.
+James Wisdom omg..yeah I remember that story....so sad.
Someone I know had a court case- their public defender said they could appeal, but a loss meant they would be billed the lawyer and court costs. The defender told them they’d lose. They won.
This is the fucking judicial system not video game dlc! What the hell?
Last time I went to court I was able to meet with a public defender. He consulted with me prior to the hearing the day of and then I met him in the courtroom. The only issue was that when I met him in the courtroom he was not sitting next to me on my side of the isle, he was the prosecutor.
I'm fairly certain that's illegal and that case should have been thrown out.
Okay - the PD going *into* the hallway with the *Judge* and the loud fight that ensued was... OOMMGG!!! But, *all* the stars, (AND Dennis Quaid Movie Star!!?? Help me!!), was *amazing*! And, Kevin Chapman from "Person of Interest" *alongside* Dennis!? Working as his Cop Partner...? Thank YOU!!! Awesome!
Keep up the great stories, and thanks for giving us a treat with I don't know *how* many great actors surprising us!!!
We were told we HAD to have a lawyer and then when we went to get one, we were told that my husband makes too much money and we HAD to hire one ourselves, despite the fact that we live paycheck to paycheck and he barely makes more than minimum wage.
In Michigan they provide one for you but u have to pay it back after sentencing. It’s usually about 200.00
The ending segment was unbelievably awesome!!!! And so scarily true.
That dude who tattoos his loses on his back is without doubt a hero.
john oliver really digs up truly bogus stories. Praise be to our lady of perpetual exemption.
So happy I'm not living in America right now, phew
+LouisesFace Now if we could just get Mexicans to share your sentiment..
+LouisesFace It may not be the best...but it's a h*ll lot better than most places around the world.
+JOn DHo it's true though. take the whole world and see which country is better than america. will probably be 5-10 countries, hardly more.
John Oliver looks like sam the eagle if someone didn’t pluck his uni
I looked into getting my own attorney... 20K JUST to take the case (retainer).
So of course I wound up with a plea deal
The justice system ISN'T fair and it is slanted towards the privileged and wealthy more than any other dividing line
Rating Muppets by order-of-fuckability. It's never going to get better than this! Please god, take me now! BTW, Piggy, Kermit (just because), and the Swedish Chef. Bork, bork, bork!!
NOTE: "Go Set a Watchman" is a garbage book, published without concent of the author, while she was dying in a retirement home. It was based off of some notes she had written, but hadn't fleshed out.