Mississippi judge shrugs off innocent until proven guilty: People charged with crimes are criminals [View all]

[ashling]

http://www.rawstory.com/2015/10/mississippi-judge-shrugs-off-innocent-until-proven-guilty-people-charged-with-crimes-are-criminals/

Circuit Court Judge Marcus D. Gordon agrees that suspects have a right under state law to an attorney as soon as an arrest warrant is issued, but he freely admits that he saves money by waiting to assign public defenders until suspects are formally indicted, reported Al Jazeera.

However, defendants routinely wait in jail for months without speaking to an attorney because Mississippi doesn’t set a time limit for prosecutors to seek an indictment.

Gordon, who is facing an American Civil Liberties Union lawsuit for excessive pretrial detention and denial of counsel, told a reporter that he understands the system is flawed, but he said most criminal defendants were “con people” who probably deserved jail time.

“Lady, people charged with crimes, they are criminals, and they say what meets their purpose,” Gordon said. “Now they told you they had requested an attorney. They had not requested an attorney in 98 percent of the cases. You never hear of that, I never hear of that.”

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I began practicing law in 1982 in Scott County, Ms in this man's courtroom.

Indictments started coming in on Thursday afternoon. Public defenders (from the local bar) got appointed as soon as they came in. Motions were set for Friday morning and trial was set for Monday morning.

I am proud to say that I was once held in contempt of court. Oh if he had only known the contempt I had for his court.