Law & Order is STUFFED.

There are a lot of intelligent people from truckies to doctors and everyone in between. I think Ian was just pointing out that those who become judicial officers are usually at the pointy end of a career dealing with issues that make them well informed on areas of sentencing.

To say that certain people are let off lightly based often on a 30 word news paper summary without knowing all the facts that sentencing judges typically know, and without having been part of the legal system so as to understand all the nuances is just easy mud slinging a lot of the time. Having said that they do at times get it wrong. They are human. But there is a reason why once the Jury has given a guilty verdict their very valuable service is at an end and they take no part in sentencing.

Judges are far from being out of touch. I know many. The idea that judges are ivory tower sitters is generally just not correct. Their separation and small number make them an easy target though.

Cheers

IMHO a big part of the problem is selective reporting by the media (in all forms).
They seem to thrive only on reporting activities that will cause shock, horror, and/or fear in their readers/viewers.
How many news reports do you see about inmates who get paroled, and go on to be good citizens? I bet they outnumber the re-offenders by a large percentage, but there's no headlines in that, is there?
Look through this mornings' Sunday paper, and see how many "good news" stories there are. Not too many, I'd bet.
Even articles which purport to be "good news", usually include some dark elements, in order to keep the populace under control by bringing out the boogyman, thus convincing them they need protecting by increasingly restrictive laws which simply make it harder for honest people to get on with their lives.
I know I'm being paranoid - but am I being paranoid enough!? [bigwhistle]

Nicely put Don. Cheers

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ozscott

I think Ian was just pointing out that those who become judicial officers are usually at the pointy end of a career dealing with issues that make them well informed on areas of sentencing.

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And I am pointing out they are not representative of the general populace.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ozscott

The idea that judges are ivory tower sitters

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You said that. Not I.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ozscott

is generally just not correct.

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I would suggest they are more of the Grange quaffing set. Is that not correct? It is what I have observed.

How was your Grange last night? I enjoyed my VB.

Mick that is what I expect from this thread. Those sort of comments are what means this thread has little hope of ressurection nor of being useful. Nice one.

PS. I dont like VB. It tastes like horse urine. I prefer a cold xxxx over VB but would take cold carbonated water over both most of the time. Never had Grange but if I said I had it would be good for your story.

Anyway I'm not going to contribute any further. I thought actually having a lot of contact with crims and victims for nearly 3 decades I might have been able to add something useful and backed up by actual experience but seems to just get in the way of a good rant. Good luck with it lads.

Cheers

Quote:

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Originally Posted by donh54

IMHO a big part of the problem is selective reporting by the media (in all forms).
They seem to thrive only on reporting activities that will cause shock, horror, and/or fear in their readers/viewers.
How many news reports do you see about inmates who get paroled, and go on to be good citizens? I bet they outnumber the re-offenders by a large percentage, but there's no headlines in that, is there?
Look through this mornings' Sunday paper, and see how many "good news" stories there are. Not too many, I'd bet.
Even articles which purport to be "good news", usually include some dark elements

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Absolutely.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by donh54

, in order to keep the populace under control by bringing out the boogyman

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I disagree with you there. The newsmedia aren't about giving more control to the government. They're about selling more news to make more money. Bad news sells.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by donh54

, thus convincing them they need protecting by increasingly restrictive laws which simply make it harder for honest people to get on with their lives.

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It's more that members of the judiciary push their own personal beliefs. An example of this are some decisions made by Justice Kirby. He made decisions based on what he thought was right, not necessarily what the populace thought was right. (Whether those decisions were right or wrong should be debated elsewhere.)[/QUOTE]

Quote:

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Originally Posted by donh54

I know I'm being paranoid - but am I being paranoid enough!? [bigwhistle]

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A little bit of paranoia is good but there is a point where too much is a bad thing.

Australia is looking good compared to Israel.

A haven for paedophiles: The ultra-Orthodox settlement where Malka Leifer hides

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ozscott

PS. I dont like VB. It tastes like horse urine. I prefer a cold xxxx over VB but would take cold carbonated water over both most of the time. Never had Grange but if I said I had it would be good for your story.

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Truth be known, I don't like VB either.
Thanks for the comparison. I'm not in a position to compare it to horse urine. I'm happy to know your are.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ozscott

Anyway I'm not going to contribute any further. I thought actually having a lot of contact with crims and victims for nearly 3 decades I might have been able to add something useful and backed up by actual experience but seems to just get in the way of a good rant. Good luck with it lads.
.Cheers

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Do not desert us,....SERIOUSLY, you are better than that.
This is a very emotive subject, simply because ya don't agree with someone's view, is maybe a good reason to stay. I'm a bit of a "Dinosäur, so plenty of people disagree with me!.....couldn't care less, as long as I'm able to voice my point of view like everyone else?
Pickles.